Tennessee is an excellent state in the southernmost region of the USA, and its golden capital is Nashville being in the middle as the heart of the country. Tennessee is a beautiful state with a rich amount of natural sightseeing and a serene collection of numerous lakes.
Tennessee has a set of things from historic to modern, natural to artificial. Still, today, we are here to explore the different incredible lakes and get a grip on natural sightseeing, which is the famous lakes.
Lakes are a must-activity if you plan to visit this state. Here are some of them explored in words for you.
15 Gorgeous Lakes
1. Old Hickory Lake
Old Hickory Lake is a famous reservoir in north-central Tennessee created primarily by the Old Hickory Lock and Dam in 1952. it is located on the Tennessee River called the Cumberland River.
Surprisingly, the reservoir is located at an elevation of 136 meters above sea level, around 40 kilometers from Tennessee’s capital, Nashville. Eight public marinas are featured in the old Hickory Lake, 41 sites accessible by boats, and two visitor campgrounds. It is also home to numerous species of amphibians and birds.
Yachting is one of the popular activities within the reservoir of an old hickory lake source, another most done activity of this Tennessee lake is fishing widely done by visitors and locals. Hickory Lake is a visit to be remembered with the beautiful lake view and activities.
2. Percy Priest Lake
Percy Priest Lake is a north-central reservoir in Tennessee, also Officially called J Percy Priest Lake. Percy Priest Lake is a reservoir that sits around 16 kilometers east of the heart capital Nashville.
The recreational spot is a 5,700-hectare lake and is popular widely with visitors and locals. It has a presence of three campgrounds, almost 10 boat camps, and many marine areas.
Numerous clubs are settling there like “The Tennessee Boat Club,” “Vanderbilt Sailing Club,” “Percy Priest Yacht Club,” “Nashville Rowing Club,” and the “Vanderbilt Rowing Club” are all located precisely at Percy Priest Lake.
Most beautiful lakes include activities like swimming, water skiing, fishing, and boating and are widely enjoyed by visitors. Over crores of people visit Percy Priest Lake each year. Summer month is best to enjoy this one of the most populated lakes.
3. Chickamauga lake
Chickamauga Lake source is one of the many best lakes in Tennessee, which flows along the eastern Tennessee River in the eastern United States, stretching a wide range from Watts Bar Lake source to Chickamauga Dam. It is spread across five counties, boasting an excellent total surface area.
The Chickamauga Lake features over 1,300 km of shoreline and is home to parks total of eight in number and two wildlife centers with complementary great smoky mountains. It is one of the most popular recreational spots, and it is at the southern end of the lake recreation area.
Camping and hiking are widely done around the Lake and Chickamauga Dam while swimming, water skiing, boating, horseback riding, jet skiing, and sport fishing are popular activities within Chickamauga Lake. From March to August, the Lake has the highest level of water.
4. Norris Lake
Norris Lake, located in five counties in eastern Tennessee, was formed by damming the Clinch River. The 137-square-kilometer Lake is bordered by hills, rock formations, and woodland in East Tennessee’s Great Valley.
There are various marinas and camping areas, vacation rentals, and boat ramps along the Lake’s 1,302-kilometer shoreline. Norris Lake is a popular spot for water skiing, boating, swimming, and fishing.
The Lake is surrounded by Norris Dam State Park, which has cottages, camping areas, and a leisure center. It also houses the Lenoir Museum Cultural Complex, which features two historic structures: the Crosby Threshing Barn and the Rice Gristmill.
Norris Lake source of the major visitors in the country, is beautiful and provides a good place to chill.
5. Cherokee Lake
Cherokee Lake is a reservoir created after the Holston River was dammed. The reservoir or Cherokee Lake source is located in Panther Creek State Park, behind Cherokee Dam in Tennessee’s eastern region.
Swimming, boating, and fishing are just a few of the leisure activities available at Cherokee Lake. The Lake’s shoreline also provides ample camping and hiking possibilities, with Panther Creek State Park featuring 17 trails in all.
The Clinch Mountain Range surrounds the Lake, making it very attractive. Rental cabins and holiday cottages are available along the shoreline. So is an excellent place to look for a short vacation and make a real connection with nature.
6. Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee’s only big natural Lake, is located in Lake County in the state’s northwest corner. The Lake was named after a local Indian chief who had a malformed foot in the nineteenth century.
This center hill lake is a beauty to adore and is maintained well by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Reelfoot Lake is well-known for its sports fishing, and until 2003, it was the only Lake in the world where crappie fishing was authorized. It’s also a popular boating place.
The Lake is notable for its bald cypress trees, bald eagles, and bayou-like ditches and is fairly shallow. It also has Reelfoot Lake State Park, which is lovely for hiking and wildlife viewing, focusing on birds of prey and migratory birds.
7. Boone Lake
Swimming, water skiing, and fishing are just a few of the recreational activities available at Boone Lake, located in east Tennessee impounded by the Tennessee rivers. Visitors can reach the Lake via boat ramps and a marina throughout the 18-square-kilometer area.
Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black bass, bass fishing, rainbow trout, and striped bass are among the fish species found at Boone Lake source. The Lake also has carp and catfish.
The Lake is located in northeastern Tennessee and spans two counties. It was created by damming the South Fork Holston River, which resulted in varying water levels throughout the year. This Lake provides an awesome and awestruck view to its visitors and is highly populated throughout the country.
8. Watts Bar Lake
The best lakes include Watts Bar Lake along the Clinch River. This reservoir is located halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville and is counted in Tennessee’s largest lakes.
It runs over 117 kilometers through four counties in Tennessee’s eastern region. Watts Bar Lake is recognized for its fantastic fishing, with black crappie, crappie, spotted bass, lake trout, and largemouth bass being the most popular species.
The Lake is also home to various bird species, making it an excellent spot for bird viewing.
Numerous parks and campers a marina, camping areas, and rental cabins can be found on the 16,000-hectare Lake. There are also houseboat, pontoon, and fishing boat rentals available for a good time near the Lake.
9. Pickwick Lake
In the western part of Tennessee, Pickwick Lake was constructed by the Pickwick Landing Dam, which stretches from Mississippi to Alabama’s Wilson Dam. It is a 174-square-kilometer lake with a north end that serves as a transit corridor to the Gulf of Mexico.
Pickwick Lake is well-known for its large catfish and smallmouth bass, making it a popular fishing destination. Water skiing, jet skiing, and boating are additional popular activities.
Pickwick Landing State Park has a golf course, a hotel, a marina, a restaurant, and picnic pavilions along the Lake’s waterfront. The park also has a large number of campsites.
10. Nickajack Lake
Nickajack Lake is a beautiful lake surrounded by the Tennessee River Gorge’s splendor. When Nickajack Dam was erected, it was created during the damming of the Tennessee River. Visitors to Nickajack Lake enjoy water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, boating, and bathing. The world record for freshwater drum was caught in the Lake in 1972.
Marinas, chalets, and campers may be found along the 346-kilometer shoreline of Nickajack Lake. A portion of the Lake is within the city limits of Chattanooga, and bridges cross it. It is also called “The Grand Canyon of Tennessee” for its adoring serene scenery vanishing all the stress of its visitors.
11. Dale Hollow Lake
On the Kentucky/Tennessee border, Dale Hollow Reservoir was formed in 1943 by damming the Obey River. The Lake is located in three Tennessee counties in the state’s northern region.
Dale Hollow Reservoir is a popular spot for water skiing, tubing, and fishing. The reservoir was built to reduce flooding, but it is now used for recreational purposes. The reservoir is a hotspot for smallmouth bass, including the world record for the largest smallmouth bass ever caught.
Geiger Island, located within the Lake, is very popular during the summer months due to its basic camping. Around the reservoir, there are a few summer camps and a marina that offers boat storage, boat rentals, and cabin rentals.
12. Kentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake, created in 1944 by the Tennessee authority, is one of the finest lakes in the country for sport fishing, whether you’re after crappie, bass, bluegill, or catfish. Kentucky Lake also has excellent recreational boating, involving jet skis, ski boats, and pleasure boats. Sail the lakes or lease a houseboat for a leisure trip. Kentucky Lake is 160,300 acres in size.
Kentucky Lake has a flood storage of 4,008,000 acres (4.944 km3), which is far more than 2.5 times the very next largest TVA lake. It delivers hydroelectric power and functions as a recreational attraction in western Kentucky and Tennessee, one of the lakes in the Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.
13. Centre Hill Lake
Center Hill Lake is a reservoir in Tennessee, United States. It is near Smithville, in Middle Tennessee. The Lake, created by a dam built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1948, serves two purposes: energy generation and flood control.
Around 668 kilometers of shoreline flank Center Hill Lake, surrounded by upper-middle-class holiday residences. Burgess Falls, Edgar Evins, and Rock Island State Parks make up the rest of the shoreline.
Center Hill Lake is a favorite fishing area, but it also offers a variety of other recreational opportunities. The reservoir is 58 meters deep at its deepest point, with a surface area of around 7,300 hectares.
Center Hill Lake, located near Smithville, was initially constructed for flood control and electricity generation. It is still a critical flood control reservoir in the area today. With this, it also provides a great view of the hills of Tennessee and hence makes its name in the best lakes.
14. Douglas Lake
Lake, surrounded by mountains and rolling hills, offers a range of year-round activities such as boating, fishing, camping, and swimming. In the Great Smoky Mountains’ foothills, Douglas Lake attracts more than 1.7 million tourists each year. Rankins Bottom is home to some of East Tennessee’s top birding spots.
There are around 110 lake properties for sale on Lake at any given moment. There are generally 260 lake lots and land for sale at the Lake. The average list price of Douglas Lake homes for sale is $505,000, with many wonderful homes available at both higher and cheaper rates. This Lake is a mid-sized Tennessee lake with a 550-mile shoreline.
5. Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake residing in Tennessee, was formed in 1948 when the Tennessee Valley Authority impounded the Watauga River. The Cherokee National Forest surrounds the Lake, which is located east of the city of Elizabethton.
It’s a magnificent lake surrounded by gorgeous surroundings thanks to the forest that encircles the Watauga Lake source. Swimming, water skiing, fishing, and boating are all popular recreational activities, as is camping.
Watauga Lake has a 169-kilometer shoreline, with a portion of it located in the Appalachian Mountains. With a maximum depth of 81 meters, the Lake is nearly 600 meters above sea level.
So these were the 15 Gorgeous lakes you should visit in your life to gain a wonderful lifetime experience.
Last Updated on by Pragya Chakrapani
