Fontana Lake Water Level
Tennessee Valley Authority · North Carolina
Latest reading Oct 26, 4:00 PM · elevation
Fontana Lake is 33.6 ft below summer pool today (1,669.44 ft vs 1,703.00 ft), 1.4 ft higher than a year ago. TVA’s guide curve for today is 1,667.18 ft (2.3 ft above). It has fallen 0.50 ft since yesterday and is down 2.31 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelSummer pool (1,703.0 ft) is 33.6 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Summer pool (1,703.0 ft) is 33.6 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Fontana Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLake 33.6 ft below summer pool, level falling, calm wind — fair fall fishing day (5/10), best window 7:55 AM–8:55 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 72°F / low 44°FMostly Sunny
- WindCalm1–2 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 8
- Level33.6 ft below summer poolLevel falling 0.50 ft in 24 h
Official North Carolina fishing info: NC Wildlife Resources Commission — Where to fish
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
5/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:51 AM · Sunset 6:46 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:15 AM–2:15 AM
- Moon underfoot12:42 PM–2:42 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:55 AM–8:55 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:22 PM–7:22 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:15 AM–2:15 AM · 12:42 PM–2:42 PM Minor 7:55 AM–8:55 AM · 6:22 PM–7:22 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:11 AM–3:11 AM · 1:41 PM–3:41 PM Minor 9:09 AM–10:09 AM · 7:07 PM–8:07 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:12 AM–4:12 AM · 2:43 PM–4:43 PM Minor 10:24 AM–11:24 AM · 8:00 PM–9:00 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:16 AM–5:16 AM · 3:48 PM–5:48 PM Minor 11:33 AM–12:33 PM · 9:03 PM–10:03 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:20 AM–6:20 AM · 4:52 PM–6:52 PM Minor 12:33 PM–1:33 PM · 10:13 PM–11:13 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
| SatOct 31 | 6/10Good | Major 5:22 AM–7:22 AM · 5:52 PM–7:52 PM Minor 1:23 PM–2:23 PM · 11:26 PM–12:26 AM Calm wind 1–4 mph · pressure falling |
| SunNov 1 | 6/10Good | Major 5:20 AM–7:20 AM · 5:47 PM–7:47 PM Minor 1:04 PM–2:04 PM · 11:37 PM–12:37 AM Calm wind 1–5 mph · pressure falling |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 0 |
| Today | 5, rounded | 5/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 35.45, -83.81 (moon times from astronomical equations, Fontana Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Fontana Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon72° / 44°Mostly SunnyWind NNW 2 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday77° / 44°Patchy Fog then SunnyWind ESE 2 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday76° / 44°Partly SunnyWind E 0 to 3 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 35.451, -83.806 (grid GSP), issued Oct 26, 2:23 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Dam release schedule
TVA generation schedule — changes without notice| Day | Hours | Generators |
|---|---|---|
| 10/26/2026 | 1 AM - 8 AM EDT | 0 |
| 10/26/2026 | 8 AM - 1 PM EDT | 1 |
| 10/26/2026 | 1 PM - 11 PM EDT | 2 or more |
| 10/26/2026 | 11 PM - Midnight EDT | 1 |
| 10/27/2026 | Midnight - 1 AM EDT | 1 |
| 10/27/2026 | 1 AM - 7 AM EDT | 0 |
| 10/27/2026 | 7 AM - 1 PM EDT | 1 |
| 10/27/2026 | 1 PM - 11 PM EDT | 2 or more |
| 10/27/2026 | 11 PM - Midnight EDT | 1 |
| 10/28/2026 | Midnight - 1 AM EDT | 0 |
More generators running means more water released below the dam. Large releases can start at any time.
Forecast
published by TVA| Day | Lake level (ft) | Release (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| 10/26/2026 | 1,668.86 | 3,913 |
| 10/27/2026 | 1,668.11 | 4,000 |
| 10/28/2026 | 1,667.31 | 4,000 |
Past 12 months
daily readings from Tennessee Valley Authority- Today1,669.44 ft
- Same date last year1,668.00 ft+1.4 ft change
- 12-month high1,704.38 ftJul 30, 2026
- 12-month low1,651.61 ftDec 19, 2025
- Summer pool1,703.00 ftTennessee Valley Authority operating guide
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,669.63 | −0.19 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,669.82 | −0.19 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,670.01 | −0.63 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,670.64 | −0.16 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,670.80 | −0.15 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,670.95 | −0.17 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,671.12 | −0.63 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,671.75 | −0.85 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,672.60 | −0.66 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,673.26 | −0.72 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Nantahala River near Hewitt13 mi · River659 cfs178% of normal
- Queens Creek Lake15 mi · Lake3,016.30 ft−7.90 ft vs normal full pond
- Nantahala Lake20 mi · Lake2,993.00 ft−19.20 ft vs normal full pond
- Hiwassee Lake30 mi · Lake1,490.78 ft−30.12 ft vs summer pool
- Lake Chatuge30 mi · Lake1,918.86 ft−7.04 ft vs summer pool
- Fort Loudoun Lake34 mi · Lake812.54 ft−0.21 ft vs summer pool
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Location
- 35.4506, -83.8056 · North Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 4:00 PM local time
- History
- 664 days on file since 2025-01-01
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Summer pool
- 1,703.00 ft — Tennessee Valley Authority operating guide (Summer operating level in the TVA operating guide)
- Seasonal target today
- 1,667.18 ft — Tennessee Valley Authority operating guide (TVA operating guide)
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.