With a guide
Guides and charters near Wilbur Dam Access
Captains who run Watauga River, 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 Wilbur Dam Access
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 Wilbur Dam Access
Wilbur Dam Access is a public boat launch on Watauga River in Carter County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
TWRA holds no written directions for Wilbur Dam Access. 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.
Wilbur Dam Access is 4.7 miles east of Elizabethton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Wilbur Reservoir Boat Ramp on Wilbur Reservoir, 0.4 miles to the south-east. For bait, Appalachian Outpost in Elizabethton is about 3 miles away.
Coordinates 36.34104, -82.12702
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Wilbur Dam Access
Watauga River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Wilbur Dam Access
What you can keep from Watauga River at Wilbur Dam Access. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Watauga River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | 2 | 14 in minimum | Quality trout area, Smallings Bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges: no bait, no possession of trout under 14 in. The rest of the tailwater uses the statewide trout limit |
| Trout | 7 | 16–22 in protected slot, one over 22 in | Boone Lake trout slot, upstream on the Watauga arm to the Hwy 11E bridge |
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
Other rules on Watauga River
- Walleye run rule, NC line down to the end of Cowanstown Rd (above Watauga Lake), Jan 1–Apr 30: one single-point hook or one lure with a single-point hook; gigging, snagging and bowfishing closed.
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.
10 public boat launches in Carter County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Watauga River around Wilbur Dam Access
What the water at Wilbur Dam Access actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Ken Thomas / Public domain
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Parker1297 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Pub. by The Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, / Public domainNext one along
More Watauga River access near Wilbur Dam Access
The closest other public access points on Watauga River, measured straight line from Wilbur Dam Access. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Wilbur Dam Access water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Wilbur Dam Access
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Wilbur Dam Access, including Wilbur Reservoir, Watauga Lake and Doe River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Watauga River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Wilbur Dam Access
The closest shops to Wilbur Dam Access that this site has checked. Appalachian Outpost in Elizabethton is nearest, about 3 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Wilbur Dam Access
Wilbur Dam Access is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.