Cherokee Lake

Description

Cherokee Lake, also known as Cherokee Reservoir, is an artificial reservoir in the U.S. state of Tennessee formed by the impoundment of the Holston River behind Cherokee Dam. The reservoir has a surface area of about 28,780 acres (11,650 ha), a flood-storage capacity of 749,406 acre-feet (924,379,000 m3), and nearly 400 miles (640 km) of shoreline. In a normal year, the lake water level fluctuates over a range of about 27 feet (8.2 m). In order to maintain dissolved oxygen concentrations in the river below the dam at levels that will support aquatic life, perforated hoses suspended above the bottom of Cherokee Reservoir are used to inject oxygen into the reservoir water and devices which resemble large underwater fans located just above the dam are used to push warm oxygenated water downward to the depths where water is released for hydroelectric generation. Cherokee Lake in recent times has seen a large transition into a popular recreational tourist destination. Public boating access areas, Panther Creek State Park and other public parks, commercial boat docks, lakefront resorts, RV and tent campgrounds, and a state wildlife management area on the shores of the lake attract extensive recreational use, such as swimming, boating, paddling activities (such as canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding), camping, water sports, and fishing. The lake is also home to a sailing club and regattas are hosted seasonally on its waters. Since the lake has a greater fish density than most reservoirs maintained by the TVA, it has become one of the most popular for anglers in the East Tennessee region. In 2019, Cherokee Lake was ranked #20 by Bassmaster of the top 25 bass fishing lakes in the Southeastern United States. In October 2020, the reservoir was the location of the 2020 Bassmaster Eastern Open tournament.