Norris Lake

About Norris Lake

Norris Lake was the first reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority. It was filled in 1937 and extended to Norris Dam. Named Norris Lake after the legislation that created the TVA, it is bordered by the Tennessee River and surrounded by many secluded bays and a number of lakes and streams.

Construction of the Norris Dam began in 1933, shortly after the foundation of TVA, and the dam was completed in 1936 and filled in 1937.

The area around Norris Lake receives up to 45 cm of rain per year, making it an important flood prevention tool. The dam drops by about 30 feet in winter to prepare for flooding, and there is an annual flood risk of about 1,000 feet in a year.

Based on the English Garden Movement, Norris consists of 12 simple Appalachian-style houses that were the first electric homes in the area. The town of Norris is a planned community built to accommodate the people who work on the dam and the residents.

In addition to building the city, TVA also built Cove Lake and Big Ridge, which became the core of the Tennessee State Park system.

The Big Ridge State Park covers a total area of 3,600 hectares of land, more than half of which is heavily forested, and offers many opportunities to see and explore wildlife.

Loyston Point is operated by TVA and offers camping, swimming and hiking around Norris Lake. The new visitor center at the reservoir was opened in 2005. Nearby is the Lenoir Museum and the cultural complex that includes the Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee Museum of Natural History and Knoxville History Museum. Norris Dam State Park has 4,000 acres to explore, with many wildflowers and songbirds.

Norris Lake is large enough to do all kinds of water sports, but it also comes with crappie for your wallet. The lake is also a habitat for a healthy population of stonefish and perch, and there are a large number of perch, trout, whitefish and other species. There has been some controversy over the storage of striped bass in the lake, which is said to be the subject of a legal dispute between TVA and the Tennessee Department of Natural Resources (TNR).

A record - brown trout from Tennessee were caught in the Clinch River near Norris Dam. From secluded coves to fishing, kayaking, boating and everything Knoxville has to offer, Norris Lake is certainly a popular vacation destination.