Watauga Lake

Watauga Lake at a glance

Its coordinates are 36.3328, -82.0024. Water leaves through the Watauga River. Maximum depth is around 265 feet. Surface elevation is about 1,959 feet.

The shoreline of Watauga Lake has 2 named swimming spots in the datasets we read. Watauga Lake Area and Watauga Point Picnic Area are on the list. These come from Recreation.gov (RIDB) and USDA Forest Service. Facilities vary from one access point to the next, so check before you rely on one.

Freshwater advisories are issued locally, so check the state health department before you swim. Water temperature is not measured at this lake by any public agency we read. Swimming season in Tennessee runs through the warm months, and day-use areas set their own opening dates.

We check the public feeds daily, so this page will fill in if one appears. Nobody publishes a continuous level for Watauga Lake in a form this guide can read, so the page carries access and weather instead.

If Watauga Lake is busy, the nearest alternatives here are South Holston Lake (Tennessee, 14 mi), Boone Lake (Tennessee, 25 mi) and Fort Patrick Henry Lake (Tennessee, 30 mi). In all, 25 lakes in Tennessee are covered here.