Page 46 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine May 2023 Revised

Lake chatuge

Lay Of The Land

Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir created by the Chatuge
Dam which finished construction in 1942. The lake is relatively
shallow with depths of 30 feet (9.1 m) and reaches 144 feet (44
m) by the dam. Lake Chatuge is the highest major lake in
the state of Georgia.

Beautiful Lake Chatuge (pronounced “sha-toog”) spans
7200 acres and two states, stretching 13 miles from Hayesville,
North Carolina, to Hiawassee, Georgia. From the Cherokee for
“land where the waters meet,” Lake Chatuge offers spectacular views
of both the Tusquitee Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Its picturesque location has earned it the nickname “Jewel of the
Mountains.

Lake Chatuge was constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority by
damming a portion of the Hiawassee River. The Chatuge Dam
was completed in 1942. At the time, it was the highest earthen
dam ever built, rising 144 feet in the air and measuring 2,850
feet across. Although its original purpose was to provide flood
control and water storage for the area, a hydropower generating
unit was added in 1954. Today, the dam generates 10,000 kilowatts of
electricity. At its deepest, Chatuge Reservoir measures 144 feet. The
average depth of the reservoir is 30 feet, although the water level can
fluctuate as much as 9 feet over the course of a year.

The meandering shoreline creates hidden coves and islands
that beckon boaters. The lake is accessible by boat via three
public boat ramps on the North Carolina side of the lake.

Despite the many amenities adjacent to Lake Chatuge,
about seventy-five percent of the 132 miles of
shoreline surrounding the lake itself is protected
from development by virtue of its ownership
by the Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Forest Service, and local
townships.

The lake record:
Largemouth is 16 lbs 11 oz
Smallmouth is 7 lbs 2 oz
Spotted bass is 6 lbs 13.8 oz.

The state records for Georgia: L
Largemouth @ 24.04 lbs,
Smallmouth @ 7.2 lbs, and
Spotted bass @ 8.2 lbs.

46 Lady Bass Anglers Association
Lake Chatuge- Lay of The Land