Fort Loudoun Lake

Fort Loudoun Lake is a reservoir in east Tennessee on the upper Tennessee River, extending about 50 miles (80 km) on the water (along the river upstream) from Fort Loudoun Dam, at Lenoir City, to Knoxville.

Fort Loudoun Lake
The lake in Louisville, Tennessee
Fort Loudoun Lake Show map of Tennessee Fort Loudoun Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Blount / Knox / Loudon counties, Tennessee, US
Coordinates	35°47′31″N 84°14′36″W
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	French Broad River, Holston River
Primary outflows	Tennessee River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	13,769 acres (55.72 km2)[1]
Surface elevation	813 feet (248 m)

Fort Loudoun Reservoir takes its name from mid-18th-century Fort Louden, a British fortress built on a nearby site during the French and Indian War. The fort was named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, commander of British forces in North America at the time. ^[2]

Fort Loudoun is a popular recreation destination, known for bass fishing, boating, and birdwatching. The tailwater area immediately below the dam is an excellent site for viewing a variety of waterbirds, including herons, cormorants, gulls, osprey, and bald eagles.

The reservoir is connected by a short canal to Tellico Reservoir on the nearby Little Tennessee River. Water is diverted through the canal to Fort Loudoun for power production. The canal also offers commercial barges access to Tellico without the need for a lock. Barges passing through the Fort Loudoun lock carry about half a million tons of cargo a year.

See also

• Dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River