With a guide
Guides and charters near Oak Ridge Marina
Captains who run Melton Hill Lake, 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 Oak Ridge Marina
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 Oak Ridge Marina
Oak Ridge Marina is a public marina on Melton Hill Lake in Anderson County, Tennessee, run by the city.
Turn onto Melton Lake Drive from Edgemoor Road (170), turn right at Rowing Club
Oak Ridge Marina is 4.6 miles east of Oak Ridge, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Solway Ramp, 2.6 miles to the south on the same water. For bait, Academy Sports + Outdoors in Knoxville is about 10 miles away.
Coordinates 36.03380, -84.19300
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Oak Ridge Marina
Melton Hill Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
The clearest cause-and-effect story of any lake in this group: cold water released from Norris Dam upstream keeps Melton Hill cool and relatively unproductive, which suppresses largemouth but holds excellent dissolved oxygen, which is exactly why smallmouth, stripers and musky do so well. It holds two state records.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Oak Ridge Marina
What you can keep from Melton Hill Lake at Oak Ridge Marina. TWRA sets 5 rules just for Melton Hill 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 | 14 in minimum | Melton Hill Lake rule |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 combined with largemouth | 18 in minimum | Melton Hill Lake rule |
| Spotted bass | 15 | No length limit | Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Striped bass | 2 striped/hybrid combined | 32–42 in protected slot, one over 42 in | Includes the Clinch River upstream to the Hwy 61 bridge in Clinton |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 50 in minimum | Muskies not kept must be released immediately; no culling |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
| Sauger | 10 | 15 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel 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.
9 public boat launches in Anderson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Melton Hill Lake around Oak Ridge Marina
What the water at Oak Ridge Marina actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Melton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Melton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Melton Hill Lake access near Oak Ridge Marina
The closest other public access points on Melton Hill Lake, measured straight line from Oak Ridge Marina. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Oak Ridge Marina water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Oak Ridge Marina
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Oak Ridge Marina, including Melton Hill Lake/Clinch River, Clinch River and Fort Loudoun Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Melton Hill Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Oak Ridge Marina
The closest shops to Oak Ridge Marina that this site has checked. Academy Sports + Outdoors in Knoxville is nearest, about 10 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Oak Ridge Marina
Oak Ridge Marina is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.