With a guide
Guides and charters near Painter Creek Marina
Captains who run South Holston Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
South Holston River Company
Brown and rainbow trout, smallmouthsouthholstonrivercompany.com
Watauga River Guides
South Holston River Fly Shop
Brown and rainbow troutCall 423-878-2822southholstonriverflyshop.com
What to bring
Tackle for Painter Creek 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 Painter Creek Marina
Painter Creek Marina is a public marina on South Holston Lake in Sullivan County, Tennessee.
TWRA holds no written directions for Painter Creek Marina. 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.
Painter Creek Marina is 8.2 miles east of Bristol, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Baumgardner Access on South Holston, 0.5 miles to the east. For bait, South Holston River Fly Shop in Bristol is about 5 miles away.
Coordinates 36.58591, -82.04255
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Painter Creek Marina
South Holston Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Winter drawdown runs up to 40 ft and the water is exceptionally clear and low-fertility, so smallmouth grow large and in excellent condition; much of the shoreline is Cherokee National Forest, which makes bank access unusually good for a TVA lake.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Painter Creek Marina
What you can keep from South Holston Lake at Painter Creek Marina. TWRA sets 6 rules just for South Holston Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth bass | 5 combined with largemouth | 15 in minimum | Largemouth: no length limit |
| Spotted bass | No limit | No length limit | South Holston Lake rule |
| Catfish | 20 | Only one over 34 in | South Holston Lake rule |
| White bass | No harvest | — | South Holston Lake rule |
| Walleye | 5 | 18 in minimum | Includes tributaries |
| Bluegill | 50 | No length limit | South Holston Lake rule |
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
Other rules on South Holston Lake
- TN and VA rules. Max 15 limblines per angler. A South Holston Reservoir License lets TN residents fish the Virginia portion.
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.
14 public boat launches in Sullivan County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
South Holston Lake around Painter Creek Marina
What the water at Painter Creek Marina actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
South Holston LakeOpen the South Holston Lake page →Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
South Fork Holston RiverOpen the South Fork Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Boone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
South Holston LakeOpen the South Holston Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
South Fork Holston RiverOpen the South Fork Holston River page →Dacoshi / CC BY-SA 3.0
Boone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNext one along
More South Holston Lake access near Painter Creek Marina
The closest other public access points on South Holston Lake, measured straight line from Painter Creek Marina. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Painter Creek Marina water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Painter Creek Marina
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Painter Creek Marina, including South Holston and South Fork Holston River. Handy when the wind is wrong on South Holston Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Painter Creek Marina
The closest shops to Painter Creek Marina that this site has checked. South Holston River Fly Shop in Bristol is nearest, about 5 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
Your turn
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Where to next
Around Painter Creek Marina
Painter Creek Marina is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.