Options for an avid angler moving to Knoxville?

[hoozier]

Good morning all,
My wife and I may be relocating to Knoxville next summer for work. We are looking for a midsized town to raise our family in.
I'm a die hard angler and looking for advice and honest opinions about the area.
I see Cherokee, Douglas, TN River, FT. Loudon.....am I missing any other fishable bodies of water close to Knoxville?
I grew up in the midwest fishing clear water, but have lived in Florida and most recently North Carolina ( Where we are spoiled with 5lbers and muddy water.)
Would love to get back to my smallmouth, clear water roots on some of your river systems.

I will be joining some local bass clubs once we relocate. Put my mind at rest and let me know the fishing options around the area.

Thanks and tightlines!

[Cgs1967!]

I live in western Carolina and the lakes are deep and clear here. You will catch more fish on Douglas but bigger fish on Cherokee from my limited experience on these two lakes. I mainly fish Douglas but still learning the lake.

[Dan21XRS]

Norris Lake also... Dan

[Danrude]

Then there's Watts Bar, Tellico, Fort Loudon and Milton Hill. Lots of good fishing around Knoxville!

[Buccaneer]

It sucks there. Don’t even think about Dayton.

[richg99]

Probably only an hour to Chickamauga, second best LM bass lake in the US, according to some Bass something somewhere. Watts Bar holds smallies and LM bass; Melton Hill has Stripers and Muskies and LM bass. I really don't know much beyond that, though.

[Bamaman]

The fishing possibilities are simply endless. Question is whether to move to Dandridge/Jefferson City area or around Loudon/Little Tennessee River (Vonore) area. You'll just have to get out there and see what kind of real estate there is in those areas.

You simply cannot go wrong anywhere on the Tennessee River.

[Bassakwards]

If you want smallies you want to go to Dale Hollow, its probably a 2 hr drive from Knoxville.

[sll]

Lots of fantastic fisheries in a 2 hour radius of Knoxville. If you are a die hard angler you will have many options....rivers and lakes.

[jrnyldo]

Once you are here, look me up. I am the East Region Director for Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation and President of the Luke 5-11 Bassmasters, www.luke511bassmasters.com . East Tennessee has some great fishing, all within 2 hours drive. Hope to hear from you then.

Bob

[Mopardaddy]

Hey Hoosier,
2 words...: little pigeon....the river in Sevierville....world class trophy smallie fishing in spring!! Summer tends to slow down, but fall picks back up a little. City park is good, but any deep water holes are K I L L E R!!
Good luck

[fish365]

On the Tennessee River, Ft' Loudon and on down are navigation lakes and only fluctuate a few feet.Upper lakes, Cherokee, Douglas, Norris and a few others are storage/flood control lakes. Be prepared to see them move 30+ feet over the course of the year. I live on Cherokee and it came up 18' in two days when we had a lot of rain back in February. The navigation lakes will get out of the banks after flooding rains as TVA tries to move all that water through their system.

[richg99]

I see that Chickamauga has been dropped to "only" the 6th best lake in the US (Bassmasters). Guntersville has moved into the 2nd spot. Good. Maybe that will send some of the crowds down there.

https://newschannel9.com/news/local/...aster-rankings