Best Retirement Lake In Tennessee, Kentucky Or Virginia..... 2024
GANGGREEN reply :
OK, I admit it, I spend way too much time thinking about retirement. I'm somewhere between 1 year and 8 years from calling it quits for good and I really think I'd like to have a lakehouse when I do. I live in Pennsylvania and really like the fishing and the scenery in New York state and Vermont but frankly, real estate and especially taxes are through the roof in the areas that I like. I also admit that as I get older, these 20 below zero temperatures are getting old. I don't see myself ever really wanting to live in a real southern area that's always warm (or ridiculously hot) but I'm leaning towards southern Virginia, southern Kentucky or eastern Tennessee to try to get the best of both worlds.
I've done some internet searches for property just for giggles in areas like Smith Mountain Lake, Norris Lake and Dale Hollow but thought I'd ask all of you kind folks who may have fished many or most of these waters what you think.
Here are my list of "requirements", though as you know, no area is perfect and I'm somewhat flexible about any or all of these things.
I think I want it to be a larger lake, maybe 5000 acres or more. I think you're more likely to find suitable housing on these lakes and they tend to have good multi-species fishing, which would be a big plus for me. I don't necessarily need any one species but I admit that walleye, stripers, smallies, big crappie, yellow perch would all be a plus.
I want it to be a house or a very nice cottage, something that's low maintenance and that I could live in all season if I chose to, not a rundown camp situation. Two beds and 1.5 baths would be bare minimum but 3 bedrooms and 2 baths might be nicer, in the event that my kids both came to join us (I presume that both will be on their own or close to it when I make this move).
I don't mind cool temperatures (say low 30s or 40s) but I'd like to be able to fish all year. I love to ice fish but if I buy a lakehouse "down south" it would be to benefit from the open water and fishing opportunities.
I'm a very private person so I'd like at least some privacy and don't need or want to be in the middle of everything but having a nice moderate sized town nearby with restaurants and stores would probably make my wife and certainly my kids happy. Say within half an hour's drive of a town of 10,000 or so.
Cost is important and precisely why I'm fleeing the north. Depending on whether I keep my farm up here or sell it and intend to make this my full-time residence, I might be able to pay 300K (I could probably pay more if I sold the farm but I don't think I'll sell the farm) but obviously I'd like to get some bang for my buck and would be happy if the real estate taxes weren't ridiculous.
I suppose I could live half a mile from a marina and not have water frontage but I'd prefer to be on the lake if I can still have some privacy and if it won't bankrupt me. I suppose it also wouldn't hurt if I was within 10 hours or so of my farm in northern Pennsylvania but that may not be a deal killer for the right set up.
Just throwing this stuff out there because I'm sure other guys think about retirement locations all the time too. I'll appreciate any thoughts you guys or gals may have.
roadwarrior reply :
Pickwick would be perfect and as long as you buy in Tennessee there are NO state taxes.
Property is "reasonable" by national standards, but everything is available from a cottage to
multimillion dollar mansions. Fishing is year-around except RIGHT NOW! The best smallmouth
fishing is usually mid October to mid March. Striper are World Class, crappie great and DD
largemouth are being caught in greater numbers than any time in history. Sauger can replace
your walley and for HUGE numbers in the spring the white bass can't be beat. We also have
monster buffalo fish, drum and every species of catfish in SIZE!
GANGGREEN reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 6:55 AM, roadwarrior said:Pickwick would be perfect and as long as you buy in Tennessee there are NO state taxes.
Property is "reasonable" by national standards, but everything is available from a cottage to
multimillion dollar mansions. Fishing is year-around except RIGHT NOW! The best smallmouth
fishing is usually mid October to mid March. Striper are World Class, crappie great and DD
largemouth are being caught in greater numbers than any time in history. Sauger can replace
your walley and for HUGE numbers in the spring the white bass can't be beat. We also have
monster buffalo fish, drum and every species of catfish in SIZE!
Nice. I could live with the sauger. I appreciate the advice and will do some online real estate searches to see what's there.
Darren. reply :
Well, there are some lovely places in
Virginia, too.
Have a look at Smith Mountain Lake.
We've vacationed there, and it is a haven
for a number of fish species, and there
are beautiful spots to retire.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 7:02 AM, DarrenM said:Well, there are some lovely places in
Virginia, too.
Have a look at Smith Mountain Lake.
We've vacationed there, and it is a haven
for a number of fish species, and there
are beautiful spots to retire.
I've already done some internet research on Smith Mountain but have never been there. I'd really like to get down there this summer to rent a place with the family or camp by myself but we'll see, I have lots of other trips planned and need to set some priorities.
I should also add that I have pointing dogs and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if there were some grouse or quail nearby either, although I know the bird hunting in those areas isn't what it used to be.
fish365 reply :
Lots of great fishing in Tennessee. Most of the upper eastern lakes are 20,000 to 30,000 acre lakes with a few exceptions. Most of these are flood control/water storage lakes and fluctuate 20-40' from winter to summer pool levels. From Ft. Loudon Lake and down along the Tennessee River are navigation lakes and don't, except in times of unusually heavy precipitation, fluctuate more than 5-10' all year. Lots of great fishing all year with smallmouth, largemouth, spot, catfish, Stripe, hybrids, white bass, walleye, sauger and more. I live on Cherokee, but can reach Douglas, Ft. Loudon, Ft. Patrick Henry, Boone, and South Houston in less than an hour.http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/is a link to the TVA lake levels across the entire Tennessee valley. Good luck on the search.
Choporoz reply :
I've been meaning to post almost this same thread/question. I don't want to hijack yours, Green, because my net will be cast just a little wider, to likely include NC and ARK, and we're ok with a little bigger metro areas....and would consider smaller water, but otherwise, it sounds like we have nearly the same 'requirements'. Good luck and I very much look forward to reading the discussion.
GANGGREEN reply :
Thanks for the link fish365, looks like you could never fish all of that water. I've actually fished a couple of the TVA lakes in the past but it's been years.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 9:32 AM, Choporoz said:I've been meaning to post almost this same thread/question. I don't want to hijack yours, Green, because my net will be cast just a little wider, to likely include NC and ARK, and we're ok with a little bigger metro areas....and would consider smaller water, but otherwise, it sounds like we have nearly the same 'requirements'. Good luck and I very much look forward to reading the discussion.
Good luck with your search too. I used to consider the Ozark lakes but I think that's a bit far to drive when I had to get back and forth so I'm really leaning towards eastern Tennessee, southern Kentucky and southern Virginia.
Hyrule Bass reply :
I love Smith Mountain Lake, its one of my favorite places on Earth. My aunt and uncle own a vacation house on the lake and i got down several times a year. The lake is beautiful with the mountains right there. I can sleep there like i can at no other place, like an instant nap even if im not tired, just a chill atmosphere to me. i will fish in the morning and sometimes take a nap outside on the boat swinging on the lift in the afternoon.
There are a couple small towns nearby with grocery stores, movie theater, shops, hardware and other businesses. and then there are bigger cities like lynchburg and roanoke nearby a little over an hour. Bedford is about 30-40 minutes away if you need to hit up a walmart, tractor supply, abc store, or eat at one of the restaurant chains. and there is also rocky mount. depends what direction you want to go and where on the lake you are. otherwise there are stores around the lake and a few seasonal businesses and restaurants.
Its a large lake coming in at 20,600 acres with over 500 miles of shoreline. There are two river arms(blackwater and roanoke) that run into the main lake merge and run over to the dam and numerous creeks. on the other side of the dam is leesville lake. Fish species include Stripers, Largemouth, Smallmouth, Crappie, Catfish(White, Bullheads, Channels and Flatheads), Carp, White Perch, Yellow Perch, a small natural breeding population of Walleye, and even the rare Muskie. Also there is a very small population of White Bass. And of course a variety of panfish/bream. The lake also contains Shad and Alewive for baitfish. Theres great fishing opportunities there but it can be a challenge trying to figure out the fish sometimes. Last Labor Day weekend i went down and lots of bass were shallow around the dock i fish from when not on the boat. and the "pattern" i found was any solo bass would bite, any group of bass swimming together would not. and the groups were all groups of 3 and much bigger bass than the solo cruisers. talk about frustrating. and the thrill of a big smith mountain lake striper or flathead is great. SML had a striper kill do to copepods like 10 years ago or something like that, but the striper fishing is bouncing back great with the implementation of the slot limit in winter/spring months. The last few years the slot was anything between 26 -36 inches had to be released, this year it was bumped up to 30-40 inch had to be released. the lake biologist, dan wilson, would not recommend raising the slot if there wasnt a good class of 30-40 inch sized fish. This will allow SML to return to the once trophy striper fishery it was before the fish kill. and the striper fishing is great in the winter from my understanding. the lake wont completely freeze over that i know of, though i cant say there wont be ice in the back of coves and such...
Have to admit, its a high traffic lake, especially on holiday weekends. jet skis everywhere...
Ben Eipert reply :
Norris! It is a hard lake to fish but is nice. Super clean water and usually not too busy. Has huge smallmouth, stripers, wallaeye, laargemouth, crappie, etc.
roadwarrior reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 9:32 AM, Choporoz said:I've been meaning to post almost this same thread/question. I don't want to hijack yours, Green, because my net will be cast just a little wider, to likely include NC and ARK, and we're ok with a little bigger metro areas....and would consider smaller water, but otherwise, it sounds like we have nearly the same 'requirements'. Good luck and I very much look forward to reading the discussion.
The Florence, AL area might just be the ticket. I have friends in Sheffield with a home eight miles or so
below the Wilson Dam. Their home is built on a bluff over looking the river, the far side is Natchez Trace
Park which will never be developed. Sitting on the porch watching the sun go down creates the illusion of
of being a part of the wilderness. However, everything you might look for in a small city or big southern town
is only minutes away.
GANGGREEN reply :
Thanks for the continuing thoughts fellas. I appreciate it. I may actually be heading to Tennessee in June because a friend is trying to set up a benefit concert for his son who was in a fairly serious auto accident this winter. If I do, I suspect I'll spend a few extra days and camp on one or two lakes just to get a feel for them. Of course I'd pick up the real estate brochures in town while there too.
fish365 reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 10:01 AM, GANGGREEN said:Thanks for the link fish365, looks like you could never fish all of that water. I've actually fished a couple of the TVA lakes in the past but it's been years.
We moved here in 1988 and i still haven't fished all of Cherokee yet.
Scott F reply :
I'm in the same situation, looking at retirement a few years down the road with a similar budget for my home. My solution because I hate the heat and humidity of Southern summers as much as I hate the cold is to get a Northwoods cabin in Wisconsin to live in from May 1 to November 1. The summers in Wisconsin are great not too hot, you can fish comfortably all day long on your choice of thousands of lakes. Homes right on the water, with a dock right out your back door are everywhere. Waterfront property can get a little pricey depending on the lake you choose. But because there are so many lakes, if you choose a property off the water, you save big money on both the house and property taxes and you are just minutes from many many lakes. Come November 1, I'll do the snowbird thing and head to a condo in South Florida. The winters there are pretty much like the summers in Wisconsin.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 9:33 PM, Scott F said:I'm in the same situation, looking at retirement a few years down the road with a similar budget for my home. My solution because I hate the heat and humidity of Southern summers as much as I hate the cold is to get a Northwoods cabin in Wisconsin to live in from May 1 to November 1. The summers in Wisconsin are great not too hot, you can fish comfortably all day long on your choice of thousands of lakes. Homes right on the water, with a dock right out your back door are everywhere. Waterfront property can get a little pricey depending on the lake you choose. But because there are so many lakes, if you choose a property off the water, you save big money on both the house and property taxes and you are just minutes from many many lakes. Come November 1, I'll do the snowbird thing and head to a condo in South Florida. The winters there are pretty much like the summers in Wisconsin.
Good ideas. Ideally, I think I'd like to keep my farm where I live now. The summer weather is fantastic but I'm not really that near a good lake (2 hours from several dandies though and within 3 or 4 hours of a dozen really high end waters). Alternately, I could do what you have in mind and downsize to a smaller cottage up north and a nicer, year-round home down south that I'd likely vacate in the middle of the summer. The problem for me is that if I keep the farm, my cash will be somewhat limited and my winter cottage may have to be a bit more modest.
gar-tracker reply :
You may want to consider Okeechobee, everyone from Kentucky and Tennessee are buying up property like mad around the lake.
Also I may add that summer fishing in Florida is off the charts until about 12.00.
hawgenvy reply :
Keep your place in PA and get a winter home in Lake Co, Florida, rural but has lots of small towns, lakes everywhere surrounded by huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, tons of homes with boat docks, lakes loaded with world class LMB, fairly low cost of living. Mount Dora, for example, is a quaint town with lots of antique stores, restaurants, etc., and it's on the Harris Chain. Good hospitals nearby for when you get older. But get out of there June thru Sept.
GANGGREEN reply :
No offense intended to anyone but Florida's not likely to be in the cards. I've been a handful of times and it's just not my cup of tea. I like eastern Tennessee as well as parts of Kentucky and southern Virginia because it's similar to my home here, mountains/hills and a rural area with temperate weather. People tell me that Florida becomes more appealing as you get older and God knows that I'm sick and tired of this winter, but still, I'm just not a huge fan, although I've enjoyed the few vacations that I've made to your great state.
I really DO appreciate the input though and you never know when someone will offer advice that may strike a chord with me and put me into a fit of internet research on new areas.
Al Wolbach reply :
I made the decision to retire on Douglas Lake in East Tennessee. You may want to research Douglas and Cherokee lakes as the property is generally a little cheaper on these lakes compared to Norris Lake. All of the TVA lakes in east tn offer great bass fishing. Norris and Cherokee offer better striper(rockfish) fishing and Douglas better crappie fishing(especially in the winter). A pretty good rule of thumb is, the further the lake is from Knoxville the lower the property prices. Norris lake has the clearest water by far but that also makes the fishing a little harder. Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes are the high rent district along with Norris. There is still some affordable property on Watts Bar lake(south of kville) but I'm not very familiar with that lake. All of the lakes I have mentioned are within about 30 miles of Knoxville and range in size from 14k to 33k acres.
Two pluses for you.....Property taxes are probably much lower than you are accustomed to and Tennessee has no state income tax
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/4/2015 at 12:39 AM, Al Wolbach said:I made the decision to retire on Douglas Lake in East Tennessee. You may want to research Douglas and Cherokee lakes as the property is generally a little cheaper on these lakes compared to Norris Lake. All of the TVA lakes in east tn offer great bass fishing. Norris and Cherokee offer better striper(rockfish) fishing and Douglas better crappie fishing(especially in the winter). A pretty good rule of thumb is, the further the lake is from Knoxville the lower the property prices. Norris lake has the clearest water by far but that also makes the fishing a little harder. Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes are the high rent district along with Norris. There is still some affordable property on Watts Bar lake(south of kville) but I'm not very familiar with that lake. All of the lakes I have mentioned are within about 30 miles of Knoxville and range in size from 14k to 33k acres.
Two pluses for you.....Property taxes are probably much lower than you are accustomed to and Tennessee has no state income tax
No state income tax (other than on interest and dividends) but they do have a fairly high state sales tax. Not a huge issue for me and you're correct, the property tax on a 3 or 4 bedroom lakehouse are about 1/4 what I pay for my 100+ acre farm and 4 bedroom home here in PA. Thanks for the info on Douglas and Cherokee. As it happens, I had already done a bit of research and found a few reasonably priced lakehomes on Cherokee and had requested info from one of the local chambers of commerce. Still looking though but I'm really intrigued about that Cherokee/Douglas Lake area.
Matthew2000 reply :
Build your own lake on some land. You don't have to worry about jet skis or learning a new lake. And you can make it to your liking.
Bassin Bob reply :
Take a look at Tims Ford Lake near Winchester, TN. Great place, great lake with smallies, largemouth, walleye, stripers, etc. Also there are trout below the dam and the Elk River to canoe and catch trout and smallies. Plus, Phoenix Boats are made nearby. And the Jack Daniels distillery is a stone's throw away.
Pete-K reply :
I know you put East Tn, but if you do look at West Tn. Pickwick Lake has it all, and if your over this way give me a shout. Will do all I can to show you some of it. From Stripers until you get tired of them. Sauger in the winter time, Blue catfish that go from 50 lbs to 100+, White bass days of 100+, Smallmouth bass and Large Mouth bass fishing is second to none right now there. Crappie fishing can be great also. Plus plenty of smaller lakes within an hours drive.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/4/2015 at 9:26 AM, Pete-K said:I know you put East Tn, but if you do look at West Tn. Pickwick Lake has it all, and if your over this way give me a shout. Will do all I can to show you some of it. From Stripers until you get tired of them. Sauger in the winter time, Blue catfish that go from 50 lbs to 100+, White bass days of 100+, Smallmouth bass and Large Mouth bass fishing is second to none right now there. Crappie fishing can be great also. Plus plenty of smaller lakes within an hours drive.
Thanks for the offer and the info. I've never fished Pickwick but I have fished Wheeler in Alabama. I'm sure I'd love the fishing there, especially the sauger fishing, but honestly, it's getting to be too far away from home base and makes a trip down in one day difficult or impossible. Besides that, it's just not that appealing to me compared to those lakes in the eastern part of the state that have the Great Smokies in their back yards. Being a backwoods guy who lives in the mountains of PA, that really appeals to me.
Based on some photos that I've seen, some reading that I've done, real estate searches and Youtube, I'm really starting to like the idea of Cherokee or Douglas Lakes, but it's obviously going to require a trip down there to peruse the area and see what I'd be getting into.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/4/2015 at 9:20 AM, Bassin Bob said:Take a look at Tims Ford Lake near Winchester, TN. Great place, great lake with smallies, largemouth, walleye, stripers, etc. Also there are trout below the dam and the Elk River to canoe and catch trout and smallies. Plus, Phoenix Boats are made nearby. And the Jack Daniels distillery is a stone's throw away.
Thanks for the tip Bob, I'll look into it but like above, it's getting to be bit farther from home than I had really hoped for.
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/4/2015 at 6:32 AM, GANGGREEN said:No state income tax (other than on interest and dividends) but they do have a fairly high state sales tax. Not a huge issue for me and you're correct, the property tax on a 3 or 4 bedroom lakehouse are about 1/4 what I pay for my 100+ acre farm and 4 bedroom home here in PA. Thanks for the info on Douglas and Cherokee. As it happens, I had already done a bit of research and found a few reasonably priced lakehomes on Cherokee and had requested info from one of the local chambers of commerce. Still looking though but I'm really intrigued about that Cherokee/Douglas Lake area.
One bit of info the real estate folks may neglect to tell you, Douglas, Norris and Cherokee are lowered 40-50 feet in the winter months for flood control for our good neighbors to the south. Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes are only lowered a few feet because they are navigable waters. You actually get used to it and start to look forward to the water drop, plus the fishing improves with the water loss.
I share a private road with 5 neighbors. In the last few years three homes have sold on this road. All to folks from the north, one family from Pittsburg and two families from Chicago. I'm starting to feel like a intruder,lol. However, I did gain three beer drinking buddies, so all is not lost. If I can help you with any research or answer any questions please feel free to ask............Al.....Btw, Douglas and Cherokee dams are only approximately 25 miles apart to area info generally apply to both. And Douglas dam is approx 20 miles from the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/5/2015 at 11:06 AM, Al Wolbach said:One bit of info the real estate folks may neglect to tell you, Douglas, Norris and Cherokee are lowered 40-50 feet in the winter months for flood control for our good neighbors to the south. Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes are only lowered a few feet because they are navigable waters. You actually get used to it and start to look forward to the water drop, plus the fishing improves with the water loss.
I share a private road with 5 neighbors. In the last few years three homes have sold on this road. All to folks from the north, one family from Pittsburg and two families from Chicago. I'm starting to feel like a intruder,lol. However, I did gain three beer drinking buddies, so all is not lost. If I can help you with any research or answer any questions please feel free to ask............Al.....Btw, Douglas and Cherokee dams are only approximately 25 miles apart to area info generally apply to both. And Douglas dam is approx 20 miles from the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
Thanks Al, I did know that about the water drops in winter (thought I didn't know that Tellico and Ft. Loudon didn't have drastic level changes). I'm still doing research and have asked another C of C to send me information about relocating and real estate. So far I've inquired with Morristown and Sevierville. Any other towns I should inquire with?
Oregon Native reply :
I'm fairly new here in east Tennessee but I do love Norris....especially in winter
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/5/2015 at 6:06 PM, GANGGREEN said:Thanks Al, I did know that about the water drops in winter (thought I didn't know that Tellico and Ft. Loudon didn't have drastic level changes). I'm still doing research and have asked another C of C to send me information about relocating and real estate. So far I've inquired with Morristown and Sevierville. Any other towns I should inquire with?
Yes, Jefferson City on Cherokee Lake and the city of Dandridge on Douglas Lake. Check with the following counties, Jefferson, Sevier, Grainger and Hamblen. City governments are quite small but the county government C of C are very active. I live in Dandridge, which is the county seat, and until about 2 years ago we didn't have a stop light. Morristown is, by far, the largest town and sevierville second. Sevierville is the state tourist capital and is gridlocked about 6 months of the year, so be careful with property in Sevierville, however the property tax rate is low. Sales tax is 9.something % statewide, close to 10%. Gasoline in the area now is about $2.23 nearly everywhere(within 2 cents) and ethanol free gas is available in many places. Three places in tiny Dandridge that I know off.
One point that my neighbor from Chicago really liked was the state of Tennessee will pay for 2 years of community college for your children. Saved him a small fortune, as he has 2 graduating high school this year. My kids are all out of school except one working on a doctorate. I don't know if you have any still at home. Not sure of the requirements except they must perform a number of hours of community service. This is the first year of the law. A lot of this may not matter but is nice to know either way...........Al
GANGGREEN reply :
Thanks Al. I have one son already in college who wouldn't take advantage of the free tuition even if I moved there today but I also have a son who's a junior in high school. It's highly unlikely that I'd get moved down there early enough for him to qualify as a resident before accepting the two years, not to mention that I might have a hard sale on community college if he was already enrolled in a 4 year school anyway. The good news is that I already bounced it off of him and he said that he wouldn't mind us pulling stakes and moving and that he could surely find somewhere down that way to attend college.
Thanks for the info on the communities and counties, I'll probably send a few more inquiries. What about Boone Lake and the surrounding area? At this point, I'm really starting to like the idea of a lakefront home on Boone, Norris, Cherokee or Douglas or possibly a riverfront home on South Holston or a similar river.
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 12:19 AM, GANGGREEN said:Thanks Al. I have one son already in college who wouldn't take advantage of the free tuition even if I moved there today but I also have a son who's a junior in high school. It's highly unlikely that I'd get moved down there early enough for him to qualify as a resident before accepting the two years, not to mention that I might have a hard sale on community college if he was already enrolled in a 4 year school anyway. The good news is that I already bounced it off of him and he said that he wouldn't mind us pulling stakes and moving and that he could surely find somewhere down that way to attend college.
Thanks for the info on the communities and counties, I'll probably send a few more inquiries. What about Boone Lake and the surrounding area? At this point, I'm really starting to like the idea of a lakefront home on Boone, Norris, Cherokee or Douglas or possibly a riverfront home on South Holston or a similar river.
Can't tell you much about Boone Lake except it was named after Daniel Boone, I assume, since he is from that area. I worked at BPS part-time for a few years and Boone was seldom mentioned, so it a mystery to me. it is north of here and I seldom go north for anything, lol. The elevation there must be higher because that area does seem to get more harsh weather during the winter months. But I really don't know much about it.
The Holston River has bass tournaments on it and does have some good smallmouth fishing. A friend has invited me several times to fish a tournament there but I have a glass bass boat and tin boats rule on rivers around here, preferably with jet motors. A friend of mine recently bought a farm on the Holston River that has over a mile of shoreline, so property must be available if a parcel that big was for sale. I believe he told me 400 acres. If you look at property on the upper reaches of Cherokee or Douglas in the river area you will probably want a tin boat, if that matters to you. The Tennessee River is the only fiberglass friendly river that I know of in this area. It forms in the Knoxville area from the Holston and others then flows south to make Fort Loudon, Tellico, Watts Bar, Guntersville, Wheeler and others.
GANGGREEN reply :
Thanks for the ongoing information Al, it's truly appreciated. I'm doing lots of research on my end and from my perspective, retirement and a move can't come quickly enough, it was 15 below this morning when I went to work (and that's NOT the wind chill). March 6th and I'm still freezing my backside off up here.
How's the turkey and deer hunting in the areas being discussed? As I get older, I've lost interest and don't hunt nearly as much as I used to but I still get out at times, particularly for spring gobbler, deer and grouse. Here's a bird that I whacked in north-central Tennessee with a flintlock fowler that I built.
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/7/2015 at 12:12 AM, GANGGREEN said:Thanks for the ongoing information Al, it's truly appreciated. I'm doing lots of research on my end and from my perspective, retirement and a move can't come quickly enough, it was 15 below this morning when I went to work (and that's NOT the wind chill). March 6th and I'm still freezing my backside off up here.
How's the turkey and deer hunting in the areas being discussed? As I get older, I've lost interest and don't hunt nearly as much as I used to but I still get out at times, particularly for spring gobbler, deer and grouse. Here's a bird that I whacked in north-central Tennessee with a flintlock fowler that I built.
Nice turkey and beautiful gun. To answer your question, Turkey and deer are abundant in all of East Tennessee however, the deer are probably smaller than you are accustomed to hunting. I assume the forage and terrain are hard on the deer. The deer in middle and western part of the state are larger. The average weight of an adult deer around this area is only 100-125lbs and that's not field dressed. Much smaller than your area. I gave up hunting a few years ago. I just snap pictures out the window when I see one behind the house now. You may want to read the deer regulations. They divide the state into regions and apply different regulations to the various regions. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency does a great job in my opinion performing a difficult job.
Btw- It was 12* here this morning but drop dead beautiful forecast for the weekend. Sun and 50's.
GANGGREEN reply :
I don't care much about the deer because I don't hunt a lot anymore either and I don't really consider myself a trophy hunter (although we have antler restrictions and I typically pass up plenty of legal buck for whatever reason). I like to take photos too, a little bit......http://billragostaphotography.zenfolio.com/
Surprisingly, in my area, we now have a very healthy deer herd, good buck to doe ratio, big-bodied deer and nice racks but it wasn't always that way. When I was a kid (not really that long ago), it was typical to see 50, 60 or 100 deer a day in my area of the state but you'd typically see 20 or 30 doe for each buck, the antlered buck were typically spikes or very small forkhorns and your 100-120 pound live buck was exactly what we'd expect, in fact, that would be a nice one back in the 60s or 70s.
MemphisFF reply :
If I was moving to the east as I live in Memphis I would move close to Dayton Tenn and fish chickamauga but that's just me.. That's a world class bass fishery now.. Plan on making that trip soon..
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/7/2015 at 5:53 AM, GANGGREEN said:I don't care much about the deer because I don't hunt a lot anymore either and I don't really consider myself a trophy hunter (although we have antler restrictions and I typically pass up plenty of legal buck for whatever reason). I like to take photos too, a little bit......http://billragostaphotography.zenfolio.com/
Surprisingly, in my area, we now have a very healthy deer herd, good buck to doe ratio, big-bodied deer and nice racks but it wasn't always that way. When I was a kid (not really that long ago), it was typical to see 50, 60 or 100 deer a day in my area of the state but you'd typically see 20 or 30 doe for each buck, the antlered buck were typically spikes or very small forkhorns and your 100-120 pound live buck was exactly what we'd expect, in fact, that would be a nice one back in the 60s or 70s.
I forgot to mention that Elk have been reintroduced to East Tennessee and are reportedly doing very well. Had several sightings in my area, of one bull, last year which created a lot of conversation. Most of the Elk are in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park but they roam occasionally, especially young bulls. They have put some in Royal Blue Wildlife Management area. They started a hunting season a few years ago with very limited hunters, using a tag system. My wife and I have taken many pictures of them in the park, herd of at least 50. Some of the females will come as close as a few feet from our vehicle. Truly majestic creatures. Royal Blue is north of Knoxville about 30 miles, roughly an hours drive from Cherokee or Douglas Lake.
GANGGREEN reply :
That's good to know Al. I have them about an hour from me here in PA and I make at least one trip each fall during the rut to photograph and enjoy them.
Still doing tons of research and looking at new areas. Douglas/Cherokee are still leading the pack, Boone falling somewhat and South Holston with the bullet. We'll see......
0119 reply :
What about western Tennessee? We have been planning Paris or Lexington for a few years. Everyone here in s.w.Fl. is moving to eastern Tennessee. The very people I'm trying to move away from. We used to stay in the Copperhill/Ducktown area but as I grow older I see no sense in moving to a place with so much elevation. Not easy on a flatlanders knees. Speaking to an instructor from Knoxville, he told my wife Tennessee is waking up to the crowd that's moving in and prices and taxes are increasing quickly.
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/10/2015 at 3:08 AM, 119 said:What about western Tennessee? We have been planning Paris or Lexington for a few years. Everyone here in s.w.Fl. is moving to eastern Tennessee. The very people I'm trying to move away from. We used to stay in the Copperhill/Ducktown area but as I grow older I see no sense in moving to a place with so much elevation. Not easy on a flatlanders knees. Speaking to an instructor from Knoxville, he told my wife Tennessee is waking up to the crowd that's moving in and prices and taxes are increasing quickly.
I can't address West Tennessee at all. I have fished Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot Lake in that part of the state but have not spent much time there. Knoxville is growing like a weed. Not sure where they are coming from but they are coming in numbers. And yes property prices are on the rebound after the great recession. Even lake property was low but starting to see more interest. In East Tennessee I believe Douglas and Cherokee Lakes are your best bet. I have always thought of them as "blue collar" lakes
but that is slowly changing. My property taxes have not gone up very much in the 15 years I have lived on Douglas Lake.
westcoastcater reply :
I would also consider Kerr Lake(also called Buggs Island), it's on the Virginia and North Carolina border. 50,000 acres, with plenty of bass, catfish, bream and stripers. Lots of room, and not too crowded.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/10/2015 at 3:08 AM, 119 said:What about western Tennessee? We have been planning Paris or Lexington for a few years. Everyone here in s.w.Fl. is moving to eastern Tennessee. The very people I'm trying to move away from. We used to stay in the Copperhill/Ducktown area but as I grow older I see no sense in moving to a place with so much elevation. Not easy on a flatlanders knees. Speaking to an instructor from Knoxville, he told my wife Tennessee is waking up to the crowd that's moving in and prices and taxes are increasing quickly.
I actually like the hills, the slightly cooler summertime temps and the proximity to the Great Smokies, all of which are draws for the eastern part of the state for me. I have a buddy in the north-central part of the state (south of Dale Hollow) and I spent a week with him last spring and honestly, I just didn't care for the area enough to want to relocate there. Your points are well-taken though, I don't want to retire to end up being followed by a bunch of people who don't value the rural nature of the area, the politics of the residents, etc. and I'd hate to move there for the low cost of living, only to have that change in a decade because of the influx of people that want more and more services.
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/11/2015 at 4:05 AM, westcoastcater said:I would also consider Kerr Lake(also called Buggs Island), it's on the Virginia and North Carolina border. 50,000 acres, with plenty of bass, catfish, bream and stripers. Lots of room, and not too crowded.
I was actually also considering Smith Mountain and the surrounding area and I haven't ruled it out yet but the eastern Tennessee area and lakes seem to be growing on me, at least the idea is. I'm planning a short vacation in May and will be making my reservations tonight so I'll at least get a quick visit and have a gut feeling for whether that area may be right for me or not.
MemphisFF reply :
Gang green my uncle lives near Morristown Tn it's north of Knoxville and only 45 min or an hour drive to the smokies.. Cherokee lake is also near by.. He retired from Mphis light gas and water and found some land and is there beautiful area.. Check that area out also..
GANGGREEN reply :
On 3/11/2015 at 10:03 AM, MemphisFF said:Gang green my uncle lives near Morristown Tn it's north of Knoxville and only 45 min or an hour drive to the smokies.. Cherokee lake is also near by.. He retired from Mphis light gas and water and found some land and is there beautiful area.. Check that area out also..
Already on the list, thanks.
Choporoz reply :
I've never spent a lot of time on lakes that vary as much as those TVA lakes. I'm having trouble picturing how one with waterfront property deals with it. I saw this video of a guy pushing his dock out:
While that's sorta neat, there's got to be different (better?) ways to deal with the levels.
Al Wolbach reply :
On 3/12/2015 at 12:39 AM, Choporoz said:I've never spent a lot of time on lakes that vary as much as those TVA lakes. I'm having trouble picturing how one with waterfront property deals with it. I saw this video of a guy pushing his dock out:
While that's sorta neat, there's got to be different (better?) ways to deal with the levels.
There are a lot of ways to deal with the floating docks, just a matter of "how much do you want to spend". When the lake is going down you pretty much have to push them, not as many options as when it is rising.
Most of my neighbors actually enjoy the lake bottom after it drops for winter pool. We enjoy walking/exploring the lake bed finding everything boaters/fishermen have lost during the summer. Or in some cases threw away.
Most of my neighbors also have atv's and enjoy riding them. The first year is a shock, second not so bad and continues to get easier. I have been here 15 years and look forward to the lake dropping. It's just a different adventure.
Hyrule Bass reply :
i still think smith mountain lake may be your best option. if its the proximity to different bodies of water that entices you to douglas/cherokee, then i say dont forget that right on the other side of smith mtn lakes dam is leesville lake. and claytor lake isnt too far away either...
Brayberry reply :
For Virginia, I'd look into Buggs Island/Kerr or Lake Gaston, great fishing area
JJPCheers reply :
I have a 2nd home on Norris. I have been on both Douglas and Cherokee and chose Norris over both of them. I'm in the town of Caryville at Twin Cove Marina. The town (which if you blink) is down the street from Jacksboro and Lafolette on the same road. They are decent sized towns with stores and restaurants. I'm exit 134 off of I-75. Another area of Norris Lake is exit 122. There are several marinas off this exit and Oak Ridge is a decent sized town. Both areas are a straight shot down 75 into Knoxville. To get to the Smokey Mountain National Park I prefer to go thru Maryville into Townsend. Much less traffic than trying to go thru Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg to get to the park. Townsend entrance to the park is closest to Cade's Cove. The water is very clean on Norris and there are many more marinas than on the other lakes.
LAKESUNONE reply :
Did you ever find a nice Lake? I'm looking to move to TN and I'm researching the lakes.
Thanks!
Mitchell@Cherokee reply :
Hi Ganggreen,
Have you moved yet? I've been through Coudersport, and you are in God's country!
I grew up on Alabama, but we recently moved from 20+ years in the Lehigh Valley (Nazareth, PA) to Morristown, TN. We looked at lakefront property at Douglas and Cherokee, but decided to purchase a home in Morristown which is about 3 1/2 miles from Cherokee Lake. We got a 4,800 SF Victorian with a wraparound front porch and a full front-to-back 300' lot. Probably more "in-town" than you're looking for, but best of both worlds with city and lake life. 10 minute drive, hop on the boat and go. More house than you'd get on the lake. We did seriously look at numerous properties on both Douglas and Cherokee. Our taxes went from $6,000/yr. to $1,900 with more house! Yes, food and clothing are taxed here whereas they aren't in PA, but I'm OK with that because I view it as a fair consumption tax.
We have the boat at Hamblen County Boat Dock. This is a nice facility at the beautiful Cherokee Park......walking trails, kids playground, amphitheater, etc. I love Cherokee Lake, but Douglas is only about 1/2 hour away. Morristown has retail and restaurants. Knoxville is 45 minutes to an hour away. If you go north of the lake in Grainger county I believe you'll find more reasonable real estate prices. We didn't want the prolonged heat and humidity that comes with further south. Summers can get hot, but are many degrees cooler than deep south with less humidity due to mountains. We have four very distinct seasons (although winter is not nearly as cold or anywhere nearly as prolonged), and you can fish all year.....just dress appropriately.
I'd highly recommend the Smokey Mountain region.
Good luck to you and others looking for the right place to relocate!
Choporoz reply :
I miss Al.
I'd forgotten about this thread. Soon after I last posted on this topic, my wife and I went and spent a long weekend in Dandridge. Was only our third or fourth retirement spot investigation/visit. Before the weekend was over we both decided we are going to live on Douglas. Absolutely loved the towns, the lake, and especially the people. It's still a few years off ....we've been back to visit a couple times. We haven't changed our minds.
bird-dog reply :
Ganggreen, did you ever make a decision on where you were planning to move?
I too have begun to look at Tennessee. In 2016 I purchased a house on Currituck Sound in NC as a retirement home. Shortly after I found out that NC changed its tax laws and taxes retirement. My wife and I have decided to turn the NC home into an Airbnb and use it as income and a free vacation home.
Recently, I have begun researching the Cherokee Reservoir area. It seems like a nice area. My wife and I will need to plan a trip to check it out. One of my prerequisites is that I would like to be around a ½ from a hospital since as we get older we will become more dependent on medical services. We would like to get a house in the $300 to $350 range that has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Is there anything that anyone can add as either Pros or Cons for the area?
Appreciate it.
Jay
Rumjacker reply :
I've lived at SML all my life. I'll admit that it can be a tough lake to fish at times because A.E.P. does not allow any grass to grow. The shoreline is also kept fairly free of laydowns as well. That said, I've had some amazing days on the lake catching largemouth and stripers. I also have had some success with smallmouths at the base of the mountains that border the lake. There are many marinas and boat launches in the area as well as an awesome state park. A.E.P. also has some weird restrictions when it comes to building docks and maintaining trees above the 800ft line so make sure you do your homework if you look at property on the lake.
GANGGREEN reply :
Have to admit that I haven't visited this topic even though I created it. I did post an inquiry about campgrounds on Douglas Lake and general info, but I'm still searching. As it happens, I'll likely be retiring in September of this year. Sadly, my wife will probably continue to work for several years, so outside of a vacation rental or a condo, I'm not sure it makes a ton of sense for us to purchase a home in the area. That Douglas/Cherokee Lake area is still pretty high on my list though. I just returned from a trip to the Norfork/Bull Shoals area in northern Arkansas. I liked it reasonably well, but my wife wasn't super impressed. The Taneycomo/Table Rock areas might make more sense for us since there are more rental units, condos and vacation rental management agencies, but I'm not sure I could put up with the traffic and commotion in that area, even during the wintertime when I'd be most likely to use visit. Because we're now leaning towards keeping our farm in northern PA, our budget for a vacation/seasonal home, cottage, camper is somewhat limited, but it's still definitely a consideration and I greatly appreciate everyone's input on the topic.
On 10/17/2018 at 12:45 AM, Mitchell@Cherokee said:Hi Ganggreen,
Have you moved yet? I've been through Coudersport, and you are in God's country!
I grew up on Alabama, but we recently moved from 20+ years in the Lehigh Valley (Nazareth, PA) to Morristown, TN. We looked at lakefront property at Douglas and Cherokee, but decided to purchase a home in Morristown which is about 3 1/2 miles from Cherokee Lake. We got a 4,800 SF Victorian with a wraparound front porch and a full front-to-back 300' lot. Probably more "in-town" than you're looking for, but best of both worlds with city and lake life. 10 minute drive, hop on the boat and go. More house than you'd get on the lake. We did seriously look at numerous properties on both Douglas and Cherokee. Our taxes went from $6,000/yr. to $1,900 with more house! Yes, food and clothing are taxed here whereas they aren't in PA, but I'm OK with that because I view it as a fair consumption tax.
We have the boat at Hamblen County Boat Dock. This is a nice facility at the beautiful Cherokee Park......walking trails, kids playground, amphitheater, etc. I love Cherokee Lake, but Douglas is only about 1/2 hour away. Morristown has retail and restaurants. Knoxville is 45 minutes to an hour away. If you go north of the lake in Grainger county I believe you'll find more reasonable real estate prices. We didn't want the prolonged heat and humidity that comes with further south. Summers can get hot, but are many degrees cooler than deep south with less humidity due to mountains. We have four very distinct seasons (although winter is not nearly as cold or anywhere nearly as prolonged), and you can fish all year.....just dress appropriately.
I'd highly recommend the Smokey Mountain region.
Good luck to you and others looking for the right place to relocate!
After living there for a while, what are your thoughts about Morristown? We drove through/around it on a previous trip down and I wouldn't completely rule it out, although you're right, I'd probably prefer a bit more privacy. Like I said in my previous post, we're probably not ready to spend a ton of time down that way because my wife will continue to work for a few more years, so I'm trying to decide what makes the most sense, purchasing a rental and using it a few times a year myself, staying in a campground for a week or two at a time or just renting once or twice a year until we're both completely retired.
Sam reply :
On 2/27/2015 at 7:02 AM, Darren. said:Well, there are some lovely places in
Virginia, too.
Have a look at Smith Mountain Lake.
We've vacationed there, and it is a haven
for a number of fish species, and there
are beautiful spots to retire.
X2.
Hyrule Bass reply :
Smith Mountain Lake is a beautiful place. Lots of boat traffic in the summer, especially holiday weekends. The fishing can be real tough at times, but when its on fire its on fire.
GreenGhostMan reply :
Hello Gangreen,
If you are still looking, I think you should consider living in between Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow. Both are large lakes with several creek arms. Both have largemouth, smallmouth, spots, crappie, walleye and of course sunfish and catfish. Cumberland is also world class for landlocked striper. I believe Dale Hollow claims to hold the top 3 heaviest smallmouth on record and something like 10 of the top 25. The trade off would be living in a very rural area as there are only small towns in between the lakes. Good Luck!!
BassNJake reply :
For the folks looking at the lakes near Knoxville
The Knoxville assoc of realtors has a search page
http://distil.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/mainmenu.cgi?cmd=url+other/createlink/link_receiver.html&no_html_header=true&i=zs6d64si90i,16
TnRiver46 reply :
On 9/18/2019 at 9:10 PM, BassNJake said:For the folks looking at the lakes near Knoxville
The Knoxville assoc of realtors has a search page
http://distil.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/mainmenu.cgi?cmd=url+other/createlink/link_receiver.html&no_html_header=true&i=zs6d64si90i,16
Also if any of the forum members children are good athletes, please by all means move to Knoxville and convince them to attend UT on a football scholarship
VolFan reply :
Not sure they need to be good athletes....
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