Tennessee National vs Norris Lake: How Do They Compare?

Ask around Knoxville which lake to buy on and Norris Lake comes up fast. Houseboats and marinas are a big part of life there.

Tennessee National is a different kind of answer. It is not a lake. It is one private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. Both lakes are TVA reservoirs in East Tennessee, so this is not good lake against bad lake. It is a lake you buy on against a community you buy into.

How is Tennessee National different from Norris Lake?

Norris Lake is a whole reservoir with homes, marinas and neighborhoods spread around it, and Tennessee National is one gated community on a different TVA lake. Around Norris you choose a cove and a neighborhood, and each one has its own rules. At Tennessee National the golf course, the marina and the social calendar are inside one gate.

Where is each one?

Norris Lake is north of Knoxville, and Tennessee National is in Loudon, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Both are in the Knoxville area. They are just in different directions.

Norris Lake reaches across several counties, so the drive to Knoxville depends on which part of the lake you choose. Time it from the exact address, not from the nearest marina.

From the gate at Tennessee National, I-75 is about 10 minutes away. Farragut and the Turkey Creek shopping area are about 20 minutes. Knoxville is about 30, and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35.

How do the lake levels compare?

Watts Bar Lake changes about 5 to 6 feet through the year, which is small next to a tributary lake such as Norris. This is the most practical difference between the two lakes.

On Watts Bar Lake, summer pool runs about 740 to 741 feet and the winter minimum is 735 feet. That is a seasonal change of about 5 to 6 feet.

Norris Lake is a tributary reservoir. TVA lowers tributary lakes further for winter to make room for flood storage. We will not quote Norris numbers here. TVA publishes them, along with current levels for every lake it runs.

What that means for a buyer:

• On either lake, see the lot in winter as well as summer.
• Ask where the water sits at winter pool and how you reach it.

Two guides go deeper: Watts Bar lake levels and TVA and our three-lake comparison of Watts Bar, Norris and Douglas.

What kind of lake life do you get?

You get two different pictures. Norris Lake is known for houseboats and marinas, and there are state parks on the shoreline. If your picture of lake life is a cove and a boat you can sleep on, Norris fits it.

Watts Bar Lake is a river lake. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir on the Tennessee River, with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. Locks connect it to the rest of the Tennessee River system, so a day on the water can cover real distance.

At Tennessee National the boat lives at the marina: full service, with 140+ boat slips. Life on the water looks like pontoon cruises, kayaks and sunset runs. Ask the marina about slip availability and what size of boat a slip will take.

How do golf and neighbors compare?

Tennessee National has both inside the gate. There is one Greg Norman Signature golf course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. It is a golf cart community. Golf membership questions go to the club. See golf.

The social side is organized too. Tennessee National has 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. Think trivia, live music, wine tastings and holiday parties. There is a clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails. See social life.

Around Norris Lake, golf and social life depend on where you buy. No single community covers the whole lake. Each neighborhood and marina has its own setup, so ask each one what is on site.

What drives the cost on each side?

On an open lake, cost follows the water. Is the lot on the lake? Is there a dock, or can there be one? How does the lot meet the water at winter pool? How old is the house, and how far is it from town? A local agent can show you the current range around Norris Lake.

At Tennessee National, start with the five ways to own: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, or townhomes. Cost depends on which one you choose. Homes are custom built and go through design review, and there is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Pricing is in the info pack. Get the info pack.

Both lakes are in Tennessee, and Tennessee has no state income tax. Property tax is set by each county, so ask the county office for the address you are considering.

Who should look at which?

Look at Norris Lake if:

• The lake itself is the whole plan: a cove, a houseboat, or a dock of your own where TVA allows one.
• You want to choose your own neighborhood and your own rules.
• You want to be north of Knoxville.

Look at Tennessee National if:

• You want golf and a marina inside one gate.
• You want a social life that is already running, with 22 clubs and 180+ events a year.
• You want a main-river lake that changes about 5 to 6 feet through the year.
• You want to build a custom home with no deadline to start.

What should you check in person?

Check both lakes in the season nobody photographs.

• Go in winter. Stand on the lot at winter pool on either lake. Look at where the water is.
• Ask TVA about docks. On both lakes, TVA decides what can be built on the shoreline. Ask about the exact lot before you count on a dock. At Tennessee National, ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires.
• Time the drive. Run it to Knoxville from each address on a weekday.
• Count what is on site. At each Norris Lake neighborhood, ask what is included and what is a drive away. At Tennessee National, see the course, ask about a meal at Kendall's and walk the marina.
• Ask who maintains what. Roads, shoreline and common areas are handled differently from one neighborhood to the next.

Details change. Confirm current lake levels, dock rules and neighborhood details with TVA, the county and the community or marina you are considering.

The honest trade-off

If a houseboat and a cove are the plan, Norris Lake is known for that, and that is where to start. Tennessee National will not turn into that.

Tennessee National's trade is different. You accept one community's standards and design review. You get a golf course, a marina and neighbors close by. Neither lake is the wrong answer. They answer different questions, so see both before you choose.

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.