Every Boat Ramp on Watauga Lake

About Watauga Lake

Watauga Lake is a 6,430-acre TVA reservoir nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of upper East Tennessee, with 104 miles of shoreline in Carter and Johnson counties and an impressive maximum depth of 285 feet that makes it one of the deepest lakes in the state. This stunning mountain lake sits at 1,959 feet elevation and is surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest, with steep, forested ridges plunging directly into cold, clear water that maintains excellent quality throughout the year. The town of Elizabethton serves as the gateway to the lake, while the community of Butler, which was relocated when the lake was filled, and Hampton provide additional access.

Smallmouth Bass are the premier gamefish at Watauga Lake, with the deep, clear water and rocky shoreline providing outstanding habitat for bronzebacks that regularly exceed 3 pounds. Walleye thrive in the lake's deep, cold waters and provide excellent fishing during the cooler months when they move to shallower structure. Rainbow and Brown Trout inhabit the deeper portions of the lake and are particularly abundant in the cold-water discharge below Watauga Dam, where a world-class tailwater trout fishery has developed. Largemouth Bass and Crappie provide additional fishing opportunities in the sheltered coves and creek arms.

Boat launches are available at Watauga Point and several other locations around the lake, with the facilities at Watauga Point being the most popular and well-maintained. The lake's deep, narrow character and mountain setting make it a beautiful destination for boating and fishing, though the steep terrain limits bank access in many areas. Whether you are working a tube jig along a rocky bluff for Smallmouth Bass, trolling deep for Walleye in the clear mountain water, or fishing the legendary tailwater below the dam for trophy Brown Trout, Watauga Lake offers a premier Appalachian mountain fishing experience in the highlands of East Tennessee.

Nearest towns: Elizabethton, Butler, Hampton