Hwy. Late winter through spring is the best time to target yellow perch. For the most up-to-date hours and information, please contact Watts Bar Lake directly. This has been a successful project and has provided anglers with great opportunities. Coffee, Sweets & Treats White bass populations experience populations that have highs and lows. Caney Creek Marina is the perfect place to stop for gas, enjoy good food and bust out in some karaoke. Additionally, LMB can take advantage of the varying habitat types associated with Watts Bar for cover and spawning sites. Other fun: Visits to Knoxville and Chattanooga are worth the time. We attract travelers who seek unique heritage and the best outdoor Spotted bass in Watts Bar Reservoir tend to be less numerous and smaller in size than some other Region 3 reservoirs like Center Hill and neighboring Chickamauga Reservoir. In the end, Mother Nature will truly have the final say. What if the Florida Strain bred with native Northern Largemouth and produced a sluggish fish? Lakeside restaurants offer great food, live music and spectacular sunset views. There is also great concern for the SPB fishery at Watts Bar due to the confirmed presence of invasive Alabama bass within this reservoir, mainly within the Whites Creek embayment. The lake begins at Fort Loudon Dam and stretches 72 miles to Watts Bar Dam. Sign up to receive trip ideas and inspiration from Tennessee Tourism. Yellow perch populations in Watts Bar have been present for several years but inconsistent with densities and predictability. Largemouth are the most abundant of the three and are the target of most anglers on the lake. Calderwood/Chilhowee Lake Covering a lot of water and fishing hard will increase your chances of landing this awesome fish. Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries The best time to pursue walleye and sauger is during the late winter and early spring when these fish move upstream to spawn, near the dam and heads of sizeable tributaries. During the wintertime, these surface acres are reduced as Watts Bar goes through a drawdown of 5-6 feet. Watts Bar Lake can be easily accessedall over Roane County. White Crappie dominate. In that scenario, the bass stage on the edges of the grasslines to ambush migrating shad. Nearly 85 percent of all black bass caught are Largemouth Bass. Duck hunting is a popular sport during the winter season . Waters near Rockwood and Whites Creek are good areas to start. Tap Add to Trip on anything you like. Jigs with small soft plastics or live bait around rocky bluffs and steep banks are great. SMB over 18 are common as well. The decision to introduce the Florida Bass strain into these reservoirs was taken seriously by TWRA staff and years of research have taken place and will continue into the future. 5 oz. The transition between the sizes of rock is key, because the larger rocks and bluffs signal the presence of deep water, while the smaller rocks offer crawfish habitat. to fulll the workforce opportunities of Roane Countys future. Watts Bar has a surface area of 39,600 acres and 722 miles of shoreline. Currently there is a daily creel limit of 5 and 15-inch minimum size limit (MLL) for LMB at Watts Bar Reservoir; this is also the statewide regulation for LMB. Black Bass are plentiful in Watts Bar Lake with both largemouth and smallmouth bass available. The best months are May (swim baits) and October (crank baits) but they can be caught year round. It was caught Oct. 17, 1954, by James "Logue" Barnett in Lawrence County's Sugar Creek. Catalpa worms are considered a favorite by many catfish anglers. This process can be anywhere from early to late March and is highly dependent on the weather. In November the lake will slowly drop back to winter pool (4 to 6 ft down) and remain at the lower level until spring. Walleyes and sauger can be caught when casting crankbaits on main lake points. Rig up with Hardcore Minnow Flat 110SP suspending jerkbaits. citizens and travelers. Fish can be caught on jigs with minnows and soft plastics that are either trolled in shallow water or vertically jigged around bushes, laydowns, or docks. The same baits mentioned above will work during this time. Available Fish Species Amenities Night fishing with lights around deep bluffs with minnows, jigs, and spoons is also a popular way to catch crappie during the summer months. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) also stocks several gamefish into Watts Bar on an annual basis, including striped bass, black crappie, walleye, and Florida largemouth bass. Filled with family attractions, music, events, food, drinks, and more, you can choose your own Tennessee vacation. 15.54 Tommy Foster Caney Lake Feb 1993 *5. During the early summer months, walleye and sauger can be tough to catch. Roane County as one of the best retirement destinations in the nation. Rhea Springs Boat Ramp Eden Marina and Campground Boat Ramp Recent TWRA creel surveys have shown that crappie harvests from Watts Bar are nearly even between black crappie and white crappie. Hotels & Motels LAKE (NA) 22 lb./4 oz. Target Areas and Techniques (Striped Bass). Fishing for catfish while utilizing a variety of methods (trotlines, rod & reel, jugs, noodling, etc.) South Holston Reservoir Daniel Taylor February 10, 2019 Class A Spotted Sucker 3 lbs., 3 oz. There is never a bad time to fish anywhere. Take a trip by boat all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Then its easy to share, send or save your perfect Tennessee vacation. Largemouth stage on the deeper sides of the flats and feed on the tops of them. Big Fish. Watts bar is a great spot for them, theres also some great big ones in watauga and south holston . Largemouth bass fishing is legendary on Watts Bar Lake. Your BASS member number is the 9-digit number that appears on your Bassmaster Magazine label. TWRA staff is also continuing the stocking program at Chickamauga Reservoir, where the recent Largemouth Bass state record was caught. We plan and implement strategies for the controlled growth of Roane Countys Giant bass, monster crappie, and big stripers are the main draw here at Watts Bar Reservoir. Target Areas and Techniques (Largemouth Bass). 15.87 Regina Womack Valentine Lake May 2010 *3. For the past several years, TWRA has stocked black and blacknose crappie into Watts Bar in hopes of augmenting crappie spawns. Watts Bar Lake lies between the Watts Bar Dam and Ft. Loudon Dam, with the maximum depth being approximately 70 feet near the dams. Lots of habitat such as aquatic vegetation and laydowns provide the cover that muskie prefer as they hide and wait to ambush their prey. As spring transitions to summer, keep an eye out for mayfly hatches, as this is a great time to target panfish with flyfishing equipment. Think for example, about the Burmese pythons set free by those who no longer wanted to care for them as pets. You have entered an incorrect email address! Watts Bar Lake. Many anglers also find success drifting shad or shiners in the tailwaters below Ft. Loudoun and Melton Hill Dams. As prolonged periods of cold weather set in fish will move to deeper areas and ditches in large creeks and the main river channel. Super User Posted October 7, 2019 Legendary waters but the great lakes system is a much higher percentage of catching a trophy as you define it. Catfish can be caught all year long on Watts Bar Reservoir. recreational experiences to Roane County. Then in winter and summer concentrate on deeper water around creek channels, flats, ledges, humps and points. Rentals: Pontoon boats Best choice: 5/16-ounce buzzbait, with 4-inch Yamamoto Cowboy creature bait trailer. 2/15/76 Stone Quarry Lk. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are peak fishing April through June. Alabama bass are expected to expand within Watts Bar and the results will not be favorable to native fish like smallmouth bass. The Emory and Clinch Rivers provide the best opportunity for an angler to target muskie. Spring City, TN 37381 Bluegill and redear sunfish (shellcrackers) will begin to move into shallow water to spawn in later April through the first part of June. Choose your own Tennessee vacation and discover new food, classic whiskey, rockin' music, and so much more. If you enjoyed the video, click subscribe! These are some of the best areas to target during the spawning season. Other fun:Visits to Knoxville and Chattanooga are worth the time. During early spring, largemouth bass can be caught on primary and secondary points leading into spawning bays. The smallmouth bass fishery in Watts Bar Reservoir is held in high regard by the fishing public. Unlike neighboring Chickamauga Reservoir there is no commercial fishing allowed at Watts Bar, which could impact catfish populations. East Tennessee Guide Service offers 4 hour and 8 hour guided fishing trips for some of the best largemouth bass, small mouth bass, and striper to 6 different lakes in East Tennessee including Cherokee Lake, Douglas Lake, Chicamauga Lake, Norris Lake, Ft. Loudon Lake and Watts Bar Lake. The lake begins at Fort Loudon Dam and stretches 72 miles to Watts Bar Dam. none. Artificial baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs are great options. Kingston, TN 37763. Since the onset of the 18 minimum size limit, 5 bass/day creel limit on smallmouth bass at Watts Bar several years ago, the population has responded well with observed increases in abundance of SMB up to the 18 minimum length limit (MLL). Yellow perch spawn when water temperatures are in the 45-50-degree range. Redear Sunfish or Shellcracker. Secondary points, and points in general, are overly abundant on Tennessee River impoundments like Watts Bar. Largemouth bass have been found to be able to see colors; preferred colors to fish are red, white, silver, and black, in that order. Anglers find success fishing this area with artificial lures such as swimbaits and jigs, as well as drifting live bait in the current that represent the shad species that utilize this area. (. The native Tennessean focuses on secondary points inside big creeks and channel swings further back toward the spawning areas. All other marks belong to their respective owners. 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