River · Morgan and Roane

Fishing Emory River, Tennessee

Q: Is Emory River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not — Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

3 public access points across 2 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Emory River, county by county

All 3 public access points TWRA records on Emory River. Each card opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

Emory River access in Morgan County

Free3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · Nat’l ParkNemocanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.06883, -84.66157 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAReister AccessAccess is located on west side of Deermont Rd Bridge and is available on both the N and S side of the road1 rampcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.02722, -84.57970

Emory River access in Roane County

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAKingston Steam Plant1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.89541, -84.52318

What to bring

Tackle for Emory River

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Bluegill and Panfish checklist Walleye and Sauger checklist Catfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Emory River boat ramps and fishing access

Emory River has 3 public access points: 2 boat ramps and 3 kayak launches, in Morgan and Roane counties.

3public access points

2boat ramps

3kayak and canoe launches

2counties

River levels

Emory River level and flow today

The latest USGS gauge readings on the Emory River, the seven-day trend and the forecast.

Emory River level

What Emory River is actually like

Emory River, county by county

Emory River does not fish the same at both ends. This is what the research for each county on it turned up.

Roane County

From the Roane County page

The Emory joins the Clinch near Kingston and its lower reach is the county’s distinctive fishery: a winter and early-spring sauger run that carries its own gear restriction, which is the thing to build the page around.

Morgan County

From the Morgan County page

Rises on Fork Mountain near Frozen Head and runs southwest past Wartburg; the upper river in Morgan County is wadeable pocket water, unlike the sauger-run water downstream in Roane County.

What it looks like

Emory River in photographs

What Emory River looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Emory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Clear CreekOpen the Clear Creek page →NPS staff / Public domain

Watts Bar LakeOpen the Watts Bar Lake page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5

Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Emory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Clear CreekOpen the Clear Creek page →NPS staff / Public domain

What you can catch

Fish in Emory River

What Emory River actually holds, from the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes. A licence is required for all of it.

smallmouth bass sunfish rock bass walleye sauger catfish

Guides who fish Emory River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Emory River

TWRA sets 1 rule just for Emory River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Paddlefish	No harvest	—	Closed to snagging, taking or possessing paddlefish from the mouth up to Hwy 299 bridge at Oakdale
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Rock bass	20	No minimum	Statewide
Walleye	5	16 in minimum	Statewide
Sauger	10	15 in minimum	Statewide
Channel catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide

Other rules on Emory River

Jan 1–Apr 30, Hwy 27 bridge (Harriman) up to Hwy 299 bridge (Oakdale): one single-point hook or lure with one single-point hook, max 3 rods; 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.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

Emory River fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Emory River, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

From Highway 27 (River mile 12.4) to Obed River (River mile 28.4)

Mercury

Precautionary advisory for all fish.*Precautionary means: Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.

Every Tennessee fish advisory

By county

Counties on Emory River

Emory River touches 2 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

WartburgMorgan County2 access points on Emory River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →KingstonRoane County1 access point on Emory River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

3 public access points on Emory River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Emory River

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number that matters when you are deciding where to drive.

Roane CountyFishing near HarrimanPublic water within about 30 miles of Harriman, closest first.See the spots →Roane CountyFishing near KingstonPublic water within about 30 miles of Kingston, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Emory River

How many public boat ramps are there on Emory River?

TWRA lists 2 public boat launches on Emory River, with 1 ramp lanes between them, across 2 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Emory River?

Emory River holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, walleye, sauger and catfish. Which of those is actually worth chasing depends on the season, and TWRA sets size and creel limits that change, so check before you keep anything.

Which counties does Emory River run through?

Morgan and Roane counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Emory River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Emory River. Bank fishing here means the shoreline and parking areas at the public ramps, plus road and bridge crossings where there is public right of way.

Do you need a licence to fish Emory River?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence, and a trout supplemental on top if you plan to keep trout. Non-residents can buy a three-day or ten-day licence rather than a full year.

Is Emory River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not, Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

Keep going

More Emory River 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 water Licence and limits