Dale Hollow Lake
Learn More About the Lake
For maps, brochures, information about things to do and more about relocating to the Dale Hollow Lake area permanently, visit Dale Hollow Lake.
Enjoy Dale Hollow Lake at Sunset Marina and Resort with lake cabin rental, houseboat rental, lake chalet rental, boating, fishing and other water sports, dockage rental, dining, shopping and other lake vacation activities at Dale Hollow Lake’s most accessible marina.
Dale Hollow Dam is located on the Obey River, 7.3 miles above its juncture with the Cumberland River at river mile 380.9. Dale Hollow Lake covers portions of Clay, Pickett, Overton and Fentress Counties in Tennessee and Clinton and Cumberland Counties in Kentucky. Sunset Marina is located in Pickett County.
History Of Dale Hollow Lake
Dale Hollow Dam and Lake was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 and the River and Harbor Act of 1943. Power generating units were added in 1948, 1949 and 1953. The dam, power-plant and reservoir are operated by the Nashville District of the Corps of Engineers. The project was designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and built by private contractors under the supervision of the Corps. For more on the history of Dale Hollow Lake, click here. To see the dam under construction, watch this video on YouTube: Video
Lake Facts
The entire shoreline is under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The length is 620 miles at normal summer pool. Most of the shoreline is heavily wooded, and rock outcroppings are common. Development is restricted to marinas and day-use areas. The Lake consists of 27,700 surface acres of water and 24,842 acres of surrounding land.
Minimum pool elevation is 631 feet above mean sea level (msl) (21,880 acres), normal pool elevation is 651 feet msl (27,700 acres) and maximum flood control pool is 663 feet msl (30,990 acres). Water fluctuations of 10 to 20 feet can occur throughout the year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers controls water levels.
Recreation
The lake abounds with fish and wildlife and is the home of one of the largest wintering Bald Eagle populations in the area. The magnificent birds are generally seen from mid-December through mid-February.
The Corp of Engineers page about Dale Hollow Lake, including numerous resources about fishing and water activities are included here.
Dale Hollow’s crystal clear waters makes scuba diving a popular pastime. Divers must display a “Diver Down” flag in the area where they are diving. Boaters should be alert to the “Diver Down” flag and keep a safe distance away. For more information on scuba diving and boating regulations, contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 1-800-262-6704.
