See every public fishing venue in Tennessee on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Watauga River is a public river in Carter County, Washington County, Johnson County and Sullivan County, Tennessee, managed by State of Tennessee (public-trust water). It is a public-trust water — you can fish it with a Tennessee licence; bank access is at public river-access points and bridges. Public access confirmed via public-trust river.
A small, cold mountain impoundment — stocked rainbow and brown trout with smallmouth and rock bass in the warmer water.
It runs roughly 55 miles through the East region. Anglers here mostly fish for rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, rock bass; bluegill, channel catfish are also on record. Neighbouring public land — Cherokee National Forest, Sycamore Shoals, Winged Deer Park — opens up bank access away from the main entry points. Live flow and gauge height come from the Watauga River At Elizabethton, Tn USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Wilbur Tailwater and Wilbur Lake.
Species from TWRA and Tennessee fishery data.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Tennessee; a few individual waters have local rules — check the current TWRA regulations for this water.
Boats: Most Tennessee fishing rivers are floated by canoe, kayak or jet-drive; larger craft only on the lower, wider reaches.
Bank & bivvy camping: Bank access is at TWRA river-access areas, bridges and state parks; other banks are private riparian land.
Tackle: Statewide creel and size limits apply; several reservoirs carry a black-bass protected slot — check the current TWRA regs for this water.
Rules verified 2026-09-01 against TWRA regulations. Always confirm the current rules before you fish.
Source: USGS PAD-US (Protected Areas Database).
Boat ramps: 8 mapped — Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 2 sites mapped nearby — Cardens Bluff Campground, Little Stoney Creek Campground.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 03486000 — Watauga River At Elizabethton, Tn. Full gauge data →
A Tennessee fishing licence covers all public water in the state. Non-resident annual is around $50; 3-day and 10-day non-resident permits are also sold. TWRA agency lakes need an extra TWRA Lake permit.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
Open the Tennessee map Start your free trial