Ocoee River at Copperhill
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03559500 · Tennessee · drains 352 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:30 PM · streamflow
The Ocoee River at Copperhill is running 218 cfs. Gage height is 2.46 ft. Flow is about the same as 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Ocoee River
for rafters & kayakersThis USGS gauge at Copperhill measures the natural river above Ocoee No. 3 Lake. The Upper and Middle Ocoee rafting sections run on scheduled TVA dam releases, so their flow is set by the release schedule below, not by this reading.
Upper Ocoee (Olympic section)
Class III–IV · 4.3 mi · 50 ft/mi gradient
No runnable range shown for this gauge: it runs on scheduled dam releases. Reach details: American Whitewater.
No more scheduled releases in 2026. TVA’s last 2026 release day was Sat Sep 12 (34 release days this year, first on Sat May 16). TVA has not published its 2027 calendar yet — check Ocoee No. 3 Dam (Upper Ocoee).
Middle Ocoee
Class III+ · 5.5 mi · 50 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Ocoee #2 Dam River Access · Take-out: Take Out (Public)
No runnable range shown for this gauge: it runs on scheduled dam releases. Reach details: American Whitewater.
- Sat Oct 31 6-hour day: 10 am - 4 pm
- Sun Nov 1 6-hour day: 10 am - 4 pm
From TVA’s official recreation release calendar (117 release days in 2026). Source: Ocoee No. 2 Dam (Middle Ocoee). TVA can change schedules without notice; next-day schedules are posted by about 6 p.m.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
TVA publishes a day-by-day recreation release calendar for each Ocoee dam. In 2026 TVA scheduled 117 Middle Ocoee release days (late March through November 1) and 34 Upper Ocoee days (summer weekends). Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReading
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumReading
Ocoee River at Copperhill fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETFlow steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:56 AM–8:56 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 70°F / low 43°FMostly Sunny
- WindCalm0–4 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 9
- Flow218 cfsFlow steady (+0% in 24 h)
Official Tennessee fishing report: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Weekly fishing reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:53 AM · Sunset 6:49 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:17 AM–2:17 AM
- Moon underfoot12:45 PM–2:45 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:56 AM–8:56 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:26 PM–7:26 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:17 AM–2:17 AM · 12:45 PM–2:45 PM Minor 7:56 AM–8:56 AM · 6:26 PM–7:26 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:13 AM–3:13 AM · 1:43 PM–3:43 PM Minor 9:10 AM–10:10 AM · 7:10 PM–8:10 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:14 AM–4:14 AM · 2:46 PM–4:46 PM Minor 10:24 AM–11:24 AM · 8:04 PM–9:04 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:18 AM–5:18 AM · 3:50 PM–5:50 PM Minor 11:34 AM–12:34 PM · 9:07 PM–10:07 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:22 AM–6:22 AM · 4:54 PM–6:54 PM Minor 12:34 PM–1:34 PM · 10:17 PM–11:17 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
| SatOct 31 | 6/10Good | Major 5:25 AM–7:25 AM · 5:54 PM–7:54 PM Minor 1:24 PM–2:24 PM · 11:29 PM–12:29 AM Calm wind 0–6 mph · pressure falling |
| SunNov 1 | 7/10Good | Major 5:22 AM–7:22 AM · 5:49 PM–7:49 PM Minor 1:05 PM–2:05 PM · 11:40 PM–12:40 AM Light wind 4–6 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 river 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 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
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 34.99, -84.38 (moon times from astronomical equations, Ocoee River at Copperhill local time).
Weather & wind at Ocoee River at Copperhill
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon70° / 43°Mostly SunnyWind N 5 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday76° / 45°Areas Of Fog then SunnyWind 0 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday74° / 45°Patchy Fog then Partly SunnyWind 0 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 34.991, -84.377 (grid MRX), issued Oct 26, 2:26 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.
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 525 | -69% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,720 | +0% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,720 | +1% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,710 | +0% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,710 | +1% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,700 | +656% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 225 | -87% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,700 | -2% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,740 | -1% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,750 | -1% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Blue Ridge Lake9 mi · Lake1,671.38 ft−15.52 ft vs summer pool
- Hiwassee River at Apalachia Powerhouse14 mi · River2,873 cfs24h +1,380.00 ft
- Hiwassee Lake16 mi · Lake1,490.78 ft−30.12 ft vs summer pool
- Lake Nottely16 mi · Lake1,763.41 ft−13.49 ft vs summer pool
- Parksville Lake (Ocoee No. 1)17 mi · Lake827.95 ft24h −0.19 ft
- Carters Lake31 mi · Lake · Carters1,071.92 ft−2.08 ft vs full pool
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03559500 — Ocoee River At Copperhill, Tn
- Location
- 34.9915, -84.3766 · Tennessee
- Drainage area
- 352 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:30 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.