Watts Bar Lake vs Fort Loudoun Lake: Which Should You Buy On?

Shop for a lake home within reach of Knoxville and you end up looking at two neighbors on the Tennessee River. Fort Loudoun Lake is the upstream one. It runs through Knoxville and past the city's west side. Watts Bar Lake is the next lake down. It begins below Fort Loudoun Dam at Lenoir City and keeps going through Loudon County.

Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake, in Loudon, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. So we have a side in this. Here is the comparison anyway, with the trade-offs left in.

How are Watts Bar Lake and Fort Loudoun Lake different?

Fort Loudoun Lake is the closer-in lake, and Watts Bar Lake is the larger one. Both are TVA reservoirs on the same river. What changes is how close you are to Knoxville and what is built around the water.

Which lake is closer to Knoxville?

Fort Loudoun Lake is closer. It starts in Knoxville and runs past the west side of the area, including Farragut, on its way to the dam at Lenoir City. Some Fort Loudoun neighborhoods sit inside the Knoxville suburbs. For a daily commuter that is a real advantage.

Watts Bar Lake starts where Fort Loudoun ends. From the gate at Tennessee National:

• Lenoir City is about 15 minutes.
• I-75 is about 10 minutes.
• Farragut and the Turkey Creek shopping area are about 20 minutes.
• Knoxville is about 30 minutes.
• McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes.

Ask yourself how many days a week you will really drive into Knoxville. If the answer is five, look hard at Fort Loudoun. If it is two, or none, the extra minutes buy you a different kind of place.

How does the boating compare?

Both lakes give you a full day on the water, and a lock joins them. The difference is size and setting.

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 connect it to the rest of the Tennessee River system. Fort Loudoun Lake is the top lake on the river's navigation channel, and a short canal joins it to Tellico Lake.

Spend a day on each and see which one feels like yours.

The lock at Fort Loudoun Dam means you do not have to choose one lake forever. A boat kept on Watts Bar Lake can lock through and run up to Knoxville. Our guide to boating from Tennessee National to Knoxville and Chattanooga covers that trip.

Do the lake levels differ?

Not by much, as far as a buyer is concerned. Both are main-river TVA reservoirs, and main-river lakes change far less through the year than tributary lakes such as Norris or Douglas.

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. Fort Loudoun is run the same general way, with a winter minimum that TVA keeps for navigation. TVA publishes the exact figures and current readings for each lake. Our guide to Watts Bar lake levels explains what the change means for an owner.

A few feet still matter on a shallow cove. Look at any lot in winter, on either lake.

What can you buy on each lake?

On both lakes you will find standalone homes and lots, and on Watts Bar Lake you can also buy into Tennessee National. Those are two different ways to own.

A standalone lake lot means you handle the dock, the shoreline, the road and the neighbors yourself. It is a different life from a planned community, and we compare the two in Tennessee National vs a standalone Watts Bar lot.

Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on 1,492 acres. Inside the gates:

• One Greg Norman Signature golf course. 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72.
• A full-service marina with 140+ boat slips.
• A clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails.
• 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year.

There are five ways to own: The Timbers (wooded homesites), lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages, and townhomes. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite.

On Fort Loudoun Lake, what is for sale depends on the neighborhood. Ask a local agent what is on the market and what each neighborhood includes.

What drives the cost on each lake?

Two things drive it on any lake near a city: how close you are to town and how the property meets the water. A house on the lake, a house with a lake view and a house near the lake are three different things. So are a lot with a dock, a lot that can have one and a lot that cannot.

Tennessee has no state income tax, and that is the same on both lakes. Property tax is set by each county, and these lakes touch more than one county. Ask the county office about the exact address.

For Tennessee National, pricing is in the info pack. Get the info pack.

Who should look at which lake?

Look at Fort Loudoun Lake if:

• You drive into Knoxville most days.
• You want a suburban address with the lake close by.
• Being a few minutes from city stores and services matters more than the size of the lake.

Look at Watts Bar Lake if:

• You want the larger lake.
• About 30 minutes to Knoxville works for your week.
• Tennessee National, with golf, a marina and a social calendar inside one gate, is on your list.
• You want to build a custom home and take your time doing it.

What should you check in person?

You can see both lakes in one weekend, because they are neighbors. Farragut is about 20 minutes from Tennessee National and close to Fort Loudoun Lake, so it works as a base. Ask the same four questions on each lake.

1. Who controls the dock? On both lakes, TVA decides what can be built on the shoreline. On a standalone lot, you run that process. At Tennessee National, the marina is already there.
2. What does the water look like in winter? Stand on the lot at winter pool before you buy.
3. What is the drive on a Tuesday morning? Time the trip to Knoxville at the hour you would really make it.
4. What comes with the neighborhood? Roads, gates, amenities and rules differ from one to the next. Get the documents.

If Tellico Lake is on your list as well, see Watts Bar Lake vs Tellico Lake.

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

The honest trade-off

If you commute five days a week, Watts Bar Lake adds drive time, and no amenity gives that time back. Fort Loudoun Lake fits that plan better.

If Knoxville is a couple of trips a week, the trade flips. You give up some drive time. You get the larger lake, and at Tennessee National you get a golf course, a marina and a full social calendar. See both lakes before you write an offer on either one.

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.