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Tims Ford Lake is a lake located in Tennessee. It reaches a maximum depth of roughly 150 feet at an elevation of about 888 feet. At around 10,700 acres (about 17 square miles), it is a large waterbody. Research-grade observations nearby include Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, and Bluegill. If you are planning a trip, Woods Reservoir and Normandy Lake are also nearby. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Forecasts for Tims Ford Lake come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
High Wind Watch issued October 8 at 10:37PM CDT until October 11 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL
Overall Poor (53/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (64/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 91/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the east. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 79° | 80° | 81° | 82° | 81° | 81° | 80° | 78° | 74° | 71° | 69° | 68° | 66° | 65° | 64° | 62° | 60° | 60° | 58° | 58° | 58° | 60° | 62° | 64° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | SE | SE | SE | SE | E | E | E | — | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Gusts (kts) | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 7% | 32% | 43% | 49% | 53% | 84% | 88% | 78% | 76% | 46% | 39% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 79°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 10 mph | 0% | 35% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 80°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 13 mph | 0% | 32% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 81°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 14 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 82°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 14 mph | 0% | 31% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 81°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 14 mph | 0% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 81°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 80°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 15 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 78°F | Calm | 15 mph | 0% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 74°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 14 mph | 1% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 71°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 17 mph | 1% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 69°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 20 mph | 1% | 95% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 68°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 21 mph | 1% | 97% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 66°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 3% | 95% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 65°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 7% | 97% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 64°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 32% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 62°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 29 mph | 43% | 98% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 60°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 30 mph | 49% | 96% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 60°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 33 mph | 53% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 58°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 35 mph | 84% | 95% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 58°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 36 mph | 88% | 95% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 58°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 37 mph | 78% | 92% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 60°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 37 mph | 76% | 76% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 62°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 37 mph | 46% | 68% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 64°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 36 mph | 39% | 71% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 37 mph | 38% | 61% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
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 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 82° | 58° | 72° | 59° | 71° | 55° | 84° | 57° | 87° | 60° | 86° | 59° | 86° | 59° |
| Wind | ESE 5 mph | E 0 to 15 mph | E 15 mph | SSE 5 to 15 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | SSE 0 to 5 mph | W 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph | WSW 0 to 5 mph | WSW 0 to 5 mph | SSW 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | S 5 mph |
| Gusts | 15 mph | 35 mph | 40 mph | 40 mph | 25 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 8 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 6 mph | 5 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 84% | 99% | 93% | 70% | 29% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 7% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Tims Ford Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 65.1°F at ELK RIVER ABOVE FAYETTEVILLE, TN (18.5 mi away) · Oct 9, 3:15 PM UTC
Fair for fishing (64/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-southeast. 0% chance of precipitation. 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.
Poor for boating (49/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-southeast. Gusts to 10 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. 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.
Poor for sailing (39/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts exceed sustained wind by 5 mph, making the breeze puffy. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Poor for kayaking (52/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-southeast. Gusts to 10 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. 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.
Tims Ford Lake stands as a well-regarded freshwater lake in TN, recognized for its rich fishery and accessible open-water recreation. The waterbody offers excellent conditions for troll fishing, drift casting, and pleasure boating. Shoreline access points and public park amenities 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 Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Bluegill. 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 Tims Ford 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 9, 11:22 AM CDT