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Chickamauga Lake sits in Tennessee and is classified as a reservoir. The water surface spans about 36,240 acres, making it a large body of water. Fish documented in the area include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, and Redear Sunfish. Sitting at around 682 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 72 feet. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Nickajack Lake and Watts Bar Lake are also nearby. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Chickamauga Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Flood Watch issued October 10 at 9:10AM EDT until October 11 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Morristown TN
Overall Poor (36/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (48/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the west. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 61° | 63° | 64° | 65° | 67° | 68° | 70° | 70° | 71° | 71° | 70° | 70° | 68° | 68° | 67° | 66° | 65° | 64° | 64° | 63° | 63° | 63° | 63° | 62° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E | E | SE | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 21 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip % | 89% | 83% | 72% | 63% | 50% | 72% | 71% | 67% | 85% | 97% | 89% | 93% | 83% | 68% | 46% | 41% | 45% | 52% | 34% | 42% | 55% | 43% | 31% | 18% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 61°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 15 mph | 89% | 87% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 63°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 83% | 88% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 AM EDT | 64°F | 20 mph NE (45°) | 33 mph | 72% | 91% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 12 PM EDT | 65°F | 20 mph NE (45°) | 33 mph | 63% | 91% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 1 PM EDT | 67°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 35 mph | 50% | 91% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 2 PM EDT | 68°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 35 mph | 72% | 89% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sat, 3 PM EDT | 70°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 35 mph | 71% | 85% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sat, 4 PM EDT | 70°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 33 mph | 67% | 85% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sat, 5 PM EDT | 71°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 32 mph | 85% | 85% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 6 PM EDT | 71°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 33 mph | 97% | 88% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 7 PM EDT | 70°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 33 mph | 89% | 86% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 8 PM EDT | 70°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 32 mph | 93% | 90% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 9 PM EDT | 68°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 32 mph | 83% | 86% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 10 PM EDT | 68°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 31 mph | 68% | 88% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sat, 11 PM EDT | 67°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 30 mph | 46% | 82% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 AM EDT | 66°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 28 mph | 41% | 76% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 1 AM EDT | 65°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 31 mph | 45% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 2 AM EDT | 64°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 32 mph | 52% | 86% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 3 AM EDT | 64°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 34% | 75% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 4 AM EDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 42% | 73% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 5 AM EDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 55% | 77% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sun, 6 AM EDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 43% | 85% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 7 AM EDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 31% | 85% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 AM EDT | 62°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 18% | 82% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 9 AM EDT | 63°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 18% | 67% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 10, 2026 | Tonight October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 72° | 62° | 73° | 58° | 86° | 59° | 87° | 64° | 87° | 64° | 85° | 63° | 82° | 55° |
| Wind | NE 10 to 20 mph | SE 10 to 15 mph | SW 10 to 15 mph | SW 0 to 10 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | S 5 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | NW 5 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 35 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | 17 mph | 13 mph | 9 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 8 mph | 14 mph | 13 mph | 17 mph | 17 mph |
| Precip % | 89% | 97% | 43% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 7% | 7% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 13% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Chickamauga Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Poor for fishing (48/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the north. Morning hours (09:00 local). Working against it: 89% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the north. Gusts to 15 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 89% chance of precipitation is likely. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Boating scores are capped at 30. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Very Poor / Avoid for sailing (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the N is in the preferred sailing range. Gusts are within 5 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 89% chance of precipitation is likely. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Sailing scores are capped at 30. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (30/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the north. Gusts to 15 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 89% chance of precipitation is likely. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Kayaking scores are capped at 30. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of TN Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Chickamauga Lake is an established freshwater reservoir in TN that delivers excellent freshwater boating, fishing, and outdoor recreation. The waterbody's bathymetry and shoreline vegetation provide productive habitat for gamefish year-round. Public recreation areas and boat launch facilities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is required for anglers age 13+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Redear Sunfish. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Chickamauga Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 10, 9:16 AM EDT