Watauga River Information

I felt it was time to add a little bit of information on where we kayak and fish. We spend the majority of our time on Watauga River in Elizabethton, TN. Although Watauga River starts in North Carolina, my only experience is with the sections within Carter and Washington Counties of Tennessee. The river starts as it flows out of Wilbur Dam and flows for approximately 20 miles until it converges with Boone Lake. There are two sections that we primarily float. The first section, which I refer to as upper section is approximately five and a half to six miles long. It starts just below Siam Bridge and stops at Riverside Park at the Elizabethton Twins ball field. The second section is the trophy section and starts at Riverbend boat ramp and stops at the CSX railroad bridge in Watauga, TN and is approximately four to four and a half miles long.

Watauga River is kept in the low to mid 50s all summer long due to the release of water from Wilbur Reservoir. During the summer kayak and rafting season the Tennessee Valley Authority maintains a fairly consistent generation schedule that can be found HERE with daily release info found HERE.  Normally you can expect the generation to begin between noon and 1:00PM, Monday through Saturday with Sunday being free from generation.  These times are subject to change if power is needed so always check the daily release information.

The river conditions themselves are fairly mild even for the new paddlers.  We were able to paddle the river, under generation our first time down with no experience at all with no problems.  When not generating, which is the best time to fish the river, it is a very easy and relaxing trip.

Siam Bridge to Riverside Park (Upper Section)
On the upper section there are no areas that would give any concern as long as you pay attention.  As with any thing done on moving water you need to always take caution and be prepared for accidents, however as long as you stay alert it is a great river to float and fish.  Our first few times down we did take a couple of spills due to getting caught on rocks and then getting the kayak turned in awkward positions.  None of these resulted in more than getting wet and having to drag the kayaks to the side to drain water out.  The biggest piece of advice I could give is keep everything you don't want to lease on some sort of leash.  I keep everything from water bottles to tackle boxes on lanyards attached with carabiners. 

Depending on the water level, which varies throughout the summer with rainfall, there are several areas which may or may not require you to have to get out and drag the kayak through the shallows.  The great thing is many of these areas are also nice spots to stop and do a little wade fishing.  There are several areas that are over a persons head but for the most part these sections are very calm and can be paddled through with ease.  Overall the upper section is our go to section for fishing and just plain having fun.  The fishing, even on bad days is excellent, usually resulting in a dozen or more trout being caught between a couple of fishermen.

One of the nicest things about kayaking this section of the river, especially for the inexperienced kayaker is that you are always in sight of houses and normally there are others on the water either fishing or boating.  If something were to happen, help is on hand.  There are several rafting companies located on the rivers edge as you head down river and on more than one occasion the weather has gone bad on us and each we were offered a spot to get off the water at these rafting companies.

Riverbend boat ramp to CSX Bridge (Trophy Section)
The trophy section of Watauga River is about the same as the upper section as far as the skill required to float it.  It is however a little deeper with fewer areas where you are able to get out of the kayak and wade fish.  It is also much more secluded, with areas where if something happened you would pretty much be on your own.

The fishing itself is on par with the upper section, with the main difference being the potential size of the trout.  As per the name the trophy section is stocked with larger trout than other sections of Watauga River.  With this in mind there are a different set of regulations that one must adhere to while fishing this section.  Check the TWRA site for the most current regulations. 

Overall both of these sections are a lot of fun to float and as long as common sense and a little caution is taken then you will have a great time on the water.  There is only one spot that I would not recommend the novice kayaker to attempt and that would be at Sycamore Shoals right before you reach Riverbend.  There is a drop off in the water that I will not even attempt yet.  This is why I do not paddle the short section between Riverside park and Riverbend.  Other than this one section I highly recommend anyone to give this river a shot.  The trout fishing is outstanding, the water relaxing and scenery breathtaking!

Feel free to check out the About Us page for how to contact me if you have questions or would like more detailed information.