Hiwassee Reservoir
Cherokee County, North Carolina5,870 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 75 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Hiwassee Reservoir in Cherokee County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 5870 acres.
- Clarity
- 10 ft
- Max depth
- ~75 ft est.
- Area
- 5,870 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Yes
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Hiwassee Reservoir is a 5,870-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cherokee County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 75 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 7 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Cherokee County, Hiwassee Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-11-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hiwassee Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Boat launch7 documented ramps
- Big water5,870 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.6 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~75 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 5,870 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Carolina has not published bathymetry for Hiwassee Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- ApalachiaPublic
- Grape CreekPublic
- Hanging DogPublic
- Ramsey BluffPublic
- Hiwassee Street Boat RampPublic
- Payne Street Boat RampPublic
Showing 6 of 7 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hiwassee Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hiwassee Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hiwassee Dam (completed 1940), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Hiwassee River; concrete-type dam, 307 ft tall and 1,376 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,870 ac
- Normal storage
- 398,583 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 471,954 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 968 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- TVA
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Navigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00419 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Cherokee County
Nearby Lakes in Cherokee County
Frequently asked questions about Hiwassee Reservoir
Where is Hiwassee Reservoir?
- Hiwassee Reservoir is a lake in Cherokee County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hiwassee Reservoir?
- Hiwassee Reservoir in Cherokee County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 5870 acres.
Is Hiwassee Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hiwassee Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hiwassee Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 75 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 5870 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Hiwassee Reservoir?
- Hiwassee Reservoir has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Apalachia, Grape Creek, Hanging Dog, Ramsey Bluff, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hiwassee Reservoir across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 17.7 mi, nearest Bald River Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
North Carolina's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Carolina Lake Rankings
Ranked by overall water quality grade
Top 25 by Secchi water clarity
Grade A/B + low algae filter
Panfish-rich, public access
Full state directory
Other Grade C Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
95 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ95 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory