Reelfoot Lake

About Reelfoot Lake

Reelfoot Lake is located in northwest Tennessee and extends into southern Kentucky, but the lake is still young. History says that water first flowed into the newly formed land, creating what is now Reel Lake.

Reelfoot Lake is the largest natural lake in Tennessee, covering approximately 3,000 square kilometers and home to Cappie's only legal commercial fishing. Fishermen come to this lake to catch small, medium and large trout and big, large and medium sized perches. The lake offers a great source of water for fishing, boating, hunting, fishing and fishing equipment. Reel Foot Lake has often been the subject of debate about how the lake came into being, but it is one of the most popular fishing destinations in Tennessee.

To implement provisions of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the state leased 7,860 acres from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to use them as a wildlife refuge. Tennessee owns about 3,000 square miles of natural lake land in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee.

The leased land also includes overflow gullies and gates that control the water level of Reelfoot Lake. The Tennessee acres have been designated the Reelsfoot National Wildlife Refuge, while the 2,300 adjacent Kentucky acres are owned by the FWS. Due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, the refuge is a major stopover on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mississippi River Trail and home to a number of migratory bird species including the Great Smoked Gull, Great Blue Heron and Tennessee River Drosophila.

About 200 bald eagles spend the winter at Reelfoot Lake, and visitors can participate in daily bald eagle and waterfowl tours conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources. With a telescope, binoculars or your own naked eye, you can look up to see these graceful and powerful eagles sitting in trees or floating in the sky. An informative speaker on the tour will introduce you to some of the birds and the animal and plant resources available in the refuge.

Boating is a popular activity at Reelfoot Lake, but if you choose to take a motorboat, you should be aware that the lake is shallow and you may find it difficult and dangerous to navigate. The maximum depth is 18 feet, with an average depth of 5.5 feet. You should always drive slowly and be aware that it is the flattest of all the lakes in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sanctuary.

Water skiing, wakeboarding and rubber dinghies are not allowed, but if you prefer to leave the trip to someone else, you can book a guided pontoon boat trip for $5 per person or $10 per boat.

These cruises introduce visitors to the natural beauty of the lake and inform about the vegetation in the area. The R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum is located in the Nature Center, where you can get to know the fauna of the area, and nature lovers will love the rich diversity, starting with the many bird species, fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds of prey. A path that winds through the ancient cypress forest and surrounds the old bay offers a great opportunity to see natural and spectacular animals in and around this lake.

Read on and leave us with a little more knowledge about what you have started, or read on to get more information about the history of the lake and its history as a tourist destination.

Reelfoot Lake is a wonderful place to spend a weekend, a week or more, and as previous visitors will tell you, the time you spend on a Tennessee lake is certainly well invested. The beautiful scenery is enhanced by the setting sun and the magnificent views of the Tennessee River and Tennessee Valley.