Monroe County, Tennessee · Water Quality Report Card
Tellico Lake
Tellico Lake in Monroe County, Tennessee is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Mean depth
- ~19 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
Tellico Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Monroe County, Tennessee with an estimated average depth of about 19 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2021-07-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Tennessee has not published bathymetry for Tellico Lake.
Where to stay near Tellico Lake
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Fishing Tellico Lake
Location
Nearby Lakes in Monroe County
Explore Tellico Lake across LakeGrade
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Tennessee's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Planning a trip around Great Smoky Mountains?
Tellico Lake is about 40 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Great Smoky Mountains →More Tennessee Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Tennessee
Eutrophic Lakes in Tennessee
More records, surveys & data sources
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.
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS1 sample · 2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2021-07-28
Monitoring stations: 1