With a guide
Guides and charters near Big Springs
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 Big Springs
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 Big Springs
Big Springs is a public boat launch on Watts Bar Lake in Meigs County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Hwy 68 east to Hwy 304 north approx. 6 miles on left
Big Springs is 17 miles south-west of Kingston, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Hornsby Hollow, 0.6 miles to the west on the same water. For bait, Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is about 25 miles away.
Coordinates 35.69211, -84.69799
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Big Springs
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 Big Springs
What you can keep from Watts Bar Lake at Big Springs. 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.
14 public boat launches in Meigs County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Watts Bar Lake around Big Springs
What the water at Big Springs 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
Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain
Hiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0
Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Lee Ann Ratledge / CC BY 4.0Next one along
More Watts Bar Lake access near Big Springs
The closest other public access points on Watts Bar Lake, measured straight line from Big Springs. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Big Springs water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Big Springs
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Big Springs, including Chickamauga Lake, Clinch River and Emory River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watts Bar Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Big Springs
The closest shops to Big Springs that this site has checked. Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is nearest, about 25 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Big Springs
Big Springs is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.