The greater Knoxville area has been blessed with many areas of scenic beauty and recreational activity.

One of the area’s most popular attractions are the 7 major lakes; all less than a 30 minute drive from downtown Knoxville.

knoxville lakeside dock

Picture perfect spot for relaxing

The seven major lakes surrounding the great Knoxville area are:

  • Fort Loudon, the closest to Knoxville; it’s part of the Tennessee River which begins about 2 miles east of downtown.
  • Tellico Lake to the south; it merges with Fort Loudon Lake at the Fort Loudon Dam.
  • Watts Bar Lake which begins below Ft. Loudon Dam.
  • Melton Hill Lake just north in both Anderson and Knox Counties.
  • Norris Lake to the north also.
  • Cherokee Lake to the east
  • And last but not least, Douglas Lake, also east of Knoxville & Knox County.

This ring of lakes offer the widest range of water sports for every taste from fishing, skiiing, swimming, rowing, tubing, sailing, and most any other aquatic activity.

Of course waterfront housing is in high demand and the greater Knoxville area has all types and price ranges from the multi-million dollar luxury homes to the more modestly priced weekend getaways.

Visit KnoxvilleMLS.com and pick one out for yourself.

One final note of caution. The water levels of all our lakes is controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Water levels are historically lowered in all lakes in the winter to make room in the lakes for spring rains.

The result is that some of the more shallow lakes lose a majority of their water and what is a beautiful cove in June becomes an ugly mud flat in January.

An experienced Knoxville Realtor can guide you in that area and help you ensure your lake property has year round water.

knoxville tn area lakes jim lee realtor

This floating dock will be high and dry until spring in this Knoxville area lake. The dry weather combined with TVA’s water drawdown has left this lake level very low at present.