Hiwassee River Lake
Bradley County, Tennessee2 acresView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Hiwassee River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Hiwassee River Lake in Bradley County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Surface area: 2.3 acres.
Hiwassee River Lake is a 2-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Bradley County, Tennessee. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2026-06-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hiwassee River Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Hiwassee River Lake
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Hiwassee River Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 29.3 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hiwassee River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
2 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by TDEC
No bathymetric survey has been published for Hiwassee River Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Hiwassee River Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hiwassee River Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bowater #4 Dam (completed 1989) on the Trib-Hiwasse River; earth-type dam, 30 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 17 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 31 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.05 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Bowater Newsprint
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TN10708 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.99 km)
Nearby Lakes in Bradley County
Frequently asked questions about Hiwassee River Lake
Where is Hiwassee River Lake?
- Hiwassee River Lake is a lake in Bradley County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hiwassee River Lake?
- Hiwassee River Lake in Bradley County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Surface area: 2.3 acres.
Is Hiwassee River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Hiwassee River Lake?
- Public access to Hiwassee River Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Tennessee's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
171 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- TDEC Division of Water Resources
TDECWR_WQX171 samples · 2012–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 4500 P H ~ Manual Digestion and Flow Injection Analysis for Total Phosphorus
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
- 2120 C ~ Color in Water by Spectrophotometry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.