Boat Launch · Roane County

Ladd Landing, Watts Bar Lake

4 ramps, More Than 3 lanes, fishing pier, canoe / kayak landing. In Kingston.

Get driving directions All Roane County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Ladd Landing

Captains who run Watts Bar Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Capt. Billy Clabough · Knoxville / Kingston

Tennessee River Valley Fishing Guide Service

Catfish, striper, smallmouth, drumCall 865-690-5144 tnrvg.com

Capt. Chadwick Ferrell · Knoxville

Fish On! Guided Tours

Striper, catfish, bass, trout, musky, sauger, crappieCall 865-455-0412 fishontours.com

Capt. Brycen Roberts · Knoxville

Tennessee River Monsters

Stripers, catfish, largemouthCall 865-207-8741 tennesseerivermonsters.com

All 4 guides on Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill

What to bring

Tackle for Ladd Landing

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.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Smallmouth Bass checklist Crappie checklist Striper and Hybrid checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Ladd Landing

Ladd Landing is a public boat launch on Watts Bar Lake in Roane County, Tennessee, run by the city.

TWRA holds no written directions for Ladd Landing. 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.

Ladd Landing is in Kingston. The closest other public access is Sugar Tree, 1.4 miles to the north-east on the same water. For bait, Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is about 15 miles away.

Coordinates 35.88570, -84.49190

Open in Google Maps See nearby spots on the map Fishing near Kingston

Aerial view of Ladd Landing — Ladd Landing from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Ladd Landing

Free to launch 4.5 out of 5 Facilities 4.5 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Ladd Landing. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here.

Fishing pier

A built pier, so you can fish deep water without a boat.

Canoe and kayak

A landing shallow enough to carry a paddle craft in and out.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

Not recorded here: camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Ladd Landing

Watts Bar Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass crappie striped bass white bass walleye sauger catfish

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.

Everything on Watts Bar Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Ladd Landing

What you can keep from Watts Bar Lake at Ladd Landing. 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.

Statewide limits and licenses

31 public boat launches in Roane County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Watts Bar Lake around Ladd Landing

What the water at Ladd Landing 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 3.0

Next one along

More Watts Bar Lake access near Ladd Landing

The closest other public access points on Watts Bar Lake, measured straight line from Ladd Landing. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASugar Tree1.4 miles north-eastOff Emory River Road1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.90312, -84.48021 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRALakewood1.8 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.88921, -84.52345 Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CountyLakewood Fishing Access1.8 miles westOff highway 70 just under the bridge leaving Kingstoncanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.88794, -84.52390 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityGravel Pit1.8 miles westHwy 70 approx. 0.5 miles west of Kingston1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.87694, -84.52268 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAKingston Steam Plant1.9 miles west1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.89525, -84.52319 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityKingston City Park1.9 miles westHwy 70 approx 0.5 miles west of Kingston1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.87750, -84.52420

All 52 access points on Watts Bar Lake

Ladd Landing water holds smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Ladd Landing

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Ladd Landing, including Emory River, Clinch River and Melton Hill Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watts Bar Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAKingston Steam PlantEmory River · 1.9 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.89541, -84.52318 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityThe LandingClinch River · 2.1 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.86674, -84.52187 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAGallaherClinch River · 5.7 miles eastTake Exit 356 of I-40. Go north on Hwy 58, right on Cultom Rd. Ramp at end1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.90720, -84.39420 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAReister AccessEmory River · 11 miles north-westAccess is located on west side of Deermont Rd Bridge and is available on both the N and S side of the road1 rampcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.02722, -84.57970 Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchHickory Creek AccessMelton Hill Lake · 13 miles east2118 Everett Rd, Knoxville, TN 379321 rampDirections and detail →35.89241, -84.25137 Fee not listed2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyMelton Hill ParkMelton Hill Lake · 15 miles east3230 Williams Bend Rd, Knoxville, TN 379321 rampDirections and detail →35.95207, -84.23595

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Ladd Landing

The closest shops to Ladd Landing that this site has checked. Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is nearest, about 15 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Lenoir City · about 15 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Louisville · about 27 milesDunmore Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 28 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Roane County

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Common questions

Questions about Ladd Landing

Can you launch a boat at Ladd Landing?

Yes. TWRA records Ladd Landing as having a boat ramp. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Ladd Landing?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Ladd Landing?

Watts Bar Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Ladd Landing?

Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 15 miles from Ladd Landing. Dunmore Bait & Tackle in Louisville is next, about 27 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Ladd Landing?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Ladd Landing?

Ladd Landing is listed under the city in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Ladd Landing

Ladd Landing is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Watts Bar Lake52 public access points across 4 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Roane CountyEvery public spot in Roane County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listRoane County spot listAll 36 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near KingstonShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near KingstonEverything within about 30 miles of Kingston, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Ladd Landing, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes Watts Bar Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits