Fort Loudoun Reservoir in Tennessee
General Description
Fort Loudoun contains 14,600 acres and was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1943. The reservoir supports a variety of recreational activities and provides hydroelectric power and flood control. It connects to Watts Bar Reservoir via a lock and directly to Tellico Reservoir by a canal.
The reservoir is located at the headwaters of the Tennessee River near Knoxville and extends 55 miles upstream from the dam to the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers. Since Fort Loudoun is a navigable mainstream waterway, the annual drawdown is only six vertical feet. Water levels fluctuate between 813 and 807 feet above sea level and there are 360 miles of shoreline.
Fort Loudoun is surrounded by private and commercial development and is used extensively for fishing and other aquatic recreations. The most commonly harvested fish are largemouth, smallmouth, and white bass. Bluegill, crappie, and catfish are also present in good numbers.
Health advisories issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation against the consumption of catfish, largemouth bass over two pounds, and any largemouth bass from the Little River embayment are still in effect. These advisories are due to PCB and mercury contamination and account for the low number of fish harvested.
Although there are problems with contaminants in the reservoir, dissolved oxygen levels are generally good throughout the year. Fertile reservoirs like Douglas and Cherokee can experience low oxygen levels in the summer due to thermal stratification which can cause stressful conditions for some fish. This is not the case with Fort Loudoun because water is constantly flowing through it.
Fort Loudoun is a mainstem Tennessee River reservoir, fluctuations levels are not as great as seen in tributary reservoirs due to year-round navigation requirements. Because of this, traditional enhancement work using the brush to concentrate fish for anglers is not needed reservoir-wide. The reservoir has several access points which can be found on TWRA’s website.
Regulations
- Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass: 5 per day in combination
- Largemouth Bass: 14 inch minimum length limit.
- Smallmouth Bass: 18 inch minimum length limit.
- Spotted Bass: 15 per day, no length limit
- Crappie (all species): 15 per day in combination, 10 inch minimum length limit
- Catfish (all species): No creel limit for fish 34 inches and less in length; only one fish over 34 inches in length may be harvested per day.
- Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped Bass: 2 per day in combination, 15 inch minimum length limit.
- White Bass: 15 per day, no length limit.
- Yellow Bass: no creel or length limit.
- Sauger: 10 per day, 15 inch minimum length limit.
- Walleye: 5 per day, 16 inch minimum length limit.
- Paddlefish: 2 per day; season is open from April 24 through May 31. Culling is prohibited.
- Rock Bass: 20 per day, no length limit.
- Redear Sunfish: 20 per day, no length limit.
- Bluegill/Warmouth and other sunfishes: no creel or length limit.
What you can catch
Black Bass
Fort Loudoun Reservoir is well known for its quality largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing. As a result, many high-profile tournaments have been held in the Knoxville area in recent years. All three species of black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted) can be found in Fort Loudoun. Bass fishing has remained good in the reservoir, although the average size of bass has decreased in recent surveys. Conditions for bass fishing should remain good as the reservoir has good fertility and oxygen levels year-round. The creel limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is five per day in combination and there is a 14-inch minimum length limit for largemouth and an 18-inch minimum length limit for smallmouth. There is a 15-fish daily creel limit and no size limit for Spotted Bass.
Fishing Tips:
Largemouth bass - Spring: Creek points and channels using shallow-running crankbaits, spinner baits, buzz baits, Carolina-rigged floating worms, and Texas-rigged worms; Summer: River channel points and humps with deep-running crankbaits and Carolina rigs; Fall: Creek mouths and river channel points using shallow running crankbaits and topwater plugs; Winter: Creek mouths and river channels using crankbaits, jigs, and lizards
Smallmouth bass - Spring: Creek mouths and river channel points with shallow running crankbaits, pig ‘n jig, and grubs; Summer: River channel points and humps using deep running crankbaits and pig ‘n jigs; Fall: River channels using shallow running crankbaits and topwater plugs; Winter: River channel near the dam using jigs, grubs, and shiners.
Spotted Bass - Bridge riprap and similar rocky areas with small white spinners, plastic grubs on leadhead jigs, doll flies, and crawfish crankbaits.
Crappie
Although not as popular as some other East Tennessee reservoirs, Fort Loudoun produces good numbers and sizes in terms of crappie. The majority of the fishery is comprised of White Crappie, although Black Crappie are also caught frequently. Crappie is a sought-after table fare by many anglers and is typically harvested when they reach the minimum size limit. There is a 15 fish daily creel and 10-inch minimum size limit for crappie harvested from Fort Loudoun.
Fishing Tips:
Spring: Creek channels in open water and brush with jigs, grubs, and minnows; Summer: River channels at night with jigs, grubs, and minnows; Fall and Winter: In creeks with jigs, grubs, and minnows.
Sauger
Traditionally, Sauger fishing in Fort Loudoun reservoir takes place in the late winter and early spring in a section of the reservoir locally known as the “forks of the river”. The namesake of this area comes from the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers that form the Tennessee River and the headwaters of Fort Loudoun reservoir. Sauger is usually the target species in the section of the reservoir during this time but Walleye can also be caught as well. There is a 10 fish per day creel limit for Sauger and a 15-inch minimum length limit. Five Walleye can be harvested per day, which must have a minimum length of 16 inches.
Fishing Tips:
Spring: Upstream of Knoxville trolling with crankbaits or drifting with grubs, jigs, and minnows.
Catfish
Catfishing is excellent in Fort Loudoun. The state record 130-pound Blue Catfish was taken by commercial gear from Fort Loudoun in 1976. Flathead and Channel catfish are also present in the reservoir. Regulations for catfish are no creel limit for fish 34 inches and less in length; only one fish over 34 inches in length may be harvested per day.
Fishing Tips:
Blue, Channel, and Flathead catfish hit nightcrawlers, chicken livers, or shiners on rocky outcroppings, on flats near the channels, and in the rear of large hollows.
Common Length At Age(inches)
AGE (years) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
SPECIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Largemouth bass* |
7.7 |
11.7 |
14.6 |
15.7 |
16.7 |
17.4 |
Smallmouth bass* |
7.8 |
11.8 |
15.3 |
18.3 |
20.3 |
21.0 |
Striped bass |
7.8 |
15.9 |
20.9 |
24.9 |
27.8 |
29.0 |
Walleye |
10.5 |
16.2 |
19.1 |
21.3 |
22.8 |
23.9 |
Sauger |
9.5 |
14.1 |
16.3 |
17.6 |
19.5 |
21.4 |
Black Crappie* |
3.5 |
6.5 |
7.8 |
8.6 |
9.1 |
10.5 |
White Crappie* |
3.8 |
7.4 |
8.1 |
8.5 |
10.1 |
10.6 |
Bluegill |
2.4 |
4.3 |
5.8 |
7.0 |
7.8 |
8.3 |
(* Fort Loudoun specific)
