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Boat Launch · Blount County

Tabcat Creek, Chilhowee Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane. 16 miles from Maryville.

Get driving directionsAll Blount County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Tabcat Creek

Captains who run Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill, 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 865-690-5144tnrvg.com

Capt. Chadwick Ferrell · Knoxville

Fish On! Guided Tours

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

Capt. Brycen Roberts · Knoxville

Tennessee River Monsters

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

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

What to bring

Tackle for Tabcat Creek

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 checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Tabcat Creek

Tabcat Creek is a public boat launch on Chilhowee Lake in Blount County, Tennessee, run by ALCOA.

TWRA holds no written directions for Tabcat Creek. 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.

Tabcat Creek is 16 miles south of Maryville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Abram’s Creek Ramp, 2.4 miles to the north-west on the same water. For bait, Little River Outfitters in Townsend is about 18 miles away.

Coordinates 35.52470, -83.99360

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

What is there

What you will find at Tabcat Creek

Free to launch 2.5 out of 5 Facilities 2.5 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 Tabcat Creek. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Open 24 hours

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

Not recorded here: 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 Tabcat Creek

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

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappierock basswalleyerainbow troutyellow perch

Runs along US-129 and fishes more like a river than a lake; its cold outflow is what makes Tellico cool downstream.

Everything on Chilhowee LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Tabcat Creek

What you can keep from Chilhowee Lake at Tabcat Creek. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Chilhowee Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Black bass (combined)515 in minimumAll black bass species
Yellow perch15No length limitChilhowee Lake rule
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
Rock bass20No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Rainbow trout7 trout combinedNo minimumStatewide

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 Blount County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Chilhowee Lake around Tabcat Creek

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

Chilhowee Lake, TennesseeChilhowee LakeOpen the Chilhowee Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainLittle River, TennesseeLittle RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5Chilhowee Lake, TennesseeChilhowee LakeOpen the Chilhowee Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Little River, TennesseeLittle RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5

Next one along

More Chilhowee Lake access near Tabcat Creek

The closest other public access points on Chilhowee Lake, measured straight line from Tabcat Creek. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandAbram’s Creek Ramp2.4 miles north-westFoothills Parkway to right on US 1291 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierDirections and detail →35.55670, -84.01140
All 2 access points on Chilhowee Lake

Tabcat Creek water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Tabcat Creek

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Tabcat Creek, including Tellico Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Chilhowee Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TRDATallassee AccessTellico Lake · 4.3 miles westUS 1291 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.54710, -84.06600Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherCiticoTellico Lake · 5.1 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.53920, -84.08350Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TRDAHarrison BranchTellico Lake · 5.8 miles westUS 1291 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.55210, -84.09210Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherBallplay Creek Access AreaTellico Lake · 11 miles west1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.52010, -84.19290Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TRDAToqua CampgroundTellico Lake · 11 miles westHWY 360 approximately 3 miles out of Vonore1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.56180, -84.19220Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherToquaTellico Lake · 12 miles west1 ramp, More Than 3 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.56800, -84.19680

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Tabcat Creek

The closest shops to Tabcat Creek that this site has checked. Little River Outfitters in Townsend is nearest, about 18 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Townsend · about 18 milesLittle River OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Tellico Plains · about 20 milesTellico OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Louisville · about 21 milesDunmore Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Blount County

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Common questions

Questions about Tabcat Creek

Can you launch a boat at Tabcat Creek?

Yes. TWRA records Tabcat Creek as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Tabcat Creek?

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 Tabcat Creek?

Chilhowee Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, rock bass, walleye, rainbow trout and yellow perch. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Tabcat Creek?

Little River Outfitters in Townsend is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 18 miles from Tabcat Creek. Tellico Outfitters in Tellico Plains is next, about 20 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Tabcat Creek?

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

Who runs Tabcat Creek?

Tabcat Creek is listed under ALCOA 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 Tabcat Creek

Tabcat Creek is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Chilhowee Lake2 public access points across 1 county.See the spots →County guideFishing in Blount CountyEvery public spot in Blount County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listBlount County spot listAll 20 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near MaryvilleShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near MaryvilleEverything within about 30 miles of Maryville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Tabcat Creek, 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 Chilhowee Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits