The very upper part of Tellico Lake

The is about two miles above the Big Creek Boat Ramp in upper Tellico.  The ramp offers access to the area between the ramp and Sloan Bridge and the area between the ramp and where the river is moving and less than a foot deep.  Phillip and I paddled up stream from the rampo two weeks ago and kept going until the river is flowing and we had to paddle against the current.  The TVA/TRDA property ends at that point according to the map.  From the boat ramp upstream, the river is beautiful!  Limestone cliffs/rocks, trees creating a shady tunnel, smallmouth bass, and more!  Not many places to get out of the canoe along shore and not but one possible campsite this way.

Big Creek Boat Ramp on Tellico Lake

Phillip and I finished the eastern side of Tellico Lake (from 411 bridge, east) on Monday.  The "new" Big Creek TRDA Boat Ramp is actually on Fairview Road (which I think it has been or is AKA Sink Road).  Anyway, when you leave Vonore on 360 stay on 360 until it comes to a T-intersection.  A left turn keeps you on 360 and goes to Tellico Plains.  A right turn takes you off 360 and now you are on Ballplay Road.  Stay on it for a few miles until you get to an intersection with a road (Fairview) that turns to the left.  This intersection is in a curve.  After turning left stay on that road for a few more miles and the ramp is on your left.  Someone has taken the actual sign but the wooden frame is still there.  On Memorial Day there was still a small blue and white canoe logo sign at the turn off.  The parking lot is large and gravel with a very easy put in for canoes and kayaks.  At the waters edge left is "downstream" toward the lake proper and the right turn is "upstream" which will take you to Tellico Plains.  The water is still flowing very slowly here but you will see the flow stop within a mile of the put-in.  At that point is the actual lake.  TVA actually owns upstream another two miles or so as a part of the Tellico Reservation.

Significant on this stretch of water is this:

*  No jet skis

* No bass boats

* No sounds of motorcycles

* Shallow water

* Three small beautiful coves

* Rock walls

* Rhododendron on the lake shore!

*  There must be small mouth bass here...BUT I did not catch any!

Tellico Blueway (Upper Tellico Lake)

Phillip and I at mile 14 at the TVA strip of land which is mowed and open.  What a beautiful place.  I was told that TVA owned a small strip of land between the water and a property marker.  It is a buffer for no development.  Man am I glad!  Note the cliffs....upper Tellico Lake has lots of these!

This part of the Tellico Blueway map shows the four designated campsites on Cagle Branch.  The three on the north side are all on an old roadbed.  The single site on the south shore is on a not-so-great campsite.  There is not much of a put-in at Sloan Bridge but there is a nice put-in at the Big Creek ramp.