Dale Hollow Lake is located in Tennessee and Kentucky and is surrounded by the Tennessee Counties of Clay, Overton, and Picket; and two Kentucky Counties of Clinton and Cumberland.
The larger part of the lake is located in Tennessee.
The construction of Dale Hollow Lake was completed in 1943 for the purpose of flood control. In 1948, 1949, and 1953 power generating units were added by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of power generation. Dale Hollow power generation plant is sufficient to supply a city of 45,000 people with electricity. The dam and power plant are located approximately three miles east of Celina, Tennessee.
Dale Hollow Lake consists of 27,700 acres of lake surface area, and 24,842 acres of surrounding land, totalling 52,542 acres and is one of the cleaner lakes in the United States. The lake has 620 miles of shoreline.
The average water temperatures of Dale Hollow Lake range from 45-80 degrees. The deepest area of the lake is in the main channel near the dam totalling 130 feet.
Dale Hollow Lake is one of the fewer lakes in Tennessee and our nation that provide an unobstructed view of nature and natural beauty at its best due to the restrictions of private boat docks and the removal of trees from the shorelines.
The quality of the water in Dale Hollow Lake is important for the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery located below the dam. The hatchery is the largest federal trout hatchery east of the Mississippi River, producing 1.5 million trout per year, totalling 300,000 pounds. These trout are distributed between Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. While visiting Dale Hollow Lake the hatchery offers access to visitors from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Located on Dale Hollow Lake are two famous historical sites. The home place of Sergeant Alvin C. York, the famous WW1 hero, is located in Pall Mall, Tennessee. The other is the birthplace of Cordell Hull which is located near Byrdstown, Tennessee. Cordell Hull was a great statesman and is remembered as a recipient of the Nobel Prize and the Father of the United Nations.
Dale Hollow Lake is a popular wintering area for the Bald Eagle, our American symbol. These beautiful birds can generally be observed from mid-December to mid-February.
Dale Hollow Lake attracts millions of visitors per year and offers many activities including fishing, boating, skiing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, hunting and much more. The mild climate and long recreation season make this and other Tennessee Lakes popular vacation spots. Scuba diving is a popular sport on Dale Hollow lake; divers are thrilled with the absence of trash and other debris in the lake.
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