With a guide
Guides and charters near Morganton
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 Morganton
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 Morganton
Morganton is a public boat launch on Tellico Lake in Loudon County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
TWRA holds no written directions for Morganton. 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.
Morganton is 16 miles south-west of Maryville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Lotterdale Cove Campground, 2.5 miles to the north-west on the same water. For bait, Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is about 10 miles away.
Coordinates 35.64010, -84.21840
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Morganton
Tellico Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
It extends 33 miles up the Little Tennessee to Chilhowee Dam and 20 miles up the Tellico River, and it is a cool-water, relatively infertile impoundment because Chilhowee and the Tellico River push cold water into it, so it holds quality-sized largemouth and a strong walleye fishery rather than high fish densities.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Morganton
What you can keep from Tellico Lake at Morganton. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Tellico 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. Reservoir rules extend up the Tellico River to Big Creek boat ramp |
| Walleye | 10 walleye/sauger combined, max 5 walleye | 15 in minimum; one walleye may be 24 in or longer | Includes tributaries |
| Sauger | 10 walleye/sauger combined | 15 in minimum | Tellico Lake rule |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Striped bass | 2 striped and hybrid combined | 15 in minimum | Statewide |
| Rainbow trout | 7 trout combined | No minimum | Statewide |
Other rules on Tellico Lake
- Chota Refuge Unit (LTRM 26.0 up to the Hiwassee–Alcoa powerline at LTRM 29.7) closed to all use Nov 15–Feb 28, except observation areas.
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.
13 public boat launches in Loudon County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Tellico Lake around Morganton
What the water at Morganton actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Fort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5
Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Fort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0Next one along
More Tellico Lake access near Morganton
The closest other public access points on Tellico Lake, measured straight line from Morganton. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Morganton water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Morganton
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Morganton, including Fort Loudoun Lake and Watts Bar Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Tellico Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Morganton
The closest shops to Morganton that this site has checked. Lane’s Landing Bait & Tackle in Lenoir City is nearest, about 10 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Morganton
Morganton is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.