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Boat Launch · Sullivan County

Rainbow Bridge, Boone Lake

10 miles from Elizabethton.

Get driving directionsAll Sullivan County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Rainbow Bridge

Captains who run South Holston and Watauga, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Patrick Fulkrod · Piney Flats / Bristol

South Holston River Company

Brown and rainbow trout, smallmouthsouthholstonrivercompany.com

Elizabethton

Watauga River Guides

TroutCall 704-773-4497wataugariverguides.com

Bristol

South Holston River Fly Shop

Brown and rainbow troutCall 423-878-2822southholstonriverflyshop.com

Every Tennessee guide by water

What to bring

Tackle for Rainbow Bridge

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 checklistCrappie checklistCatfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge is a public boat launch on Boone Lake in Sullivan County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Enterprise Rd, Piney Flats, TN

Rainbow Bridge is 10 miles north-west of Elizabethton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Davis Marina, 1.1 miles to the north on the same water. For bait, The South Holston River Company in Piney Flats is about 4 miles away.

Coordinates 36.47405, -82.31667

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Elizabethton
Aerial view of Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Rainbow Bridge

Fee not listed, call ahead 1 out of 5 Facilities 1 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 Rainbow Bridge. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Bank and water access

TWRA lists Rainbow Bridge as public access without built facilities. No ramp, no pier, no restroom, park, walk in and fish.

Not recorded here: boat ramp, fishing pier, canoe and kayak, restrooms, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Rainbow Bridge

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

largemouth basssmallmouth bassspotted basscrappieblue catfishtrout

Split between Washington and Sullivan counties, with one arm running about 16 mi up the South Fork Holston and the other about 15 mi up the Watauga; TWRA’s caution is that the shoreline is heavily developed by private landowners and little public land is available, so the public ramps matter more here than on most lakes.

Everything on Boone LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Rainbow Bridge

What you can keep from Boone Lake at Rainbow Bridge. TWRA sets 5 rules just for Boone Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 combined with smallmouth15 in minimumBoone Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 combined with largemouth15 in minimumBoone Lake rule
Spotted bass15No length limitSeparate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit
Striped bass1 (2 striped/hybrid combined)36 in minimumBoone Lake rule
Trout716–22 in protected slot, one over 22 inAll trout. Applies upstream to the Hwy 11E (DeVault/Bristol Hwy) bridge on the Watauga arm
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
Blue catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

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

14 public boat launches in Sullivan County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Boone Lake around Rainbow Bridge

What the water at Rainbow Bridge actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainHolston River, TennesseeSouth Fork Holston RiverOpen the South Fork Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0South Holston Lake, TennesseeSouth Holston LakeOpen the South Holston Lake page →Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainHolston River, TennesseeSouth Fork Holston RiverOpen the South Fork Holston River page →Dacoshi / CC BY-SA 3.0South Holston Lake, TennesseeSouth Holston LakeOpen the South Holston Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Next one along

More Boone Lake access near Rainbow Bridge

The closest other public access points on Boone Lake, measured straight line from Rainbow Bridge. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDavis Marina1.1 miles northFrom Johnson City, take Blountville exit, right on Thomas Bridge Rd, right on Buffalo Rd, marina on left1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →36.49010, -82.32040Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaBoone Lake Marina2.1 miles westFrom State HWY 11E in Piney Flats, right onto Allison Rd, straight to Warren Rd, left on Sportsman Dog Road1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.46294, -82.35190Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVASugar Hollow Access2.3 miles west2711 Devault Bridge Rd, Piney Flats TN, 376861 rampDirections and detail →36.46619, -82.35749Fee not listed2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVADevault Bridge2.6 miles west2653 Devault Bridge Rd, Piney Flats, TN1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.46371, -82.36062Fee not listed2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAAirport Ramp4.5 miles westHamilton Rd, Piney Flats, TN1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.47070, -82.39623Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAPickens Bridge5.0 miles south-westPickens Bridge Rd, Johnson City, TN1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.41900, -82.37516
All 13 access points on Boone Lake

Rainbow Bridge water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Rainbow Bridge

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Rainbow Bridge, including South Fork Holston River, Watauga River and Watauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Boone Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityBluff City ParkSouth Fork Holston River · 2.9 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.47616, -82.26406Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAJ. Forrest Thomas Access AreaSouth Fork Holston River · 5.2 miles east1315 Dry Branch Rd, Bluff City, TN 376181 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.46362, -82.22448Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAWagner RdWatauga River · 7.3 miles south100 Wagner Rd, Watauga, TN 376941 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.36967, -82.29790Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TDECWatauga BluffsWatauga Lake · 7.6 miles southcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.36500, -82.29800Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVASmith ShoalsSouth Fork Holston River · 8.1 miles westBeulah Church Drive, Kingsport, TN1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.45996, -82.45968Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRABig Springs AccessSouth Fork Holston River · 8.8 miles eastBig Springs Rd, Bluff City, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.49750, -82.16165

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Rainbow Bridge

The closest shops to Rainbow Bridge that this site has checked. The South Holston River Company in Piney Flats is nearest, about 4 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Piney Flats · about 4 milesThe South Holston River CompanyTackle and bait for Sullivan County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Johnson City · about 6 milesFly Shop of TennesseeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Elizabethton · about 11 milesAppalachian OutpostFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Sullivan County

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Common questions

Questions about Rainbow Bridge

Can you launch a boat at Rainbow Bridge?

No trailered ramp is recorded at Rainbow Bridge. It is listed as bank or pier access rather than a launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Rainbow Bridge?

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 Rainbow Bridge?

Boone Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, blue catfish and trout. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Rainbow Bridge?

The South Holston River Company in Piney Flats is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 4 miles from Rainbow Bridge. Fly Shop of Tennessee in Johnson City is next, about 6 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Rainbow Bridge?

No restroom is recorded here. Most TWRA ramps have none, so plan for that on a long day.

Who runs Rainbow Bridge?

Rainbow Bridge is listed under the Tennessee Valley Authority 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 Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Boone Lake13 public access points across 2 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Sullivan CountyEvery public spot in Sullivan County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listSullivan County spot listAll 24 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near Blountville (Tennessee’s only unincorporated county seat)Shops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near ElizabethtonEverything within about 30 miles of Elizabethton, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Rainbow Bridge, 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 Boone Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits