Fishing is relaxing, with moments of major excitement if you’re lucky!. It’s a beloved pastime for many Tennesseans, including Lenoir City and Knoxville residents. If you’re interested in doing a little angling in either (or both) of these Volunteer State cities, you should know that there are some amazing places to cast a fishing rod and hope for a big catch. This quick guide will make it easy for you to plan a day of fishing solo or with friends and family.
Fort Loudon Lake
This scenic lake is situated at the Tennessee River’s headwaters, close to Knoxville. It’s a lake that’s beloved by local anglers. When you fish at Fort Loudon Lake, you’ll have a good chance of catching smallmouth, largemouth, and crappie, along with sauger, bluegill, catfish, and white bass.
This lake is such a great fishing spot, and it’s a popular choice with tournament anglers. If you want to catch big fish, spending time on this lake will be worth your while. In 1976, a blue catfish weighing in at 130 pounds was caught at Fort Loudon Lake. The lake and surrounding area are also popular with boaters and bird-watchers. Keep your eyes peeled for osprey. These birds of prey have wingspans of up to 5 feet.
Tellico Reservoir
Tellico Reservoir is a beautiful waterway measuring 15,500 acres. This lake attracts plenty of brown trout and rainbow trout, in addition to walleye. At the reservoir, well-oxygenated cold water flows inward from the Tellico River and Chilhowee Reservoir, setting the stage for some impressive angling,
Aside from trout, this fishing spot is home to rock, yellow, white, spotted, smallmouth, and largemouth bass. You’ll also find blue catfish, bluegill, and yellow perch in the local waters, and this just scratches the surface. This Knoxville fishing locale is a beautiful place to relax and commune with nature.
This reservoir is also a good place to find black bass, which along with crappie, are generally the most abundant species in the water.
Watts Bar Lake
This lake is the perfect place to fish for black-nose crappie because there are plenty of them in the water. The crappie population starts to surge around the end of February each year and continues to flourish in early March. The beginning of May is also a great time to fish this lake.
When the water begins to get warmer, crappie head for deeper water and local anglers love to find them in the evening with the help of lanterns positioned over the water. This fishing spot is just 39 miles from Lenoir City, so it’s easy to get to. Watts Bar Lake is 56.4 miles from Knoxville.
No matter your skill level, you’ll find that fishing in the Lenoir City-Knoxville area is a fulfilling experience. Angling is a great way to push aside the cares of the day and enjoy fresh air as well as a little quiet contemplation. With any luck, you’ll catch more than enough fish to enjoy a good, old-fashioned fish fry.
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