The Lake Is Down a Foot or Two This Month, on Purpose
If the lake looks a little skinny this month, that is not your imagination, and it is not a drought scare. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District scheduled a November drawdown of Old Hickory Lake to inspect the shoreline around Corps recreation areas and to get maintenance done while the water is lower.
A slow drawdown began Nov. 2 from a normal pool of about 445 feet above mean sea level. The target was 443 feet by Nov. 6, and the Corps planned to hold the lake in the 443 to 443.5 range — roughly one to two feet below normal — through Nov. 20. The aim is to be back at 445 feet by Nov. 28. Rainfall and other conditions can still move the elevation around, the district cautioned.
This is not an annual ritual. Water managers last drew the lake down in November 2023. For anglers, dock owners, and weekend walkers, the lower pool can uncover shoreline that is usually underwater and can change how some ramps and docks sit. It is also the window the Corps uses to see what needs repair.
Questions can go to the Old Hickory Lake Resource Manager’s Office at (615) 822-4846. The district also posts updates on the Old Hickory Lake Facebook page. If you are heading out in the next two weeks, give yourself a little extra time at the ramp, and do not be surprised if the bank looks unfamiliar until the water comes back up around Thanksgiving week.
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