Looking for decent lakes in TN,NC, VA

[newbiedmv]

Hey.

I was planning on going to Guntersville in October but due to covid I'm reconsidering.  Any decent lakes within a 3 day road trip from MD?

My only criteria so to speak is

1) Decent and many ramps

2)Fishing hotels nearby under 100/night

3) Decent fishing, anything except carp and maybe trout (trout is to much work on my shoulder).

4) Decent people and not very many on the water during the week(I'm tired of being a leaf in a thunderstorm)

I'm towing my little crappie boat with me.

 

Thanks

[Nitrofreak]

Lake Anna has some big Crappie, Buggs Island (especially in the grassy creek reservation area) Briery (Also close to Buggs Island) SML (around oak hollow road launch) 

 

Prices vary so much around all of these areas for hotels but you can call around and see what the current overnight stay would be, it’s cheaper to look at ones within an acceptable driving distance from each.

[newbiedmv]

14 hours ago, Nitrofreak said:

Lake Anna has some big Crappie, Buggs Island (especially in the grassy creek reservation area) Briery (Also close to Buggs Island) SML (around oak hollow road launch) 

 

Prices vary so much around all of these areas for hotels but you can call around and see what the current overnight stay would be, it’s cheaper to look at ones within an acceptable driving distance from each.

So far I've found 4 hotels. Two are trash dumps borderline drug hotels, one is brand new near Tonu.... something. Did searches near Lake Anna and near Bumpass. So far just one might be worth it a Best Western I think. I know there is nothing on the north shore.

VA lakes seem to be like this, same trouble with Smith mountain lake near Roanoke. 

[TnRiver46]

Stay at a hotel while towing a boat? No thanks. Why is Guntersville out? Too far? 

[newbiedmv]

Covid very very bad.  I'm vaccinated  but the last time I checked Scottsboro was one of the many Hotspots.

Prices on fishing hotels are dirt cheap 55 to 70 a night at fairly nice ones.

My buddy who lives 20 min away might have a mild case of it, he's vaccinated but bad health and in the 70s. Plus I'm borderline on the edge of being susceptible. 

VA ain't looking to good as always, don't know much on TN or western NC.

I mainly don't want to get down there and 90% of stuff being shutdown. 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, newbiedmv said:

Covid very very bad.  I'm vaccinated  but the last time I checked Scottsboro was one of the many Hotspots.

Prices on fishing hotels are dirt cheap 55 to 70 a night at fairly nice ones.

My buddy who lives 20 min away might have a mild case of it, he's vaccinated but bad health and in the 70s. Plus I'm borderline on the edge of being susceptible. 

VA ain't looking to good as always, don't know much on TN or western NC.

I mainly don't want to get down there and 90% of stuff being shutdown. 

I’m no medical expert but covid has jumped the seven seas (or at least six of them). Sure seems like you aren’t going to be able to hide from it on a 3 day fishing trip. Nothing is shut down anywhere around here that I know of, business as usual 

 

western NC recently experienced crazy flooding, there are still 20 people missing from Haywood county 

[newbiedmv]

I looked Scottsboro up today. It's doing OK now. I'll leave end if September I guess for about 3 weeks total. Depends if I catch fish or a cold I guess.

I might have gotten the counties mixed up.

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Keep us posted when you roll through, I could show you a few spots 

[newbiedmv]

I'll be in the Scottsboro area. Figured a two day trip. One thing you might know.

There is an area on I-81 between Roanoke and severisville that for some reason is a energy sucking drive. Only one rest stop. When you get to it you sleep for an hour or two. No exits either. Any idea where? It's kicked my butt three times now. I need to get off for awhile before that stretch. It's worse than I-10 from mobile to Tallahassee. 

[TnRiver46]

29 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

I'll be in the Scottsboro area. Figured a two day trip. One thing you might know.

There is an area on I-81 between Roanoke and severisville that for some reason is a energy sucking drive. Only one rest stop. When you get to it you sleep for an hour or two. No exits either. Any idea where? It's kicked my butt three times now. I need to get off for awhile before that stretch. It's worse than I-10 from mobile to Tallahassee. 

You could stop in Bristol VA at the new bass pro/cabela’s ! 

[newbiedmv]

Is that the one on the Tennessee line?  I stop there everytime. Like a kid in a candy store.

My buddy with better internet found it. I'll stop for the day in Wytheville VA. It's  a 6-7 hour drive.  For some reason I think I can make it to Bristol but it's a stupid assumption. I'd bypass Wytheville before as everytime it was freezing rain or sleet, more the reason to stop I guess.

Thanks this is coming together better than I expected. 

Oh goose pond...way out of my price range.

[TnRiver46]

38 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

Is that the one on the Tennessee line?  I stop there everytime. Like a kid in a candy store.

My buddy with better internet found it. I'll stop for the day in Wytheville VA. It's  a 6-7 hour drive.  For some reason I think I can make it to Bristol but it's a stupid assumption. I'd bypass Wytheville before as everytime it was freezing rain or sleet, more the reason to stop I guess.

Thanks this is coming together better than I expected. 

Oh goose pond...way out of my price range.

That’s the one!!

 

I camped like a hobo when I went to Guntersville , can’t really even remember where but it wasn’t good . Bow  fisherman in air boats running around all night long

[Biglittle8]

Check out Jordan Lake or Shearon Harris in the Raleigh, N.C. area. Also, Falls Lake. Great fishing during the week. 

[JDHoss]

My favorites in TN and VA....

 

VA: Buggs Island/Kerr, Gaston and South Holston (VA/TN water)

 

TN: Watts Bar, Douglas & Cherokee. 

[Kyle S]

Any of the many rivers here in Virginia offer spectacular fishing! I assume the Potomac would be the closest, providing you're coming from Maryland. The Rappahannock river is one of my personal favorites and not too terribly far either. Snakeheads, Florida strain (F1) largemouth, Crappie, just about every specie of sunfish you can think of, monster catfish that seem to like white chatter baits ?, Just about every species of freshwater fish seem to swim around in our local river systems, as well as stripers! Good luck to you wherever you go. If it were me, I'd make the trip over to Tennessee and see what @TnRiver46 's local water systems have to offer. I'm thinking smallmouth and some good Ol' white bass! Tennessee seems like an amazing place and is somewhere I'd love go and visit. Happy fishing! 

[newbiedmv]

Thanks to all. The upper Potomac is somewhat dead this year. Never thought about rivers. My legs aren't flexible enough anymore.