Reservoir · Virginia
South Holston Lake
South Holston Lake
Reservoir · Virginia
Information Only
StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.
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Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at South Holston Lake.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
South Holston Lake is the TVA reservoir that overlaps Virginia, a smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, and crappie fishery. It is not the South Fork Holston River near Damascus, and Tennessee water on the same lake is a different rule jurisdiction.
Target species
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR 2025: 70% of smallmouth preferred size (14+ in); 18 preferred fish/hr; best in winter/early spring.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: exceptional black crappie fishery; 90% larger than 10 inches, 38% larger than 12 inches.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR 2025: 56% of largemouth preferred size (15+ in); predominantly late spring/summer.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: best walleye fishery in Virginia; 23% collected 20 inches or longer; reach 18 inches by age-2.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
TVA mainstem storage on the South Holston with rocky smallmouth banks, cove largemouth and crappie water, and deeper walleye structure. The river destination near Damascus is below / apart from this lake identity.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
Public ramps exist on the Virginia and Tennessee shores of South Holston. Confirm current TVA and local launch status for the state you will enter from. Catalog coordinates are a lake reference, not a Damascus river pin.
Stocking information
Existing notes treat South Holston smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, and crappie as established TVA-reservoir populations. Confirm any current DWR or TWRA plants on official schedules for South Holston Lake by name, not the South Fork river.
Official sources
Virginia DWR and Tennessee TWRA rules can differ on the same TVA pool. Do not apply one state’s bag or season lakewide. Carry the license required for the water you fish and verify current DWR and TWRA regulations plus TVA shoreline postings.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Virginia
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
Management Category
Reservoir / catalog-visible Unavailable
Regulation Scope
South Holston Lake
Regulation Summary
Virginia freshwater fishing regulations apply; confirm current seasons, access, and limits.
Target Species
Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
Public Access
Public
Description
TVA South Holston reservoir fishery overlapping Virginia. Distinct from south-fork-holston-river-near-damascus. Catalog-visible Unavailable under accepted MIDATL-1A / POLICY-1: kind=reservoir, no qualifying same-lake USGS water-temperature station, ordinary L-C/L-D Estimated prohibited. TVA reservoir; ordinary L-C/L-D prohibited. Elevation, outlet/tailwater, tributary, and nearby-lake readings are not lake-body thermal. Unavailable means insufficient information, not Poor. Confirm current regulations and access. Coordinates are a public lake reference point, not a verified launch pin.
