Fishing Site · Meigs County

Watts Bar Dam, Chickamauga Lake

16 miles from Dayton.

Get driving directions All Meigs County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Watts Bar Dam

Captains who run Chickamauga Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Capt. Paul Johnson · Chattanooga

Paul Johnson Guide Service

Largemouth, spotted, smallmouthCall 423-598-9083 pauljohnsonguideservice.com

Steve Kite and Chris Coleman · Chattanooga

Chattanooga Fishing Guides

BassCall 423-240-5389 chattanoogafishingguides.com

Richard Simms and six guides · Chattanooga

Scenic City Fishing Charters

Trophy catfish, walleye, crappie, bass, striper, saugersceniccityfishing.com

All 4 guides on Chickamauga and Nickajack

What to bring

Tackle for Watts Bar Dam

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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Watts Bar Dam

Watts Bar Dam is a public access point on Chickamauga Lake in Meigs County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

TWRA holds no written directions for Watts Bar Dam. 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.

Watts Bar Dam is 16 miles north-east of Dayton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Watts Bar Dam on Watts Bar Lake, 0.4 miles to the north. For bait, Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is about 26 miles away.

Coordinates 35.62062, -84.77736

Open in Google Maps See nearby spots on the map Fishing near Dayton

Aerial view of Watts Bar Dam — Watts Bar Dam from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Watts Bar Dam

Free to launch 1.5 out of 5 Facilities 1.5 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 Watts Bar Dam. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Bank and water access

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

Open 24 hours

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

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 Watts Bar Dam

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass crappie bluegill redear sunfish striped bass walleye sauger

Meigs County holds the mid-lake water where the reservoir slows into sloughs and embayments; TWRA’s stocking programme lifted average angler catch weight from 1.42 lb to consistently over 3 lb, and crappie surveys average 2.85 fish per hour at 0.76–0.80 lb.

Everything on Chickamauga Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Watts Bar Dam

What you can keep from Chickamauga Lake at Watts Bar Dam. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Chickamauga 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 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Chickamauga Lake rule
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum, only one over 16 in	Same rule covers spotted, Alabama and hybrid bass: only one of these over 16 in per day
Spotted bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum, only one over 16 in	Includes Alabama bass and hybrids
Crappie	15	10 in minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Redear sunfish	20	No minimum	Statewide
Striped bass	2 striped and hybrid combined	15 in minimum	Statewide
Walleye	5	16 in minimum	Statewide
Sauger	10	15 in minimum	Statewide

Other rules on Chickamauga Lake

Hiwassee Refuge closed to all use Nov 15–end of Feb except the wildlife viewing area; fishing allowed on the main river channel through the refuge.

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

What it looks like

Chickamauga Lake around Watts Bar Dam

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

Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga 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

Hiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5

Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0

Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Next one along

More Chickamauga Lake access near Watts Bar Dam

The closest other public access points on Chickamauga Lake, measured straight line from Watts Bar Dam. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAPinhook1.1 miles south1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.60512, -84.77424 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASewee Creek2.9 miles southHwy 68 east of Watts Bar Dam to Hwy 304 south approx. 4 miles to Hornsby Rd; ramp on left1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.58011, -84.79366 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAGoodfield Creek9.5 miles south-westHwy 30 west 2.75 miles from Decatur; turn left on Cottonport Rd, ramp is 1.5 miles on right across bridge.1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.49740, -84.85270 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRACottonport WMA / Access Area11 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →35.48831, -84.88183 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAFrazier Park14 miles south-west1 rampfishing pieraccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.47640, -84.95840 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandBlue Water Resort and Marina15 miles south-westFrom 30, take Double S Road, right onto Shaver Loop1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.47960, -84.97590

All 51 access points on Chickamauga Lake

Watts Bar Dam water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Watts Bar Dam

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Watts Bar Dam, including Watts Bar Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Chickamauga Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAWatts Bar DamWatts Bar Lake · 0.4 miles north1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.62703, -84.77839 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAFoosheeWatts Bar Lake · 3.3 miles north-east1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.66283, -84.75131 Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandPiney Point ResortWatts Bar Lake · 4.6 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →35.68060, -84.81240 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRALakeviewWatts Bar Lake · 4.7 miles north-eastHwy 68 east to Hwy 304 north approx. 4 miles on left1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.67170, -84.72195 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVARhea SpringsWatts Bar Lake · 5.1 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.68249, -84.82783 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CitySpring City Boat DockWatts Bar Lake · 5.5 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pieraccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.66738, -84.85583

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Watts Bar Dam

The closest shops to Watts Bar Dam that this site has checked. Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is nearest, about 26 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Crossville · about 26 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Cleveland · about 28 milesFishTales Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Lenoir City · about 31 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Meigs County

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Common questions

Questions about Watts Bar Dam

Can you launch a boat at Watts Bar Dam?

No trailered ramp is recorded at Watts Bar Dam. It is listed as bank or pier access rather than a launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Watts Bar Dam?

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 Watts Bar Dam?

Chickamauga Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, walleye and sauger. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Watts Bar Dam?

Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 26 miles from Watts Bar Dam. FishTales Bait and Tackle in Cleveland is next, about 28 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Watts Bar Dam?

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

Who runs Watts Bar Dam?

Watts Bar Dam 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 Watts Bar Dam

Watts Bar Dam is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Chickamauga Lake51 public access points across 3 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Meigs CountyEvery public spot in Meigs County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listMeigs County spot listAll 18 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near DecaturShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near DaytonEverything within about 30 miles of Dayton, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Watts Bar Dam, 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 Chickamauga Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits