Tennessee River Lake
Knox County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Tennessee River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
Tennessee River Lake in Knox County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L.
Tennessee River Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Knox County, Tennessee. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 13 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2026-05-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Tennessee River Lake has 13 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Tennessee River Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Tennessee River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch13 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Tennessee River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tennessee 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 Tennessee River Lake
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Tennessee River Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 33 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 33µg/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 Tennessee River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Boyd IslandPublic
- Marine ParkPublic
- Maloney Road ParkPublic
- George's CreekPublic
- Little RiverPublic
- Stock CreekPublic
Showing 6 of 13 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 Tennessee River Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tennessee River Lake in Knox 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 Tennessee River Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Tennessee River Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 13 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Phosphorus
Improving-3.4 µg/L/yr13 years
EPA Impairment Status
Tennessee River Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TN06010201020_1000 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Knox County
Frequently asked questions about Tennessee River Lake
Where is Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake is a lake in Knox County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake in Knox County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L.
Is Tennessee River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tennessee River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake has 13 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Boyd Island, Marine Park, Maloney Road Park, George's Creek, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake has 13 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 Tennessee River Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Great Smoky Mountains?
Tennessee River Lake is about 34 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
102 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- TDEC Division of Water Resources
TDECWR_WQX102 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 (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