With a guide
Guides and charters near Kingston Steam Plant
Captains who run Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill, 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 Kingston Steam Plant
Three picks from the smallmouth 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 Kingston Steam Plant
Kingston Steam Plant is a public boat launch on Emory River in Roane County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
TWRA holds no written directions for Kingston Steam Plant. 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.
Kingston Steam Plant is in Kingston. The closest other public access is Kingston Steam Plant on Watts Bar Lake, a few hundred yards to the south. For bait, Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is about 17 miles away.
Coordinates 35.89541, -84.52318
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Kingston Steam Plant
Emory River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
The Emory joins the Clinch near Kingston and its lower reach is the county’s distinctive fishery: a winter and early-spring sauger run that carries its own gear restriction, which is the thing to build the page around.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Kingston Steam Plant
What you can keep from Emory River at Kingston Steam Plant. TWRA sets 1 rule just for Emory River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish | No harvest | — | Closed to snagging, taking or possessing paddlefish from the mouth up to Hwy 299 bridge at Oakdale |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Rock bass | 20 | 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 Emory River
- Jan 1–Apr 30, Hwy 27 bridge (Harriman) up to Hwy 299 bridge (Oakdale): one single-point hook or lure with one single-point hook, max 3 rods; 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.
31 public boat launches in Roane County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Emory River around Kingston Steam Plant
What the water at Kingston Steam Plant actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Emory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
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 3.0Next one along
More Emory River access near Kingston Steam Plant
The closest other public access points on Emory River, measured straight line from Kingston Steam Plant. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Kingston Steam Plant water holds smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Kingston Steam Plant
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Kingston Steam Plant, including Watts Bar Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Emory River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Kingston Steam Plant
The closest shops to Kingston Steam Plant that this site has checked. Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is nearest, about 17 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Kingston Steam Plant
Kingston Steam Plant is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.