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Boat Launch · Knox County

Cruze Landing, French Broad River

1 ramp, canoe / kayak landing. 10 miles from Knoxville.

Get driving directionsAll Knox County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Cruze Landing

Captains who run Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Capt. Billy Clabough · Knoxville / Kingston

Tennessee River Valley Fishing Guide Service

Catfish, striper, smallmouth, drumCall 865-690-5144tnrvg.com

Capt. Chadwick Ferrell · Knoxville

Fish On! Guided Tours

Striper, catfish, bass, trout, musky, sauger, crappieCall 865-455-0412fishontours.com

Capt. Brycen Roberts · Knoxville

Tennessee River Monsters

Stripers, catfish, largemouthCall 865-207-8741tennesseerivermonsters.com

All 4 guides on Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill

What to bring

Tackle for Cruze Landing

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 checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistWalleye and Sauger checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Cruze Landing

Cruze Landing is a public boat launch on French Broad River in Knox County, Tennessee, run by the county.

TWRA holds no written directions for Cruze Landing. Use the coordinates below, which come straight from the state’s access record and drop you on the access point itself rather than on the nearest town.

Cruze Landing is 10 miles east of Knoxville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Seven Islands, 2.9 miles to the east on the same water. For bait, Smitty’s Bait and Tackle in Knoxville is about 10 miles away.

Coordinates 35.96103, -83.73734

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Knoxville
Aerial view of Cruze Landing
Cruze Landing from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Cruze Landing

Free to launch 2 out of 5 Facilities 2 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Cruze Landing. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here.

Canoe and kayak

A landing shallow enough to carry a paddle craft in and out.

Not recorded here: fishing pier, restrooms, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Cruze Landing

French Broad River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

largemouth basssmallmouth bassrock basssaugermuskellungecatfishredhorse

Crosses the northern part of the county and receives the Little Pigeon north of Sevierville; below Douglas Dam it is a stocked trout tailwater, and further down it becomes one of the state’s better smallmouth rivers.

Everything on French Broad RiverFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Cruze Landing

What you can keep from French Broad River at Cruze Landing. TWRA sets 4 rules just for French Broad River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Smallmouth bass518 in minimumHwy 168 to Douglas Dam
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 inHwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line
Walleye5 walleye/sauger combined15 in minimumHwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line
Sauger5 walleye/sauger combinedNo minimum, only one over 16 inHwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line; includes sauger/walleye hybrids
Largemouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Rock bass20No minimumStatewide
Muskellunge136 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

11 public boat launches in Knox County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

French Broad River around Cruze Landing

What the water at Cruze Landing actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainHolston River, TennesseeHolston RiverOpen the Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region / Public domainFort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Holston River, TennesseeHolston RiverOpen the Holston River page →Dacoshi / CC BY-SA 3.0

Next one along

More French Broad River access near Cruze Landing

The closest other public access points on French Broad River, measured straight line from Cruze Landing. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CitySeven Islands2.9 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94970, -83.68730Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchSeven Islands State Park3.1 miles eastDirections and detail →35.95176, -83.68340Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDOTHighway 66 Bridge8.8 miles east2375 Winfield Dunn Pkway, Sevierville, TN 378761 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.93712, -83.58324Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVADouglas Tailwater Access11 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.95871, -83.54715Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteFrench Broad River Fishing Access11 miles eastDirections and detail →35.96141, -83.54108Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAWalters Bridge28 miles east1469 E US-25 70, Newport, TN 378211 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.04222, -83.25630
All 13 access points on French Broad River

Cruze Landing water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Cruze Landing

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Cruze Landing, including Holston River, Fort Loudoun Lake and Douglas Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on French Broad River or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDOTAsheville Hwy Access AreaHolston River · 6.4 miles north-west6045 Asheville Hwy, Knoxville, TN 379241 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.01541, -83.82987Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityBoyd Island AccessHolston River · 6.9 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.97493, -83.85987Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaVolunteer Landing MarinaFort Loudoun Lake · 9.8 miles westDirections and detail →35.96103, -83.91202Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaMountain Cove MarinaDouglas Lake · 11 miles eastTake Douglas Dam Rd to the dam, Marina at Dam1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.95220, -83.53680Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchDouglas Dam CampgroundDouglas Lake · 11 miles east1 rampDirections and detail →35.95867, -83.53445Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyCherokee ParkFort Loudoun Lake · 12 miles westKingston Pike to Cherokee Blvd1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.92930, -83.95100

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Cruze Landing

The closest shops to Cruze Landing that this site has checked. Smitty’s Bait and Tackle in Knoxville is nearest, about 10 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Knoxville · about 10 milesSmitty’s Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 10 milesBig Fish OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 16 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Knox County

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Common questions

Questions about Cruze Landing

Can you launch a boat at Cruze Landing?

Yes. TWRA records Cruze Landing as having a boat ramp. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Cruze Landing?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Cruze Landing?

French Broad River holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, sauger, muskellunge, catfish and redhorse. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Cruze Landing?

Smitty’s Bait and Tackle in Knoxville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 10 miles from Cruze Landing. Big Fish Outfitters in Knoxville is next, about 10 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Cruze Landing?

No restroom is recorded here. Most TWRA ramps have none, so plan for that on a long day.

Who runs Cruze Landing?

Cruze Landing is listed under the county in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Cruze Landing

Cruze Landing is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing French Broad River13 public access points across 4 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Knox CountyEvery public spot in Knox County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listKnox County spot listAll 17 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near KnoxvilleShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near KnoxvilleEverything within about 30 miles of Knoxville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Cruze Landing, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes French Broad River rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits