With a guide
Guides and charters near Hunter Bridge
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 Hunter Bridge
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 Hunter Bridge
Hunter Bridge is a public boat launch on Watauga River in Carter County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
1699 Broad St, Elizabethton, TN 37643
Hunter Bridge is 2.7 miles north-east of Elizabethton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Cherokee City Park, 2.3 miles to the south-west on the same water. For bait, Appalachian Outpost in Elizabethton is about 1 mile away.
Coordinates 36.36789, -82.16873
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Hunter Bridge
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 Hunter Bridge
What you can keep from Watauga River at Hunter Bridge. 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 Hunter Bridge
What the water at Hunter Bridge 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 Hunter Bridge
The closest other public access points on Watauga River, measured straight line from Hunter Bridge. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Hunter Bridge water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Hunter Bridge
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Hunter Bridge, including Wilbur Reservoir, Watauga Lake and Doe River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watauga River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Hunter Bridge
The closest shops to Hunter Bridge that this site has checked. Appalachian Outpost in Elizabethton is nearest, about 1 mile away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Hunter Bridge
Hunter Bridge is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.