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Douglas Lake

Douglas Lake is a reservoir in Tennessee, near Jefferson County.

Live lake forecast

Douglas Lake Fishing Weather

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Fish species in Douglas Lake

Official stocking history

Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.

Douglas Lake has productive creek embayments for bass and crappie, with a seasonal headwater fishery for white bass, sauger and walleye. Flat, Muddy, McGuire and Nina creeks give a first-time visitor specific water to study instead of facing an entire reservoir with no starting point.

Lake facts

  • Lake size: About 30,600 acres
  • Fish to target: Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, white bass, walleye and sauger

Where to fish

For crappie, work brush and points with a small jig or minnow, or troll slowly while searching for a school. Largemouth favor shallow cover in spring, then channel-related areas as conditions change. Late winter brings white bass toward the French Broad headwaters, with Leadvale a named area in TWRA's fishing information.

Getting on the water

Choose a public ramp near the creek you intend to fish using TWRA's access map. Douglas has very large seasonal fluctuations, and heavy mountain rain can raise the reservoir quickly. Check the current level before relying on a shallow ramp or making a bank-fishing plan.

A few things to know

Boating and a protected-cove paddle can fill out the day. Summer stratification can leave deeper water short of oxygen, so fishing lower in the water column isn't always the answer. The lower reservoir and water above the oxygen-poor layer deserve more attention during that period.

Check the evidence

Sources and what they establish

Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.

  • Black Crappie — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Black Crappie — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Bluegill — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Bluegill — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Gizzard Shad — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Gizzard Shad — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Goldfish — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Goldfish — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Largemouth Bass — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Largemouth Bass — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Redear Sunfish — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Redear Sunfish — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Sauger — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Sauger — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Sauger — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Smallmouth Bass — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Smallmouth Bass — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Spotted Bass — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Spotted Bass — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Walleye — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Walleye — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Walleye — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • White Bass — supporting source

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • White Bass — supporting source

    Fishing Tips Daily Tennessee water inventory

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

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