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28,420-acre reservoir near Dandridge. The lake tops out around 140 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Douglas Lake maps at 28,609 acres behind 412.5 miles of shoreline, broken up by 7 islands. The 17.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 53% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 20.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 8.2 mi at the beam. Jefferson County claims this one. Cherokee Lake sits 17 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Nolichucky River inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Nolichucky River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Nolichucky River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 20 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Nolichucky River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (119 ft) |
Douglas Lake also holds white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 44 structure features on Douglas Lake; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 120 ft.
Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Douglas Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Douglas Lake is about 140 ft (43 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass & hybrids, common carp, walleye, sauger on Douglas Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Douglas Lake is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cherokee Lake 17 mi · Tennessee River - Reach 3 of 3 32 mi · Norris Lake 33 mi · Fort Loudoun Lake 40 mi · Clinch River 40 mi · Fontana Lake 44 mi, NC · Melton Hill Lake 45 mi · French Broad River 48 mi, NC · Tellico Lake 51 mi · Santeetlah Lake 53 mi, NC · Nantahala River 53 mi, NC · Nantahala Lake 60 mi, NC
See how Douglas Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best smallmouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best walleye lakes in Tennessee · best sauger lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.