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Boat Launch · Meigs County

Watts Bar Dam, Watts Bar Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, restrooms, accessible parking. 16 miles from Dayton.

Get driving directionsAll Meigs County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Watts Bar Dam

Captains who run Watts Bar Lake, 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 Watts Bar Dam

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

How to get there

Getting to Watts Bar Dam

Watts Bar Dam is a public boat launch on Watts Bar Lake in Meigs County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

TWRA holds no written directions for Watts Bar Dam. 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.

Watts Bar Dam is 16 miles north-east of Dayton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Watts Bar Dam on Chickamauga Lake, 0.4 miles to the south. For bait, Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is about 26 miles away.

Coordinates 35.62703, -84.77839

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Dayton
Aerial view of Watts Bar Dam
Watts Bar Dam from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Watts Bar Dam

Free to launch 4 out of 5 Facilities 4 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 Watts Bar Dam. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Watts Bar Dam

Watts Bar Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

largemouth basssmallmouth bassspotted basscrappiestriped basswhite basswalleyesaugercatfish

Most of Roane County’s river mileage is Watts Bar. Its three arms, Tennessee, Clinch and Emory, fish as three separate lakes, which is the single most useful thing to tell an angler about it.

TVA rates it at or near the top of its system for crappie and black bass; Florida-strain largemouth have been stocked since 2015 and walleye since 2011.

Everything on Watts Bar LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Watts Bar Dam

What you can keep from Watts Bar Lake at Watts Bar Dam. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Watts Bar Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Black bass (combined)515 in minimumAll black bass species
Striped bassApr 1–Oct 31: 2 combined with hybrids; Nov 1–Mar 31: 2 combined, only 1 striped15 in minimum Apr–Oct; 36 in minimum Nov–MarHybrids 15 in minimum year-round
Paddlefish1No length limitSeason May 1–15. Culling prohibited
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

Other rules on Watts Bar Lake

  • US-321 bridge up to Fort Loudoun Dam closed to snagging Mar 15–Apr 30 and May 16–31. Emory River rules also apply.

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

14 public boat launches in Meigs County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Watts Bar Lake around Watts Bar Dam

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

Watts Bar Lake, TennesseeWatts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainHiwassee River, TennesseeHiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5Watts Bar Lake, TennesseeWatts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainWatts Bar Lake, TennesseeWatts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Lee Ann Ratledge / CC BY 4.0

Next one along

More Watts Bar Lake access near Watts Bar Dam

The closest other public access points on Watts Bar Lake, measured straight line from Watts Bar Dam. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAFooshee2.9 miles north-east1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.66283, -84.75131Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandPiney Point Resort4.2 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →35.68060, -84.81240Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRALakeview4.4 miles north-eastHwy 68 east to Hwy 304 north approx. 4 miles on left1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.67170, -84.72195Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVARhea Springs4.7 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.68249, -84.82783Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CitySpring City Boat Dock5.2 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pieraccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.66738, -84.85583Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaRhea Harbor5.3 miles north-west1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.67622, -84.85125
All 52 access points on Watts Bar Lake

Watts Bar Dam water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Watts Bar Dam

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Watts Bar Dam, including Chickamauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watts Bar Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAWatts Bar DamChickamauga Lake · 0.4 miles southDirections and detail →35.62062, -84.77736Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAPinhookChickamauga Lake · 1.5 miles south1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.60512, -84.77424Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASewee CreekChickamauga Lake · 3.3 miles southHwy 68 east of Watts Bar Dam to Hwy 304 south approx. 4 miles to Hornsby Rd; ramp on left1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.58011, -84.79366Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAGoodfield CreekChickamauga Lake · 9.9 miles south-westHwy 30 west 2.75 miles from Decatur; turn left on Cottonport Rd, ramp is 1.5 miles on right across bridge.1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.49740, -84.85270Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRACottonport WMA / Access AreaChickamauga Lake · 11 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.48831, -84.88183Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAFrazier ParkChickamauga Lake · 14 miles south-west1 rampfishing pieraccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.47640, -84.95840

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Watts Bar Dam

The closest shops to Watts Bar Dam that this site has checked. Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is nearest, about 26 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Crossville · about 26 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Cleveland · about 28 milesFishTales Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Lenoir City · about 31 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Meigs County

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Common questions

Questions about Watts Bar Dam

Can you launch a boat at Watts Bar Dam?

Yes. TWRA records Watts Bar Dam as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Watts Bar Dam?

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 Watts Bar Dam?

Watts Bar Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Watts Bar Dam?

Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 26 miles from Watts Bar Dam. FishTales Bait and Tackle in Cleveland is next, about 28 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Watts Bar Dam?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Watts Bar Dam?

Watts Bar Dam is listed under the Tennessee Valley Authority 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 Watts Bar Dam

Watts Bar Dam is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Watts Bar Lake52 public access points across 4 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Meigs CountyEvery public spot in Meigs County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listMeigs County spot listAll 18 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near DecaturShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near DaytonEverything within about 30 miles of Dayton, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Watts Bar Dam, 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 Watts Bar Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits