Watts Bar Lake vs Tellico Lake: Which Should You Buy On?

Two lake names come up again and again when people shop for a lake home within reach of Knoxville: Watts Bar and Tellico. They sit close together on the map, and TVA runs both.

They are not the same kind of lake. Watts Bar is on the main Tennessee River. Tellico is on the Little Tennessee River, which comes down from the mountains. Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake, in Loudon, so read this knowing which shore we live on. The trade-offs are still here.

How are Watts Bar Lake and Tellico Lake different?

Watts Bar Lake is a main-river reservoir with long navigable runs, and Tellico Lake sits on the Little Tennessee River and reaches toward the mountains. That shapes how you boat, what you look at and which communities you can choose from.

How does the boating compare?

Watts Bar Lake gives you more range, and Tellico Lake gives you a route toward the mountains. Which one is better depends on what a good day on the water looks like to you.

Watts Bar Lake has more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir on the Tennessee River, and locks connect it to the rest of the river system. You can run a long way before you turn around.

Tellico Lake follows the Little Tennessee River toward the mountains of East Tennessee, and people love it for the setting. It has no lock of its own. Instead, a short canal joins it to Fort Loudoun Lake. From there, a boat can lock down through Fort Loudoun Dam to reach Watts Bar Lake.

So the three lakes work as a chain. If you plan to wander between them, trace the route on a map first and note where the canal and the lock fall. Our guide to Watts Bar Lake vs Fort Loudoun Lake covers the third lake in that chain.

Which communities are on each lake?

Both lakes have planned communities. Tellico Lake's include Tellico Village, Rarity Bay and WindRiver, and Watts Bar Lake is home to Tennessee National. This is where many buyers end up deciding.

Tellico Village, Rarity Bay and WindRiver are each their own community, with their own fees, rules and amenities, and each one should tell you those itself. We have separate guides that set each next to Tennessee National: Tellico Village, Rarity Bay and WindRiver.

On Watts Bar Lake, Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on 1,492 acres in Loudon. 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.
• A lakefront boardwalk in the Marina District.
• 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year.

It is a golf cart community, and it is not age restricted. Golf membership questions go to the club.

Watts Bar Lake has other neighborhoods too. A local agent can show you what else is on the lake.

How much do the lake levels change?

Watts Bar Lake changes about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter, and TVA publishes the figure for Tellico Lake. On Watts Bar Lake, summer pool runs about 740 to 741 feet and the winter minimum is 735 feet.

For Tellico Lake, get the current operating range from TVA's lake level page. We will not quote another lake's numbers.

What matters to a buyer is the same on both. A few feet can change how a shallow cove looks and where a boat can sit. See any lot in winter before you buy it, and ask TVA what can be built on that shoreline.

What drives the cost on each lake?

On both lakes, cost follows the water and the community. Is the property on the lake, near it or looking at it? Is there a dock, or can there be one? What does the community charge, and what does that cover? Ask each community for its own figures.

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

At Tennessee National 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. Pricing is in the info pack. Get the info pack.

Who should look at which lake?

Look at Tellico Lake if:

• You want a lake that reaches toward the mountains.
• You want to compare several planned communities on one lake.

Look at Watts Bar Lake if:

• You want long runs on a main-river lake, with locks to keep going.
• Tennessee National, with a golf course and a marina inside one gate, is on your list.
• You want to build a custom home and choose when to start.

What should you check in person?

See each lake from a boat, not just from a car.

1. Get on the water on both lakes. Notice how far you go and what you see.
2. Trace the boating you would really do. Where does the boat live? Where would you go? Is a canal or a lock on the way?
3. Visit each community on your list. Ask for fees, rules and what is open today, in writing.
4. Time the drive to Knoxville and to McGhee Tyson Airport from each address.
5. Go back in winter and look at the shoreline.

Details change. Confirm current lake levels and dock rules with TVA, and confirm fees, rules and amenities with each community you are considering.

The honest trade-off

If you want to walk through several planned communities on one lake in one weekend, Tellico Lake makes that easy. If the mountain setting is what you are after, Tellico has a strong case too.

If long days on a main-river lake are the point, with a golf course and a marina in one gate, that is Watts Bar Lake and Tennessee National. Neither lake is a mistake. See both, from the water, 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.