What to bring
Tackle for Jay’s Boat Dock
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 Jay’s Boat Dock
Jay’s Boat Dock is a public marina on Boone Lake in Washington County, Tennessee, run by Other.
TWRA holds no written directions for Jay’s Boat Dock. 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.
Jay’s Boat Dock is 7.3 miles north of Johnson City, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Pickens Bridge, 0.3 miles to the north-east on the same water. For bait, Fly Shop of Tennessee in Johnson City is about 2 miles away.
Coordinates 36.41709, -82.38088

What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Jay’s Boat Dock
Boone Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Split between Washington and Sullivan counties, with one arm running about 16 mi up the South Fork Holston and the other about 15 mi up the Watauga; TWRA’s caution is that the shoreline is heavily developed by private landowners and little public land is available, so the public ramps matter more here than on most lakes.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Jay’s Boat Dock
What you can keep from Boone Lake at Jay’s Boat Dock. TWRA sets 5 rules just for Boone Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 combined with smallmouth | 15 in minimum | Boone Lake rule |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 combined with largemouth | 15 in minimum | Boone Lake rule |
| Spotted bass | 15 | No length limit | Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Striped bass | 1 (2 striped/hybrid combined) | 36 in minimum | Boone Lake rule |
| Trout | 7 | 16–22 in protected slot, one over 22 in | All trout. Applies upstream to the Hwy 11E (DeVault/Bristol Hwy) bridge on the Watauga arm |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
| Blue catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
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.
4 public boat launches in Washington County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Boone Lake around Jay’s Boat Dock
What the water at Jay’s Boat Dock actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Boone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Boone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Boone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Mark Fickett / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Boone Lake access near Jay’s Boat Dock
The closest other public access points on Boone Lake, measured straight line from Jay’s Boat Dock. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Jay’s Boat Dock water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Jay’s Boat Dock
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Jay’s Boat Dock, including South Fork Holston River, Watauga River and Watauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Boone Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Jay’s Boat Dock
The closest shops to Jay’s Boat Dock that this site has checked. Fly Shop of Tennessee in Johnson City is nearest, about 2 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Jay’s Boat Dock
Jay’s Boat Dock is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.