Cherokee Lake

Also known as: Cherokee Reservoir

Locations

USA > South > Tennessee

Cherokee Lake Water Levels

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Cherokee Lake: Description

Cherokee Lake: Artists stop at Clinch Mountain Overlook to paint it, and photographers to photograph it, and every year millions of people come from all over to enjoy its beautiful waters. Cherokee Lake is a fantastic place to boat, fish, and enjoy. With Pigeon Forge, Tennessee nearby, there is sure to be something to please everyone.

Cherokee Lake is named for the Cherokee Indians that used the Great Indian Warpath. Followed by Daniel Boone, the Warpath crossed the basin now filled by the reservoir. The reservoir was formed in 1941 with the completion of the Cherokee Dam on the Holston River. The dam, located 52 miles upstream from the convergence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers that make up the Tennessee River, was created to make hydroelectric power for World War II and also for flood control. Cherokee Lake is managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority which runs several recreation facilities around the lake including a swimming beach, boat launch, and campground. The TVA also regulates the water levels which vary around 27 feet a year.

Beginning and experienced anglers will find plenty of fish in Cherokee Lake including black bass and sauger. The lake is stocked with walleye, crappie and very good stripers. The TVA adds oxygen to Cherokee Lake to help support the fish populations, and there are several annual tournaments. Several full service marinas with boat rentals and bair service boating enthusiasts and anglers. Cherokee Lake is large enough for good sailing, and there are many coves and islands to explore.

On the shores of Cherokee Lake, Panther Creek State Park provides over 1,400 acres of forest, trails and wildlife. The park has camping and hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails, and visitors may see white-tailed deer, eagles or owls. About 45 minutes south of Cherokee Lake, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the country's most visited park, rounds out the outdoor adventures. There is also hunting nearby.

Clinch Mountain was immortalized by the Carter Family in their 1928 song "My Clinch Mountain Home." The area is also home to bluegrass musician Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Looking down at the view from the Clinch Mountain Overlook, it's easy to see why songs were written and paintings painted of this beautiful area and lake.