East TN TVA: Loudoun–Tellico Pool, Watts Bar Current & Knoxville Heat
Friday Sep 18 – Sunday Sep 20, 2026 · Fort Loudoun · Tellico · Watts Bar · bank, kayak & boat
Three names, one stairway story — fish Loudoun and Tellico as a shared pool, then let Watts Bar’s mid-day units pull the current conversation downstream.
Weekend outlook
NWS Knoxville ~6:05 PM CT Sat: Sunday high near 93°F (HI ~96), overnight ~70°, slight PM storm chance. Midweek cools with better storm odds.
METAR KTYS ~5:50 PM CT: ~88°F, partly cloudy; baro field blank on latest obs — not invented. Clarity unconfirmed.
Saturday Sep 19
- East TN heat · overnight ~70 · light wind · slight late storm chance
- Fort Loudoun: elev 812.83 (7 PM EDT) · ~21.8k cfs · 2 or more generators all day
- Watts Bar: elev 740.72 · ~25.3k cfs · ramps to 4 or more 10 AM–11 PM EDT
- Tellico: elev 812.86 (same pool band) · outflow 0 / no generators on board
Sunday Sep 20
- High ~93° · overnight ~70 · slight PM storms
- FLDT1: Midnight–Midnight EDT → 2 or more
- WBOT1: early 2–3 units, then 10 AM–11 PM EDT → 4 or more
- Tellico predicted outflow still 0 — fish as Loudoun pool callout
Generator schedule cheat sheet
Live TVA RestApi FLDT1 / TDTT1 / WBOT1 ~6:05–6:10 PM CT Sat. Board times EDT (= 1 hour ahead of CT). Fri Sep 18 timeline not on Sat board.
| Lake | Sat observed | Generator schedule | Predicted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Loudoun (FLDT1) | Elev 812.83 @ 7 PM EDT · ~21.8k cfs | Sat/Sun 2 or more all day EDT | Midnite ~812.77→812.72 · avg out ~16k |
| Tellico (TDTT1) | Elev 812.86 · outflow 0 | No generators on board | Outflow predicted 0 |
| Watts Bar (WBOT1) | Elev 740.72 · ~25.3k cfs | Mid-day ramp to 4+ (10 AM–11 PM EDT) | Midnite ~740.77→740.74 · avg out ~18.5–18.8k |
Fort Loudoun
Knoxville metro pressure; 2+ current — docks, bluffs, secondary points; early shade.
Tellico
Same-pool labeled callout with Loudoun; quiet arms; no separate gen story on board (outflow 0).
Watts Bar
Headline when 4+ — ledges, riverine upper end, creek mouths.
Schedules change without notice — re-check TVA Lake Info / USACE boards before launch. Failover voice: 800-238-2264 (lake codes on TVA app).
How to fish it — Bank / Kayak / Boat
Bank
- City/park banks on Loudoun; respect private docks.
- Tellico recreation areas for panfish/bass shade.
- Hydrate — East TN heat still real even without Middle TN Heat Advisory polygon.
Kayak
- Tellico arms and Loudoun protected pockets early.
- Watts Bar main-river current at 4+ is advanced paddling — pick creeks.
- PFDs; watch ski traffic Sunday.
Boat
- Dawn shallow docks/shade → late morning Watts Bar current ledges.
- Shared Loudoun–Tellico pool: don’t over-run idle wakes in canal zone.
- Re-check EDT boards and convert to your clock.
Lure box — Top / Mid / Bottom
Top
- Walking bait (bone/chrome)
- Popper at first light
- Whopper-style on Loudoun shade
Mid
- Shad crank / swimbait
- Bladed jig white/chart
- Spinnerbait on Tellico timber edges
Bottom
- Jig GP/craw on rock
- Drop-shot smoke
- Texas soft plastic junebug if stained
Stain/clear: Unconfirmed — start shad colors; darken in dirty pockets.
Bass life stage + What’s on the menu
Late summer with early-fall tease. Warm nights delay a full creek migration.
What’s on the menu (thin dated hatch — most likely): threadfin/gizzard shad; bluegill on docks/shade; crawfish on Watts Bar rock when units stack.
Also hot / also in season
- Striped bass / hybrids: deeper holds / current breaks — soft mention
- Crappie: brush transitions
- Catfish: cut bait on channel swings
- Walleye/sauger: cooler lookahead more than this weekend
Regs: live-check only — TWRA Fishing · TN eRegulations. Never hardcode length/creel inches in Cast text.