Tennessee National vs Kentucky Lake: How Do They Compare?

Kentucky Lake and Watts Bar Lake are on the same river, run by the same agency, at opposite ends of Tennessee. Kentucky Lake is the big-water lake in the west. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, in East Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.

So this is partly a choice between two lakes and partly a choice between two regions.

What is the difference between Kentucky Lake and Tennessee National?

Kentucky Lake is a very large lake with cottages, homes and lots spread across two states, and Tennessee National is one gated community with golf and a marina inside. On Kentucky Lake you pick a shore, a town and a property, then set it up your way. At Tennessee National the course, the marina and the clubhouse are inside one gate.

Details about Kentucky Lake change. Confirm current lake levels, dock rules and listings with TVA and a local agent before you decide.

How are the two lakes alike?

They are run the same way. Both are TVA reservoirs on the Tennessee River with navigation locks, and TVA's shoreline rules apply on both. So the dock question is the same on either lake. On Kentucky Lake, ask TVA what a permit would allow on the specific lot. At Tennessee National, ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires.

Both are main-river lakes, which TVA holds steadier through the year than its tributary storage lakes. Watts Bar changes about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter. For Kentucky Lake, check TVA's lake level page for current numbers.

How are they different?

They differ in feel and in what surrounds them. Kentucky Lake is known for wide-open water and fishing. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area runs along its shore, and both states have parks on the lake.

Watts Bar Lake has more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir, and locks let boaters travel on to other parts of the river. Our guide to boating from Tennessee National to Knoxville and Chattanooga explains how that works.

What sits beside the water is different too. Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips and one Greg Norman Signature golf course inside the gates: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. It is a golf cart community with 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. See golf for the course.

If fishing big water is the whole reason you are buying, Kentucky Lake is known for it. If the lake is one part of a full week, look hard at what else is close.

Why does the state line matter?

It matters because Kentucky Lake is in two states and Tennessee National is in one. Tennessee has no state income tax. Kentucky's rules are different.

Which rules apply to you is a question about where you legally live and where the property sits. So know which side of the line a property is on, and ask a CPA before you choose a shore. Our guide to Tennessee's lack of a state income tax explains the basics.

Which region do you want around you?

The two are far apart, so this is a real choice. Tennessee National is in East Tennessee. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away. The Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour. Chattanooga is about an hour and a quarter. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes from the gate.

Kentucky Lake is far to the west, where the Tennessee River runs north into Kentucky. Nashville is about two and a half hours west of Tennessee National, and Kentucky Lake is farther west still.

Ask yourself which cities, which airport and which landscape you want. The drive times and location guide shows what is close to Tennessee National.

What drives the cost at each?

Around Kentucky Lake, cost follows the property itself, the water frontage, the dock and the state and county it sits in. A local agent can show you current numbers.

At Tennessee National, cost depends on which of the five ways to own you choose: a wooded homesite in The Timbers, a lake homesite, a waterfront homesite, a Land & Home package or a townhome. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Pricing is in the info pack.

Who should look at Kentucky Lake?

Look at Kentucky Lake if big water is the reason you are buying. For example:

• Fishing and open water come first.
• Your work or relatives are in western Kentucky or West Tennessee.
• You like having a national recreation area next door.
• You want to pick your own cottage or lot and set it up your way.

Who should look at Tennessee National?

Look at Tennessee National if you want lake and golf in the same place. For example:

• You plan to live there most of the year.
• You want Knoxville about 30 minutes away and the airport about 35.
• You want neighbors and a calendar from the start.
• You want to be in Tennessee, with no question about which state you are in.

What should you check in person?

Check the same things at both.

1. Ask TVA what a shoreline permit would allow on the lot you like.
2. Confirm which state and county the property is in.
3. Time the drive to a hospital and an airport.
4. Visit in winter as well as summer.
5. Ask for every cost in writing: price, HOA fees, dock or slip costs, property tax and insurance.

The honest trade-off

Watts Bar is a big river lake. If very big open water is the goal, Kentucky Lake is the one to see. Tennessee National is also a neighborhood, with an HOA, design review and neighbors close by. That is not what every buyer wants.

If you want a Greg Norman Signature course, a marina and a social calendar on 1,492 gated acres, with Knoxville about 30 minutes away, put Tennessee National on the list. Then visit both before you choose a side of the state.

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.