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Lake · Anderson and Knox

Fishing Melton Hill Lake, Tennessee

5 public access points across 2 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access listLicence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Melton Hill Lake, county by county

All 5 public access points TWRA records on Melton Hill Lake. Each card opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

Melton Hill Lake access in Anderson County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVADismal BluffHWY 25 to East Wolf Valley to Mountain View Road1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.09397, -84.09287Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · CityOak Ridge MarinaTurn onto Melton Lake Drive from Edgemoor Road (170), turn right at Rowing Club1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.03380, -84.19300Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CitySolway RampOak Ridge Highway to Edgemoor Road, ramp on right1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.99560, -84.19280

Melton Hill Lake access in Knox County

Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchHickory Creek Access2118 Everett Rd, Knoxville, TN 379321 rampDirections and detail →35.89241, -84.25137Fee not listed2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyMelton Hill Park3230 Williams Bend Rd, Knoxville, TN 379321 rampDirections and detail →35.95207, -84.23595

What to bring

Tackle for Melton Hill Lake

Three picks from the largemouth bass checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Smallmouth Bass checklistCrappie checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Melton Hill Lake boat ramps and fishing access

Melton Hill Lake has 5 public access points: 5 boat ramps and 1 kayak launch, in Anderson and Knox counties.

5public access points
5boat ramps
1kayak and canoe launches
2counties

Lake conditions

Melton Hill Lake level today

TVA’s current Melton Hill Lake level, the 24-hour change, the Melton Hill Dam generation schedule and the level forecast, on one page.

Melton Hill Lake level

What Melton Hill Lake is actually like

Melton Hill Lake, county by county

Melton Hill Lake does not fish the same at both ends. This is what the research for each county on it turned up.

Knox County

From the Knox County page

The clearest cause-and-effect story of any lake in this group: cold water released from Norris Dam upstream keeps Melton Hill cool and relatively unproductive, which suppresses largemouth but holds excellent dissolved oxygen, which is exactly why smallmouth, stripers and musky do so well. It holds two state records.

Anderson County

From the Anderson County page

Cold water released from Norris upstream keeps it cool and oxygen-rich, which suppresses largemouth but is exactly why musky and smallmouth thrive; musky is 1/day at a 50″ minimum.

What it looks like

Melton Hill Lake in photographs

What Melton Hill Lake looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Melton Hill Lake, TennesseeMelton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainClinch River, TennesseeClinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainFrench Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Melton Hill Lake, TennesseeMelton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

What you can catch

Fish in Melton Hill Lake

What Melton Hill Lake actually holds, from the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes. A licence is required for all of it.

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiestriped basssaugersaugeyemuskellungecatfish
Guides who fish Melton Hill Lake

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Melton Hill Lake

TWRA sets 5 rules just for Melton Hill Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 combined with smallmouth14 in minimumMelton Hill Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 combined with largemouth18 in minimumMelton Hill Lake rule
Spotted bass15No length limitSeparate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit
Striped bass2 striped/hybrid combined32–42 in protected slot, one over 42 inIncludes the Clinch River upstream to the Hwy 61 bridge in Clinton
Muskellunge150 in minimumMuskies not kept must be released immediately; no culling
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

Melton Hill Lake fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Melton Hill Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

Entirety (5,690 acres)

PCBs

Catfish should not be eaten.

Every Tennessee fish advisory

By county

Counties on Melton Hill Lake

Melton Hill Lake touches 2 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

ClintonAnderson County3 access points on Melton Hill Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →KnoxvilleKnox County2 access points on Melton Hill Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

5 public access points on Melton Hill Lake, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Melton Hill Lake

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number that matters when you are deciding where to drive.

Anderson CountyFishing near Oak RidgePublic water within about 30 miles of Oak Ridge, closest first.See the spots →Knox CountyFishing near FarragutPublic water within about 30 miles of Farragut, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Melton Hill Lake

How many public boat ramps are there on Melton Hill Lake?

TWRA lists 5 public boat launches on Melton Hill Lake, with 4 ramp lanes between them, across 2 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Melton Hill Lake?

Melton Hill Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, sauger, saugeye, muskellunge and catfish. Which of those is actually worth chasing depends on the season, and TWRA sets size and creel limits that change, so check before you keep anything.

Which counties does Melton Hill Lake run through?

Anderson and Knox counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Melton Hill Lake from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Melton Hill Lake. Bank fishing here means the shoreline and parking areas at the public ramps, plus road and bridge crossings where there is public right of way.

Do you need a licence to fish Melton Hill Lake?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence, and a trout supplemental on top if you plan to keep trout. Non-residents can buy a three-day or ten-day licence rather than a full year.

Is Melton Hill Lake free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not, Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

Keep going

More Melton Hill Lake water, and who fishes it

Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits

Before you launch, check today's level, dam release schedule and any weather alerts for Melton Hill Lake: Melton Hill Lake conditions.