Chatuge Lake
Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir in Towns County, Georgia, and Clay County, North Carolina. It was formed by the Tennessee Valley Authority's construction of Chatuge Dam (then the highest earthen dam in the world) in 1942. The lake is relatively shallow with depths of 30 feet (9.1 m) and reaches 144 feet (44 m) by the dam. In an average year the water level varies 10 feet (3.0 m) from winter to summer to provide seasonal flood storage. Lake Chatuge is the highest major lake in the state of Georgia. It takes up 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) and is 13 miles (21 km) long.
| Lake Chatuge | |
|---|---|
Lake Chatuge reservoir on Aug. 3, 2022 | |
Lake Chatuge Lake Chatuge | |
| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 34°59′28″N 83°47′06″W |
| Surface area | 10.9 sq mi (28 km2) |
| Average depth | 9.1 m (30 ft) |
| Max. depth | 44 m (144 ft) at dam |
| Water volume | 62,619 m3 (2,211,400 cu ft) maximum |
| Shore length1 | 132 mi (212 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,926 ft (587 m) |
| Settlements | Hayesville, Hiawassee, |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The lake is named after an 18th-century Cherokee Native American settlement once located near the dam site. The word means “Beautiful” and “Land where the waters meet” (the lake covers the meeting place of the Hiwassee River and Shooting Creek). The reservoir is home to rainbow trout, catfish, bass, crappie, walleye, blue gill and brim. Bass clubs hold tournaments on the lake.