Overview
Watauga Lake is a 6,430-acre reservoir on the Watauga River in Carter and Johnson counties in northeastern Tennessee, east of Elizabethton. It was created in 1948 when the Tennessee Valley Authority completed Watauga Dam. At about 1,959 feet above mean sea level, it is the highest-elevation TVA reservoir and is operated for hydropower, flood storage, and recreation.
About 16 miles long with roughly 105 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 53 feet, and a maximum depth of about 265 feet at the dam, Watauga is a deep, clear mountain lake framed by the Cherokee National Forest. The pool typically varies about 9 feet in a normal year for seasonal flood storage.
The lake is popular for boating, paddling, and fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, and trout, with fisheries managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TVA recreation areas, Forest Service sites, and boat ramps provide public access around the reservoir.
Water levels on Watauga Lake are managed by TVA around a summer full pool near 1,960 feet above mean sea level. Releases flow into Wilbur Lake immediately downstream, and elevations shift seasonally and with rainfall and generation, so monitoring current lake levels is helpful for boating, fishing, and dock access.
Current Conditions
Watauga Lake is currently 7.72 feet below full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.62 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.69 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Watauga Lake is a 6,430-acre reservoir on the Watauga River and Elk River managed by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).