Carroll Lake Drained Ahead Of Flooding, Refilled Quickly

McKENZIE (April 7) — Carroll Lake was partially drained on Wednesday in anticipation of the heavy rains to come over the following few days. By Friday afternoon, the water had risen to near normal levels and was again swollen on Saturday.

The lake is owned and operated by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

The drainage was a preemptive measure to prevent damage to the levee and flood gates.

In June 2014, extreme heavy rains caused flooding at the lake, which left the flood gates heavily damaged. The lake had to be emptied, and it remained that way for 32 months until the gates were repaired.

The process of refilling began in January 2017. Once the water reached a certain level, the TWRA began stocking the lake with a variety of species. The lake reopened for fishing in May 2020.

Fishing enthusiasts, both on social media and at the lake on Friday, expressed concerns over the fish population being depleted.

The Banner reached out to the TWRA, who have acknowledged the questions but had not responded as of press time. 

TWRA spokesperson Jason Harmon responded on Tuesday, April 8, "With the forecasted severe weather, the necessary actions were taken to ensure the operation of the dam and reduce risk of damage to the levee. We will know more about the impacts of the extreme condition of the storm on the fish population in Carroll Lake in coming months following our spring sampling period. Appropriate measures will be taken to manage the fish population as needed to provide continued fishing opportunity at Carroll Lake. Often, we are faced with environmental conditions that can complicate our management of fisheries across the state. TWRA staff use all the tools available to us to manage for quality fishing. At this time, we are not planning any restrictions. Results of spring sampling will better inform any additional management required."