Lake · Blount, Knox and Loudon

Fishing Fort Loudoun Lake, Tennessee

Q: Is Fort Loudoun Lake 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.

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

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Fort Loudoun Lake, county by county

All 27 public access points TWRA records on Fort Loudoun Lake. 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.

Fort Loudoun Lake access in Blount County

Fort Loudoun Lake access in Knox County

Free4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaChoto Marina1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.81570, -84.14420 Free4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · CountyConcord Marina1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.86600, -84.13060 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaConcord Yacht ClubDirections and detail →35.84876, -84.15118 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaVolunteer Landing MarinaDirections and detail →35.96103, -83.91202 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaWillow Point MarinaDirections and detail →35.87340, -83.94360 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyCarl Cowan ParkDirectly off Northshore Drive1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.85060, -84.09650 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyCherokee ParkKingston Pike to Cherokee Blvd1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.92930, -83.95100 Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · MarinaDuncan Boat Dock1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.88900, -83.98860 Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaFox Road MarinaKingston Pike to Fox Rd1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.87550, -84.11580 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyMaxey’s Dock1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.90620, -83.96260

Fort Loudoun Lake access in Loudon County

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaFort Loudon MarinaDirections and detail →35.79550, -84.23830 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVALakeland DrLakeland Dr, Lenoir City, TN1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.79810, -84.18140 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVALenoir City Park Ramp1 ramp, 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.79759, -84.23306 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAUnita10000 Unitia Rd, Friendsville, TN1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.75214, -84.17298 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAYarberry Campground1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.77070, -84.21450

What to bring

Tackle for Fort Loudoun Lake

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

The water

Fort Loudoun Lake boat ramps and fishing access

Fort Loudoun Lake has 27 public access points: 20 boat ramps, 2 fishing piers and 6 kayak launches, in Blount, Knox and Loudon counties.

27public access points

20boat ramps

2fishing piers

6kayak and canoe launches

3counties

Lake conditions

Fort Loudoun Lake level today

TVA’s current Fort Loudoun Lake level, the 24-hour change, the Fort Loudoun Dam generation schedule and the level forecast, on one page.

Fort Loudoun Lake level

What Fort Loudoun Lake is actually like

Fort Loudoun Lake, county by county

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

Knox County

From the Knox County page

This is Knoxville’s home water, the Tennessee River running straight through the middle of the city, and it has hosted a string of high-profile bass tournaments. It fishes as a developed, current-influenced river lake rather than a highland reservoir.

Blount County

From the Blount County page

Blount holds the southern shore with eight public ramps between Friendsville, Louisville and Rockford; consumption advisories apply to catfish and larger largemouth (PCBs, mercury).

Loudon County

From the Loudon County page

The dam is at Lenoir City, so the county owns the lower, wider end of Knoxville’s home water; annual level change is only about six feet because it is a navigation pool.

What it looks like

Fort Loudoun Lake in photographs

What Fort Loudoun Lake looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Fort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Little RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5

French Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Fort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Little RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5

What you can catch

Fish in Fort Loudoun Lake

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass crappie bluegill striped bass white bass walleye sauger catfish

Guides who fish Fort Loudoun Lake

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Fort Loudoun Lake

TWRA sets 1 rule just for Fort Loudoun Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Black bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Crappie	15	10 in minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Striped bass	2 striped and hybrid combined	15 in minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	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

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

Fort Loudoun Lake fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Fort Loudoun Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

Entirety (14,600 acres)

PCBs, Mercury (Upper portion only)

Commercial fishing for catfish prohibited by TWRA. All size catfish and largemouth bass over two pounds, should not be eaten. Precautionary advisory for any sized largemouth bass from Highway 129 to the confluence of Holston and French Broad Rivers (534 acres).*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 Fort Loudoun Lake

Fort Loudoun Lake touches 3 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

MaryvilleBlount County12 access points on Fort Loudoun Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →KnoxvilleKnox County10 access points on Fort Loudoun Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →LoudonLoudon County5 access points on Fort Loudoun Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

27 public access points on Fort Loudoun Lake, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Fort Loudoun Lake

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.

Blount CountyFishing near MaryvillePublic water within about 30 miles of Maryville, closest first.See the spots →Knox CountyFishing near FarragutPublic water within about 30 miles of Farragut, closest first.See the spots →Knox CountyFishing near KnoxvillePublic water within about 30 miles of Knoxville, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Fort Loudoun Lake

How many public boat ramps are there on Fort Loudoun Lake?

TWRA lists 20 public boat launches on Fort Loudoun Lake, with 28 ramp lanes between them, across 3 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Fort Loudoun Lake?

Fort Loudoun Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, white 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 Fort Loudoun Lake run through?

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

Can you fish Fort Loudoun Lake from the bank?

Yes. 2 of the public access points on Fort Loudoun Lake have a built fishing pier, and most of the ramps have shoreline you can walk. A pier is the easiest option with children or without a boat.

Do you need a licence to fish Fort Loudoun Lake?

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 Fort Loudoun Lake 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 Fort Loudoun Lake 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

Before you launch, check today's level, dam release schedule and any weather alerts for Fort Loudoun Lake: Fort Loudoun Lake conditions.

Closures and notices on Fort Loudoun Lake

What’s biting on Fort Loudoun Lake in %M%