Town(s):
Farragut TN, Friendsville TN, Knoxville TN, Lenoir City TN, Louisville TN
County:
Local Name:
Loudon Lake
Size:
14600
acres
Average Depth:
30
feet
Maximum Depth:
110
feet
Boating Allowed:
Kayaks, Canoes, Sail Boats, Electric Motor Boats, Power Boats, Jet-skis, State & Local Rules & Regulations Apply
Swimming:
Swimming Allowed, Some Restrictions
Fort Loudoun Reservoir, located on the Tennessee River at Knoxville, is the uppermost in the chain of nine TVA reservoirs that form a continuous navigable channel from there to Paducah, Kentucky, 652 miles away.
Fort Loudoun Reservoir takes its name from the 18th-century British fort built on a nearby site during the French and Indian War. The fort was named for John Campbell, the fourth Earl of Loudoun, commander of British forces in North America at the time.
Fort Loudoun is a popular recreation destination, known for bass fishing, boating and birdwatching. The tailwater area immediately below the dam is an excellent site for viewing a variety of waterbirds, including herons, cormorants, gulls, osprey and bald eagles.
The reservoir is connected by a short canal to Tellico Reservoir on the nearby Little Tennessee River. Water is diverted through the canal to Fort Loudoun for power production. The canal also offers commercial barges access to Tellico without the need for a lock. Barges passing through the Fort Loudoun lock carry about half a million tons of cargo a year.
To check the daily lake level click here: https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Lake-Levels/Fort-Loudoun
Fort Loudoun: Facts + Figures
Construction of Fort Loudoun Dam began in 1940 and was completed in 1943.
Fort Loudoun Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has four generating units with a net dependable capacity of 162 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a dam can produce on an average day, minus the electricity used by the dam itself.
The dam is 122 feet high and stretches 4,190 feet across the Tennessee River.
Fort Loudoun Reservoir has 379 miles of shoreline and 14,600 acres of water surface. It has a flood-storage capacity of 111,000 acre-feet.
To maintain the water depth required for navigation, Fort Loudoun Reservoir is kept at a minimum winter elevation of 807 feet. The typical summer operating elevation is between 812 and 813 feet.
The 60- by 360-foot lock at Fort Loudoun raises and lowers river craft about 70 feet between the reservoir and Watts Bar Reservoir.
Vegetation Growth:
Unknown
Non-native Species:
Boat Access:
Unknown
Parking Spaces:
Unknown
Shoreline Development:
Unknown