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Dale Hollow Lake

Dale Hollow Lake, located about 75 miles northeast of Nashville on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line, abounds with fish and wildlife. It is also home to one of the largest wintering bald eagle populations in the area. They are generally seen at Dale Hollow Lake from mid-December through mid-February.

Dale Hollow Lake features 15 marinas, 8 shelters and day use areas, as well as 35 boat ramps, 5 fishing docks, 70 picnic sites, 681 camping sites, 5 swimming areas and 40 miles of trails.

Vacation homes and other residential real estate are situated near Dale Hollow Lake.

Statistics

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Dale Hollow Lake, formed by the damming of the Obey River, covers 27,700 acres of water and features 620 miles of shoreline. 52,449 acres of surrounding land are included in the site, which is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Located near Dale Hollow Lake is the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, which is just below the dam. The hatchery operates on 40 acres of land and is the largest federal trout hatchery east of the Mississippi. Run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Dale Hollow fishery produces 1.5 million trout annually. It is open to visitors every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The ordinary high water mark (summer pool) of Dale Hollow Lake is 651 feet above mean sea level. Lake elevation has reached a minimum of 632 feet during the fall drawdown. The maximum recorded elevation is 659 feet. The average surface water temperature of Dale Hollow Lake is 64 degrees. The warmest recorded temperature was 83 during the month of June and the coolest temperature was 43 during the month of January.

The deepest part of Dale Hollow Lake is the original river channel closest to the dam at 130 feet.

Regulations

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Among the regulations for Dale Hollow Lake:

• A primitive camping permit is required when camping along the shoreline. The camping must be within a designated primitive camping area. House boaters who are not involved in camping activities do not need a primitive camping permit nor do they need to locate adjacent to a primitive camping area. Since there are a limited number of designated primitive campsites on Dale Hollow Lake, houseboats should not use these sites for moorage if primitive campers occupy the sites.

• Open campfires are not permitted on the shoreline of Center Hill Lake. However, portable grills and chimneys are allowed as is the use of fireplaces. All fires must be attended and extinguished upon leaving. Dead wood may be gathered for use as firewood. Live vegetation may not be cut.
• Day user fees are charged at Pleasant Grove, Lillydale and Obey River Recreation Areas. Day User fees apply to any user of the facility whether they arrive by vehicle or boat. Fees are $4 per vehicle. Walk-ins are $1 per person. Annual passes are available for purchase from each of the Corps managed recreation areas.

• Hunting is permitted on government property during regulated hunting seasons. Areas where hunting is not allowed include developed parks and recreation areas, commercial marinas, and areas close to private residences.

• Fireworks are not permitted.

• Houseboats may be tied up anywhere along the shoreline unless posted. Prohibited areas include the face the dam and adjacent areas, Pleasant Grove, the area between Trooper and State Line Island, Robert’s Hollow Point, developed recreation/concession fee areas and other areas posted as "No Houseboats.". Houseboats may tie shore-to-shore in coves only when the boat is 75 feet or less from the head of the cove. No cross-ties should be any further than 25 foot from the shore.

• Metal fenceposts, tires or modified docks may not be used to moor boats.

Contact information

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Management of the Dale Hollow Lake may be contacted at

Resource Managers Office
Dale Hollow Lake
540 Dale Hollow Dam Road
Celina, Tennessee 38551
(931) 243-3136

Email: Chief.Public-Affairs@lrn02.usace.army.mil

Other lakes in Middle Tennessee (region around Nashville)

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Other large lakes in Middle Tennessee (the region around Nashville) include: Old Hickory Lake, JPercy Priest Lake, Cheatham Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake, Center Hill Lake, Tims Ford Lake.

Related Nashville-Middle TN topics on Civic Scope

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Outdoor Recreation