Tims Ford Reservoir is a Boater’s Delight

The Mr. Smiley flag said it all.

“This is our happy place,” Joseph Thomas said, unfurling a bright yellow smiley-face banner on his Yamaha powerboat docked at Tims Ford Reservoir. “It’s our family’s happy place.”

On this July afternoon, he and his wife, Stephanie, were in high spirits as they kicked off a date night. They launched at Tims Ford State Park and quickly motored off to their favorite spot for dinner – Twin Creeks Marina, on the other side of the reservoir.

“Always the surf and turf,” Thomas said.

After retiring from the military eight years ago and moving to Huntsville, Alabama, Thomas quickly knighted Tims Ford his family’s go-to spot for all things boating.

“We’ve been going there for six or seven years,” he said. “We’re out there probably every other weekend in the summer.”

The reservoir’s temperature and water levels are perfect, he said, and it’s a safe place for his four children – ages 8 to 30 – to wakeboard and wake-tube.

“It’s a good place for watersports,” he said.

But stellar boating isn’t the only fun on tap in this neck of the woods – there are plenty of ways to satisfy your cravings for adventure at Tims Ford.

With miles of winding shoreline, Tims Ford Reservoir offers up a bounty of exciting discoveries for boaters and kayakers. 

‘The Beauty of it’

Situated about an hour west of Chattanooga and 25 minutes from the Alabama border, Tims Ford Reservoir has 10,680 acres of water surface that render it a magnet for water lovers.

With about 250 miles of winding, intricate shoreline, the reservoir offers limitless opportunities for recreation and unique discoveries. Pennington Cave, for example, is a favorite for many a kayaker.

Bobby Sweeney, of Manchester, Tennessee, frequents these waters with his family.

“We meet some friends here to spend time trout fishing and getting out to enjoy the outdoors,” Sweeney said. “When the kids spend some time outdoors, they will learn that it is fun. They will appreciate it more (and) learn to take care of nature.”

“We love taking the jet skis and exploring the lake and its many coves,” said Laurie Anderson, who lives nearby. “My favorite part about being on the lake is seeing the beauty of it.”

Unforgettable views are a big part of visiting any TVA reservoir, and Tims Ford is no exception.

The Tims Ford Dam towers 175 feet high and stretches 1,580 feet across the Elk River.

The dam, which began operations in 1970, has one generating unit that can produce about 40 megawatts of power. It also serves to mitigate flooding downstream on the Elk River, primarily for Fayetteville, Tennessee.

TVA adjusts the dam’s operations seasonally to help promote a rich diversity of aquatic life in the river below the dam. This includes several species of rare mussels and the federally protected boulder darter, a fish found only in the Elk River.

While the river close to the dam is home to an important cold-water trout fishery, the water warms farther downstream, providing great habitat for warm-water native fish and mussels to thrive.

Anglers can hook that perfect trout in the river, or head onto the reservoir to explore some of the best bass fishing in the region. And not just bass – eight years ago, a fisherman caught a record 18-pound channel catfish on a limbline here.

A fisherman casts near pontoon docks during a July visit to Tims Ford Reservoir.

Tims Ford State Park

TVA works closely with partners throughout the region to provide world-class recreation at rivers, reservoirs and dam reservations – and those partnerships shine brightly at Tims Ford.

Tims Ford State Park was originally created in 1978 from 478 acres TVA set aside for a state park along the reservoir.

The park is owned and managed by Tennessee State Parks, and it has grown to encompass more than 3,500 acres featuring 134 RV campsites, 20 rustic cabins, 20 tent campsites and more than 20 miles of hiking trails. There’s an 18-hole golf course, too, designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The park offers an incredible lineup of summer activities, including junior ranger camps, pontoon tours and events at its nature center. It’s a must-visit for folks of all ages.

“The state park trails are awesome,” Thomas said. “They have a Bigfoot hike that was cool. We’d go look for Sasquatch – the kids always enjoyed that.”

When you’re ready to head back onto the water, take your cues from the blueway paddle trail, which marks 36 miles of water trails for paddlers seeking sites of interest.

A boater readies for castoff at the reservoir.

Explore the Shore

Nestled in the southern tail of Tims Ford Reservoir is Winchester, Tennessee, where a historic downtown invites guests to venture in for shopping, exploration and Southern-style meals.

Head into Skip’s Grill for a plate of barbecue chicken and fried okra, or try the broasted chicken with hot cornbread at Holt’s Diner. The Old Jail Museum, open Thursday through Saturday, offers up a curious medley of artifacts that’ll delight history lovers.

A trip north of the reservoir takes visitors to Lynchburg, Tennessee, home to a popular tourist attraction – the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.

That’s where two visitors from the Czech Republic were headed on a recent weekday, but not before stopping by the reservoir to enjoy a few minutes in shaded Adirondack chairs.

While tourists and out-of-towners account for a fair portion of Tims Ford visitors, homeownership around the reservoir continues to grow. In the past six years, Winchester has added 750 new homes – one of the highest growth rates for small cities of that size in Tennessee.

As the area continues to develop, the recreational amenities and land use at Tims Ford will develop apace.

On their way to visit Jack Daniels Distillery, two folks from the Czech Republic stopped by Tims Ford Reservoir for some sunshine and downtime.

The Future at Tims Ford

Among TVA reservoirs, Tims Ford is one of a kind, given the amount of land that state and federal agencies own and manage for the public.

“It has a very different, unique history compared to other reservoirs,” said Lesley Webb, a senior policy and project management specialist with TVA Natural Resources. “If you include the state lands with it … an amazing percentage of Tims Ford is accessible to the public.”

At its core, Tims Ford is a story of partnerships that serve the people of the region by providing top-notch recreation.

TVA is currently revising the Tims Ford Reservoir Land Management Plan.

“On the land planning revision project, we’re working closely with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,” Webb said. “We have a long history of working with the state on all of this.”

Public input will help TVA target its strategies for about 4,700 acres of TVA land at Tims Ford, nearly two-thirds of which is designated for conservation.

“We’re waiting on public input before we make too many decisions or get too far down the road,” Webb said. “We want to know what the public thinks.”

A recent webinar on the topic drew three times as many participants as a previous public scoping webinar.

“We expected a lot of interest on Tims Ford, and it didn’t disappoint,” Webb said.

Photo Gallery

An aerial view of the Tims Ford Dam. 

Shoreline fishing at Tims Ford never disappoints, and it’s a perfect way for young children to test the waters. 

PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: Joseph Thomas and his wife, Stephanie, fly a smiley flag as they head to a marina at Tims Ford Reservoir. 

Help Plan the Tims Ford Future

This summer, TVA invited the public to provide input on a proposed revision to the Tims Ford Reservoir Land Management Plan. In spring 2025, the public will have an additional 60 days to offer feedback on the revised plan.

“We look at every piece of land, every bit of data, and make sure we have the best available information,” said Lesley Webb, a senior policy and project management specialist with TVA Natural Resources. “We look at every agreement and make sure we have best allocation for every piece of property.”

To view an interactive Tims Ford map and to learn more about the proposed revision, visit the Tims Ford Reservoir Land Management Plan page.

“We want to make sure there’s enough time to get the word out, and everyone has a chance to participate,” Webb said. “We very much want public input.”