Nickajack Reservoir is the tailrace of Chickamauga Dam and riverine section of Nickajack that flows past Chattanooga into the Tennessee River Gorge. This is an excellent fishery for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, panfish and catfish.

Related Activities: camping, hiking, wildlife viewing

Address: Marion County, TN

Distance from Outdoor Chattanooga HQ: 20 minute drive

Map(s) and directions:
From Chattanooga, take I-24W to exit 161, look for signs.

Activity type: leisure, family

Dates/Hours: open year round

ACREAGE
Nickajack Lake has a total of 215 miles of winding shoreline, 10,370 acres of surface area and is 46 miles long, extending up to Chickamauga Dam. The watershed (the area of land providing drainage to the reservoir) for Nickajack Lake is 21,900 square miles. Nickajack Dam was named for Nickajack Cave located about a mile upstream.