Tennessee River levels, gauges and monitoring stations
Check the live river overview or open an individual USGS gauge for current streamflow, gauge height, trends and historical context.
Follow the Tennessee River
Explore the Tennessee River's reservoir and river-town corridor from East Tennessee through Alabama and western Tennessee to Kentucky.
The mapped mainstem is still being verified for this river, so this guide does not show an approximate map.
View live Tennessee River gauges →A river reshaped for navigation, power and recreation
The Tennessee has long been a transportation corridor, but rocky shoals, floods and droughts once made navigation difficult. TVA's 20th-century river system transformed navigation and created the chain of reservoirs that defines much of the river today.
Fishing the river
The Tennessee River is a reservoir-and-river fishery with broad opportunities for bass, crappie, catfish, sauger, walleye and other warmwater species.
Fish you may encounter
Where the river changes
- Fishing regulations and reservoir-specific limits vary by state and water body.
- Check current Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky regulations before fishing.
On the water
The Tennessee is both a major commercial navigation route and a growing recreation corridor. Paddlers, powerboats and barges share different portions of the river.
- Stay alert for commercial traffic and cross the navigation channel quickly when paddling.
- Observe posted restrictions near dams and locks.
- Check TVA reservoir levels, dam releases and local weather before launching.