Tennessee River Lake
Rhea County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Tennessee River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Tennessee River Lake in Rhea County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.1 µg/L.
Tennessee River Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rhea County, Tennessee. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 10 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Rhea County, Tennessee River Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2026-06-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Tennessee River Lake has 10 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Tennessee River Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Tennessee River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch10 documented ramps
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 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.1 ft. Phosphorus 29.1 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29.1µg/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. | 51 | 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
- Cottonport Wildlife Management AreaPublic
- Dayton Boat Dock (North)Public
- Frazier ParkPublic
- Blythe Ferry (North)Public
- GarrisonPublic
- Blythe Ferry (South)Public
Showing 6 of 10 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 Rhea 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: Stable
Based on 15 years of monitoring (2012–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening14 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.75 µg/L/yr15 years
Nearby Lakes in Rhea County
Frequently asked questions about Tennessee River Lake
Where is Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake is a lake in Rhea 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 Rhea County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.1 µg/L.
Is Tennessee River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake has 10 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cottonport Wildlife Management Area, Dayton Boat Dock (North), Frazier Park, Blythe Ferry (North), among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tennessee River Lake?
- Tennessee River Lake has 10 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
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Where this data comes from
151 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_WQX151 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory