Tellico Lake
Monroe County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Tellico Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
- Limited data
Tellico Lake in Monroe County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility.
Tellico Lake is a lake in Monroe County, Tennessee. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 11 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2021-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Tellico Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch11 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tellico Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tellico 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 Tellico Lake
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Tellico 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 4.9 ft. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Tellico Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- MorgantonPublic
- Clear CreekPublic
- Lotterdale Cove CampgroundPublic
- Lotterdale CovePublic
- Harrison BranchPublic
- Toqua CampgroundPublic
Showing 6 of 11 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tellico Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tellico Lake in Monroe County, Tennessee — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Tellico Lake
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Fishing Tellico Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Tellico Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TN06010204001_1000 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Monroe County
Frequently asked questions about Tellico Lake
Where is Tellico Lake?
- Tellico Lake is a lake in Monroe County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tellico Lake?
- Tellico Lake in Monroe County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility.
Is Tellico Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tellico Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Tellico Lake?
- Tellico Lake has 11 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Morganton, Clear Creek, Lotterdale Cove Campground, Lotterdale Cove, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tellico Lake?
- Tellico Lake has 11 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Tellico Lake across LakeQuality
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 lakes in Tennessee
Other Lakes in Tennessee
Eutrophic Lakes in Tennessee
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)
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory