Lake · Carter and Johnson

Fishing Watauga Lake, Tennessee

Q: Is Watauga 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.

7 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 Watauga Lake, county by county

All 7 public access points TWRA records on Watauga 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.

Watauga Lake access in Carter County

Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TDECWatauga Bluffscanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.36500, -82.29800 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAButler Ramp1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.35499, -82.02841 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFSRat Branch (Bay View)1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.30486, -82.11890 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAWatauga Dam Access1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.32104, -82.11715 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaFish Springs MarinaDirections and detail →36.32061, -82.06500 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaWatauga Lakeshores Marina1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.31250, -82.09850

Watauga Lake access in Johnson County

Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFSSink Mountain Access.1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.35875, -81.97006

What to bring

Tackle for Watauga 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

Watauga Lake boat ramps and fishing access

Watauga Lake has 7 public access points: 5 boat ramps, 1 fishing pier and 3 kayak launches, in Carter and Johnson counties.

7public access points

5boat ramps

1fishing pier

3kayak and canoe launches

2counties

Lake conditions

Watauga Lake level today

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

Watauga Lake level

What Watauga Lake is actually like

Watauga Lake, county by county

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

Johnson County

From the Johnson County page

One of the clearest and coldest big lakes in the state, ringed by national forest with the Appalachian Trail running along the northwestern edge. Smallmouth fish best in the lower reservoir; largemouth concentrate in Roan, Doe and Cobb creeks, which is to say, in the Johnson County arms.

Carter County

From the Carter County page

One of the clearest and coldest big lakes in Tennessee and the only one holding a genuine lake trout fishery; fish attractors include brush piles, stake beds and planted cypress, and drawdown reaches 44 ft.

What it looks like

Watauga Lake in photographs

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

Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0

Watauga RiverOpen the Watauga River page →Ken Thomas / Public domain

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 domain

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

What you can catch

Fish in Watauga Lake

What Watauga 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 walleyelake trout

Guides who fish Watauga Lake

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Watauga Lake

TWRA sets 4 rules just for Watauga 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 combined with smallmouth	12 in minimum	Watauga Lake rule
Smallmouth bass	5 combined with largemouth	15 in minimum	Watauga Lake rule
Spotted bass	15	No length limit	Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit
Walleye	5	18 in minimum	Walleye run rule Jan 1–Apr 30: single-point hook only on Elk River (Carter Co.), Doe Creek, Roan Creek and upper Watauga River
Crappie	15	10 in minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	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

Watauga Lake fish consumption advisory

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

Entirety (6,427 acres)

Mercury

Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass and channel catfish.*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 Watauga Lake

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

ElizabethtonCarter County6 access points on Watauga Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →Mountain CityJohnson County1 access point on Watauga Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

7 public access points on Watauga Lake, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Watauga 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.

Washington CountyFishing near Johnson CityPublic water within about 30 miles of Johnson City, closest first.See the spots →Carter CountyFishing near ElizabethtonPublic water within about 30 miles of Elizabethton, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Watauga Lake

How many public boat ramps are there on Watauga Lake?

TWRA lists 5 public boat launches on Watauga Lake, with 6 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 Watauga Lake?

Watauga Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye and lake trout. 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 Watauga Lake run through?

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

Can you fish Watauga Lake from the bank?

Yes. 1 of the public access points on Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga Lake: Watauga Lake conditions.

Closures and notices on Watauga Lake

What’s biting on Watauga Lake in %M%