The short answer
When you move to Tennessee from Louisiana, the water turns fresh and the ground rises. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville and hundreds of miles inland from the Gulf. From New Orleans it is a long day's drive. You keep a life on the water and gain four seasons. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Key facts
- Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.
- New Orleans is a long day's drive away, mostly on I-59 and I-75.
- Watts Bar Lake is a freshwater TVA reservoir with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline.
- The full-service marina at Tennessee National has 140+ boat slips.
- East Tennessee has four seasons and mild winters.
- Tennessee has no state income tax.
Nobody leaves Louisiana lightly. The food, the music, the family table. If you are looking north anyway, the first question is usually about water. Do you have to give it up?
No. You trade the Gulf and the bayou for a big freshwater lake in the hills. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Here is what changes and what does not.
Do you give up the water when you leave Louisiana?
No. You change the kind of water. Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River. It is freshwater, with no tides and no salt.
The size of it, from TVA:
- More than 39,000 acres of water.
- 722 miles of shoreline.
- A 72-mile navigable reservoir, with locks that connect to the rest of the Tennessee River system.
For a boat owner, here is what is different.
| South Louisiana | Tennessee National on Watts Bar Lake | |
|---|---|---|
| The water | Gulf, bayou and marsh | A freshwater lake in the hills |
| What moves the level | Tide and weather | The season, about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter |
| What you fish for | Redfish and speckled trout | Bass, crappie and catfish |
| Where the boat lives | On a trailer, at a camp or at a coastal marina | In a slip at the marina, inside the gates |
A few notes on that table.
- The marina. Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips. You ride a golf cart to the slip. Ask the marina what is open. See marina and lake life.
- The fishing. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency sets the license rules. Check the state's current advisories before you keep fish.
- The level. Summer pool runs about 740 to 741 feet and the winter minimum is 735 feet.
If you plan to haul a boat up from the coast, read bringing your boat to Watts Bar Lake first.
How far is Tennessee National from Louisiana?
A long day's drive from New Orleans. Plan on a full day in the car.
The usual route is I-10 east to I-59, then I-59 north through Mississippi and Alabama to Chattanooga, then I-75 north. Tennessee National is about 10 minutes from I-75. From farther west in Louisiana the drive is longer. Map your own route before you plan around it.
If you fly, McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes from the gate. Check current routes from your airport and expect that you may need a connection.
East Tennessee is on Eastern time, one hour ahead of Louisiana. It matters for calls home and for kickoff.
What happens to hurricane season and insurance?
You would be living hundreds of miles inland, so there is no coastal evacuation to plan a summer around. Coming from south Louisiana, that is a big change.
Two cautions, because a neighbor would tell you both.
First, inland is not the same as untouched. What is left of a Gulf storm can still reach East Tennessee as heavy rain and wind. Ask how any homesite you like sits and drains, and whether it is in a mapped flood zone.
Second, we cannot tell you what your insurance will cost. Insurers price the specific address. Get a real quote for the home or homesite you are considering and set it next to your current renewal. Our guide to homeowners insurance for a Watts Bar lake home explains what to ask an agent.
What do the land and the seasons change to?
The ground rolls, and the year has four parts. Loudon County is ridge and valley country, and the Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour away.
East Tennessee has four seasons and mild winters. Coming from south Louisiana, expect leaves that turn, a fall that lasts, and a winter with real cold snaps. You will own a coat. Summers are warm and humid. You already know how to do that part. For the month-by-month picture, see four seasons at Tennessee National.
What will you miss, and what is here instead?
The food. Be honest with yourself about it. Nobody is going to out-cook your family.
What is here instead:
- A city close by. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away, with restaurants, live music, a university and hospitals.
- A full calendar. Tennessee National has 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. Wine tastings, live music, trivia, holiday parties. See social life.
- A table at the club. The clubhouse has Kendall's restaurant.
- Golf at home. A Greg Norman Signature course. 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72.
Bring the recipes and the big pot. A good boil makes friends fast in any state.
How do you own, and what drives the cost?
There are five ways to own: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, and townhomes. Homes are custom built.
There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. On a move this long, that helps. You can buy the homesite, keep the Louisiana house through one more season or one more school year, and build when the timing is right.
What drives the cost is which of the five you choose, where the homesite sits, and what you build. Pricing is in the info pack.
On taxes, Tennessee has no state income tax. Look at the state line on your own Louisiana return, and ask a CPA what changes if Tennessee becomes your primary home.
The honest trade-offs
- A full day's drive is a long way from family. Holidays mean a day in the car or a flight that may need a connection.
- You leave the coast. No redfish, no beach weekend down the road.
- Winter is real, even when it is mild. Short days, bare trees, a few cold weeks.
- Rain still comes. Storm remnants and ordinary fronts both reach East Tennessee.
- The food will not be the same. You will be the one who brings it.
Visit before you decide, and stay long enough to see an ordinary weekday. Then compare two documents at home: your insurance renewal and your last state return.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Tennessee National from New Orleans?
Tennessee National is a long day's drive from New Orleans. The usual route follows I-59 north through Mississippi and Alabama to Chattanooga, then I-75 north to Loudon, Tennessee. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes from Tennessee National if you fly.
Is Watts Bar Lake freshwater?
Yes. Watts Bar Lake is a freshwater TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River in East Tennessee. Watts Bar Lake has no tides and no salt, with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline.
Do hurricanes reach Tennessee National?
Tennessee National is in East Tennessee, hundreds of miles inland from the Gulf, so there is no coastal evacuation zone. The remains of tropical systems can still bring heavy rain and wind. Ask an insurance agent about wind and flood coverage for the specific address.
Can you keep a boat at Tennessee National?
Yes. Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips on Watts Bar Lake. Ask the marina about current slip availability and terms before you bring a boat up from Louisiana.
Is there a state income tax in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee has no state income tax. For a household moving from Louisiana to Tennessee National, the line to compare is the state line on your own Louisiana return. Ask a CPA what changes once Tennessee is your primary home.
Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.