Short answer: Start at one of the larger marinas, take a boat or pontoon out for a day, eat lakeside, and see the dam. Blue Springs Marina and the surrounding mid-lake area cover the highlights in a single trip.
Watts Bar is a long lake, around 70 miles from the dam to the upper reaches. A first-time visit benefits from picking a base, doing one boat day, one shore day, and one meal-and-views experience.
The mid-lake corridor (around Ten Mile and Spring City) has the biggest marinas, the best dock-and-dine restaurants, and the most launch options. Watts Bar Dam at the lower end is worth a stop for the engineering view and the public access. The Kingston area at the upper end has its own dining scene and ramps.
A small Kingston park with a walking trail and a boat ramp; restrooms have been closed for a while.
A small Kingston waterfront park with a walking trail and a boat ramp. Restrooms have been closed due to vandalism. No formal hours.
A Roane County trail park with lake-edge picnic tables, low-key on most days.
A Roane County recreation area on the Rockwood side of Watts Bar, with marked hiking trails of varying difficulty and picnic tables with lake views. Open 7 AM to 8 PM, year-round.
The biggest marina on the lake, and on summer weekends you feel it.
The largest marina on Watts Bar, in a protected cove near Ten Mile. Fuel, repair, ship store, rentals, 260-plus slips on floating docks, the Crow's Nest restaurant, and live music on weekend nights.
The new resort marina, paired with a Greg Norman course and an outdoor concert lawn.
A newer, smaller marina on a peninsula off the main channel near Ten Mile, attached to the Tennessee National residential community. Pontoon rentals, fuel, slips, a clubhouse, the Sunset Saloon, and an outdoor concert lawn that hosts touring tribute acts.
The TVA dam that defines the lower end of Watts Bar Lake, with public viewing access from the Spring City side.
Watts Bar Dam is a Tennessee Valley Authority dam at the lower end of Watts Bar Lake near Spring City. It is accessible by road and by water, and a boat ramp at the dam provides the closest public launch to the structure.
Around 39,000 acres at full pool, about 72 miles long along the Tennessee River channel from Watts Bar Dam to Fort Loudoun Dam upstream.
Late May through early October is the active season. Memorial Day to Labor Day is peak. Spring and fall are quieter and the water is still warm enough for boating into October.
Last updated: 2026-04-30