With a guide
Guides and charters near Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
Captains who run Watts Bar Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Tennessee River Valley Fishing Guide Service
Catfish, striper, smallmouth, drumCall 865-690-5144tnrvg.com
Fish On! Guided Tours
Striper, catfish, bass, trout, musky, sauger, crappieCall 865-455-0412fishontours.com
Tennessee River Monsters
Stripers, catfish, largemouthCall 865-207-8741tennesseerivermonsters.com
What to bring
Tackle for Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
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 Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) is a public boat launch on Watts Bar Lake in Roane County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Off highway 95 at the bridge
Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) is 9.0 miles south of Oak Ridge, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, Kingston, is 10 miles to the west. The closest other public access is Watts Bar Lake Fishing Access, 1.0 miles to the east on the same water. For bait, Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is about 8 miles away.
Coordinates 35.88780, -84.32299
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
Watts Bar Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
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.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
What you can keep from Watts Bar Lake at Melton Hill Dam (Downstream). TWRA sets 3 rules just for Watts Bar Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bass (combined) | 5 | 15 in minimum | All black bass species |
| Striped bass | Apr 1–Oct 31: 2 combined with hybrids; Nov 1–Mar 31: 2 combined, only 1 striped | 15 in minimum Apr–Oct; 36 in minimum Nov–Mar | Hybrids 15 in minimum year-round |
| Paddlefish | 1 | No length limit | Season May 1–15. Culling prohibited |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
| White bass | 15 | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
| Sauger | 10 | 15 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
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.
31 public boat launches in Roane County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Watts Bar Lake around Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
What the water at Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Emory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Emory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Watts Bar Lake access near Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
The closest other public access points on Watts Bar Lake, measured straight line from Melton Hill Dam (Downstream). Each one opens its own page with directions.
Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) water holds smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Melton Hill Dam (Downstream), including Melton Hill Lake, Clinch River and Fort Loudoun Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watts Bar Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
The closest shops to Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) that this site has checked. Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is nearest, about 8 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Melton Hill Dam (Downstream)
Melton Hill Dam (Downstream) is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.