Transient-Friendly Marinas on Watts Bar Lake

A renovated Kingston-area marina with new slips, a fuel dock, rotating weekend food trucks, and the kind of owner energy that makes people drive past other options.

Long Island Marina is off the main channel near Kingston, recently renovated with new docks and a 100-percent gas fuel dock. The operation runs a ship store with bait, beer, and snacks; weekend food trucks that rotate; live music on many weekends; and pontoon and kayak rentals. The ownership and staff are the most consistent positive note.

A large off-channel working marina up Caney Creek, gated and practical, with over 200 slips and a ship store that actually has what you need.

Caney Creek Marina sits off the main channel two miles up Caney Creek in Harriman, accessible from river mile 562.5 on Watts Bar Lake. The marina offers over 200 covered and open slips, pontoon rentals, gas, free pumpout, a ship store stocked with accessories and snacks, and a weekend grill and bar. The approach requires checking bridge clearance (22-foot maximum vertical clearance).

The mid-lake family resort that bundles marina, restaurant, brewery, pool, and floating cabins on one property.

Family-owned marina and resort in Ten Mile with covered and open slips, fuel dock, transient hookups, a saltwater pool, on-site dining and a brewery, and floating lake cabins guests rent right beside their boat.

A family-run marina on the lake's mid-section that does slips, fuel, boat rentals, a motel, and a Friday-Saturday restaurant under one roof.

Terrace View Marina sits on Euchee Chapel Road in Spring City, operating gas and diesel fuel, slips, transient docking, pontoon rentals, a ship store, and a small motel. The on-site Terrace View Restaurant runs Friday and Saturday evenings and draws a strong local following for its catfish, homemade desserts, and deck seating over the water.

A quiet mid-lake resort and marina with log cabins, covered slips, and a slow rebuild on the food side after the Front Porch Restaurant burned.

Arrowhead Resort sits on Bennett Drive in Spring City with log cabins, RV sites, a small camping area, covered boat slips, a boat ramp, and a bait shop. The on-site Front Porch Restaurant burned and is in slow rebuild; food trucks are filling in for now. Confirm before planning a meal-driven trip into the cove.

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.

A mid-lake cove stop with a floating bar, weekend live music, an RV park, and the kind of down-home crowd that stays through the evening.

Bayside Marina and Resort sits in a cove off Ten Mile at 134 Bayside Drive, with boat slips, transient power, gas, an RV park, a floating bar with weekend live music, and a small food menu. The owners are frequently praised for their friendliness and the fishing off the docks is described as consistently productive.

A lower-lake marina with renovated waterfront cabins, covered slips, a year-round fuel dock, and Nick's Lakeside Grill on the grounds.

Spring City Resort and Marina sits at the lower end of Watts Bar Lake on New Lake Road in Spring City. The property offers renovated waterfront cabins, covered and open slips, a year-round fuel dock with floating docks, and Nick's Lakeside Grill on site.

A locally owned, lakefront campground and marina that recently came back to life under new ownership.

Shelter Cove sits on Watts Bar Lake in Spring City with covered boat slips, full-hookup RV sites, waterfront duplex and cabin rentals, and a sandy beach. The property has changed hands and the current locally owned operation draws consistent praise for friendliness and cleanliness.