With a guide
Guides and charters near Wagner Rd
Captains who run Watauga River, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
South Holston River Company
Brown and rainbow trout, smallmouthsouthholstonrivercompany.com
Watauga River Guides
South Holston River Fly Shop
Brown and rainbow troutCall 423-878-2822southholstonriverflyshop.com
What to bring
Tackle for Wagner Rd
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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Wagner Rd
Wagner Rd is a public boat launch on Watauga River in Carter County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
100 Wagner Rd, Watauga, TN 37694
Wagner Rd is 5.0 miles north-east of Johnson City, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, Elizabethton, is 5.1 miles to the east. The closest other public access is Watauga Bluffs on Watauga Lake, 0.3 miles to the south. For bait, The South Holston River Company in Piney Flats is about 3 miles away.
Coordinates 36.36967, -82.29790
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Wagner Rd
Watauga River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Wagner Rd
What you can keep from Watauga River at Wagner Rd. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Watauga River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | 2 | 14 in minimum | Quality trout area, Smallings Bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges: no bait, no possession of trout under 14 in. The rest of the tailwater uses the statewide trout limit |
| Trout | 7 | 16–22 in protected slot, one over 22 in | Boone Lake trout slot, upstream on the Watauga arm to the Hwy 11E bridge |
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
Other rules on Watauga River
- Walleye run rule, NC line down to the end of Cowanstown Rd (above Watauga Lake), Jan 1–Apr 30: one single-point hook or one lure with a single-point hook; gigging, snagging and bowfishing closed.
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.
10 public boat launches in Carter County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Watauga River around Wagner Rd
What the water at Wagner Rd actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Ken Thomas / Public domain
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Parker1297 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Pub. by The Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, / Public domainNext one along
More Watauga River access near Wagner Rd
The closest other public access points on Watauga River, measured straight line from Wagner Rd. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Wagner Rd water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Wagner Rd
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Wagner Rd, including Watauga Lake and Boone Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watauga River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Wagner Rd
The closest shops to Wagner Rd that this site has checked. The South Holston River Company in Piney Flats is nearest, about 3 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
Your turn
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Where to next
Around Wagner Rd
Wagner Rd is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.