95 Counties · 1,002 Public Access Points · 78 Lakes and RiversTennessee state record fish
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Water index

Every Lake and River in Tennessee

79 named waters with public access, each with its own page, its own access list and its own photographs.

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Search Tennessee lakes and rivers

79 named waters, grouped below.

Lakes and reservoirs

Tennessee lakes and reservoirs

30 of them with public access on this site. The count on each card is how many public launches, piers and landings TWRA records on that water.

86 access points · 15 piersKentucky LakeBenton, Decatur, Hardin and moreSee the spots →61 access points · 1 pierNorris LakeAnderson, Campbell, Claiborne and moreSee the spots →54 access points · 9 piersOld Hickory LakeDavidson, Smith, Sumner and moreSee the spots →52 access points · 11 piersWatts Bar LakeLoudon, Meigs, Rhea and moreSee the spots →51 access points · 9 piersChickamauga LakeHamilton, Meigs, RheaSee the spots →47 access points · 1 pierCherokee LakeGrainger, Hamblen, Hawkins and moreSee the spots →32 access points · 3 piersJ. Percy Priest LakeDavidson, Rutherford, WilsonSee the spots →30 access points · 5 piersDale Hollow LakeClay, Fentress, PickettSee the spots →29 access points · 3 piersLake BarkleyMontgomery, StewartSee the spots →27 access points · 2 piersFort Loudoun LakeBlount, Knox, LoudonSee the spots →26 access points · 2 piersCenter Hill LakeDeKalb, Putnam, Warren and moreSee the spots →21 access points · 1 pierDouglas LakeCocke, Jefferson, SevierSee the spots →18 access points · 6 piersNickajack LakeHamilton, MarionSee the spots →17 access points · 3 piersReelfoot LakeLake, ObionSee the spots →16 access points · 4 piersTellico LakeBlount, Loudon, MonroeSee the spots →15 access pointsCordell Hull LakeJackson, SmithSee the spots →14 access points · 1 pierCheatham LakeCheatham, Davidson, DicksonSee the spots →13 access points · 1 pierBoone LakeSullivan, WashingtonSee the spots →9 access points · 1 pierTims Ford LakeFranklin, MooreSee the spots →8 access points · 2 piersPickwick LakeHardin CountySee the spots →7 access pointsNormandy LakeCoffee CountySee the spots →7 access points · 1 pierWatauga LakeCarter, JohnsonSee the spots →5 access pointsMelton Hill LakeAnderson, KnoxSee the spots →5 access points · 1 pierWoods ReservoirCoffee, FranklinSee the spots →4 access pointsSouth Holston LakeSullivan CountySee the spots →3 access pointsParksville LakePolk CountySee the spots →2 access points · 1 pierChilhowee LakeBlount CountySee the spots →2 access pointsGuntersville LakeMarion CountySee the spots →2 access points · 2 piersLaurel Hill LakeLawrence CountySee the spots →2 access points · 1 pierPine LakeHenderson CountySee the spots →

79 named Tennessee waters, every one with its public access listed.

Rivers

Tennessee rivers

42 of them with public access on this site. The count on each card is how many public launches, piers and landings TWRA records on that water.

26 access pointsDuck RiverBedford, Coffee, Hickman and moreSee the spots →14 access points · 2 piersClinch RiverAnderson, Claiborne, Hancock and moreSee the spots →13 access points · 1 pierCumberland RiverClay, Davidson, Dickson and moreSee the spots →13 access pointsFrench Broad RiverCocke, Jefferson, Knox and moreSee the spots →13 access pointsHiwassee RiverBradley, McMinn, Meigs and moreSee the spots →12 access pointsHarpeth RiverCheatham, Davidson, WilliamsonSee the spots →12 access points · 1 pierHolston RiverGrainger, Hawkins, Jefferson and moreSee the spots →11 access pointsElk RiverCoffee, Giles, Lincoln and moreSee the spots →11 access pointsHatchie RiverHardeman, Haywood, TiptonSee the spots →10 access points · 2 piersCaney Fork RiverDeKalb, Putnam, Smith and moreSee the spots →10 access pointsNolichucky RiverGreene, Unicoi, WashingtonSee the spots →10 access pointsSouth Fork Holston RiverSullivan CountySee the spots →7 access pointsCollins RiverGrundy, WarrenSee the spots →7 access pointsWatauga RiverCarter CountySee the spots →6 access pointsMississippi RiverDyer, Lake, ShelbySee the spots →6 access pointsRed RiverMontgomery, RobertsonSee the spots →5 access points · 1 pierBarren Fork RiverWarren CountySee the spots →5 access pointsPigeon RiverCocke CountySee the spots →4 access pointsLittle RiverBlount CountySee the spots →4 access pointsStones RiverDavidson CountySee the spots →4 access pointsWolf RiverFayette, ShelbySee the spots →3 access pointsBuffalo RiverLewis, PerrySee the spots →3 access pointsDoe RiverCarter CountySee the spots →3 access pointsEmory RiverMorgan, RoaneSee the spots →3 access pointsForked Deer RiverDyer, MadisonSee the spots →3 access pointsNew RiverScott CountySee the spots →3 access points · 1 pierObey RiverClay CountySee the spots →3 access pointsObion RiverDyer, ObionSee the spots →3 access pointsPowell RiverClaiborne, HancockSee the spots →3 access pointsWest Fork Stones RiverRutherford CountySee the spots →2 access pointsCalf Killer RiverWhite CountySee the spots →2 access pointsEast Fork Stones RiverCannon, RutherfordSee the spots →2 access pointsOcoee RiverPolk CountySee the spots →2 access pointsRoaring RiverJackson CountySee the spots →2 access pointsSequatchie RiverBledsoe, SequatchieSee the spots →1 access pointCumberland riverDickson CountySee the spots →1 access point · 1 pierMelton Hill Lake/Clinch RiverAnderson CountySee the spots →1 access pointObey River/Cumberland RiverClay CountySee the spots →1 access pointObion River at BogotaDyer CountySee the spots →1 access pointSouth Fork Forked Deer RiverHaywood CountySee the spots →1 access pointTellico RiverMonroe CountySee the spots →1 access point · 1 pierWolf River, Herb Parsons LakeFayette CountySee the spots →

Creeks and everything else

Tennessee creeks and everything else

7 of them with public access on this site. The count on each card is how many public launches, piers and landings TWRA records on that water.

3 access pointsClear CreekMorgan CountySee the spots →3 access pointsRichland CreekGiles CountySee the spots →2 access pointsShoal CreekLawrence CountySee the spots →2 access pointsWhite Oak CanalHardin CountySee the spots →1 access pointBarren ForkWarren CountySee the spots →1 access pointKentuckyDecatur CountySee the spots →1 access pointSouth HolstonSullivan CountySee the spots →

79 named Tennessee waters, every one with its public access listed.

Common questions

Questions about Tennessee lakes and rivers

How many lakes does Tennessee have?

Tennessee has one natural lake of any size, Reelfoot, formed by the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812. Everything else big is an impoundment, built by TVA or the US Army Corps of Engineers. That is why so many of them are called reservoirs on official paperwork and lakes by everybody who fishes them.

What is the biggest lake in Tennessee?

Kentucky Lake, by a distance. It runs 184 miles down the Tennessee River with more than 2,000 miles of shoreline, and it is shared with Kentucky. Dale Hollow, Norris and Chickamauga are the next names most people reach for, for very different fishing.

Which Tennessee river is best for trout?

The South Holston and the Clinch are the two tailwaters with national reputations, both fed by cold water released from the bottom of a dam. The Caney Fork, Watauga, Hiwassee and Elk all hold trout too. Every one of them needs an all-species or trout-supplemented licence.

Do the lakes and rivers have different rules?

Often, yes. The statewide creel and length limits are the floor, and plenty of individual reservoirs and tailwaters carry their own exceptions that override them. Each water’s page here notes what is known, and TWRA’s current guide is the authority.

Why do some waters have two names?

TVA and the Corps name their impoundments reservoirs. Locals call them lakes. Fort Loudoun Reservoir and Fort Loudoun Lake are the same water, and TWRA’s own access database spells several of them both ways. This site uses the lake form throughout.

Keep going

More Tennessee water, and who fishes it

Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits