Lake Norris, TN ??????
02-17-2011, 12:13 PM
#2
-----Have just been looking at maps of Lake Norris. Would also like to know more about it as it has a bunch of Marinas located on it. Looks really interesting. Anybody know app. depths and stuff like that? Do they drain it down during cold weather like others I have heard about? Proximity to Knoxville would be a plus, I would guess......Bill S
02-17-2011, 12:17 PM
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lake norris
I was down there last July on vacation and I took my 35' Cigarette Cafe. My boat did just fine on the lake. It is plenty deep. Not to many big boats, mainly wake board boats and ski boats. They are every where. Nice lake and very clean.
02-17-2011, 12:29 PM
#4
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Very clean and deep Mountain lake. In some areas the channel is 200+ feet deep and many of the coves are 50+ all the way to the shore. Bring plenty of anchor rode...you'll need it.
Most of the boats are houseboats, pontoon boats, and wake boats. A few smaller go fasts but my 288 is usually one of the largest boats on the water there. The locals hate out of towners which is funny since the place thrives on tourist money. They give me attitude and I am from the area. I get a little flack when docking for having one of "them thar Cigar boats". Seems like every time I am there I get some dirty looks from the old timers. Be prepared to dodge lake lice (jet skis) and the wake boarders are really bad about zig zagging all across the channel and it is narrow and tight in some areas. We did have a bad dry spell that cause the lake levels to be extremely low but it has bounced back so you should not have to really worry about shallow areas.
Quite a few of the marinas have some night life and it is pretty cool to rent one of the floating boat houses. I don't get up there as much as I like since I live on the west side of Knoxville. It is about a 45 minute drive for me but it is probably closer to 25-30 from downtown Knoxville depending on traffic. The roads around the area are two lane and curvy so expect some tight areas when trailering. The ramp at the damn is pretty good size for launching larger boats. Some of the marinas have ramps but parking is tight at the two or three I have used. All in all it is a beautiful lake.
I boat mainly on Ft. Loudon and Tellico which offers quite a bit more room to stretch out and actually run the boat. The trade off is not as much going on in the way of restaurants on the water and it is not as clean. It is a lot closer to me though. I hope to get up to Norris a couple times at least this summer. I have quite a few friends that keep boats up there.
As far as Beach Island, if you are talking about the Marina, it is pretty neat. They have a nice on the water bar there called Bubba Brew's.
Most of the boats are houseboats, pontoon boats, and wake boats. A few smaller go fasts but my 288 is usually one of the largest boats on the water there. The locals hate out of towners which is funny since the place thrives on tourist money. They give me attitude and I am from the area. I get a little flack when docking for having one of "them thar Cigar boats". Seems like every time I am there I get some dirty looks from the old timers. Be prepared to dodge lake lice (jet skis) and the wake boarders are really bad about zig zagging all across the channel and it is narrow and tight in some areas. We did have a bad dry spell that cause the lake levels to be extremely low but it has bounced back so you should not have to really worry about shallow areas.
Quite a few of the marinas have some night life and it is pretty cool to rent one of the floating boat houses. I don't get up there as much as I like since I live on the west side of Knoxville. It is about a 45 minute drive for me but it is probably closer to 25-30 from downtown Knoxville depending on traffic. The roads around the area are two lane and curvy so expect some tight areas when trailering. The ramp at the damn is pretty good size for launching larger boats. Some of the marinas have ramps but parking is tight at the two or three I have used. All in all it is a beautiful lake.
I boat mainly on Ft. Loudon and Tellico which offers quite a bit more room to stretch out and actually run the boat. The trade off is not as much going on in the way of restaurants on the water and it is not as clean. It is a lot closer to me though. I hope to get up to Norris a couple times at least this summer. I have quite a few friends that keep boats up there.
As far as Beach Island, if you are talking about the Marina, it is pretty neat. They have a nice on the water bar there called Bubba Brew's.
Last edited by haulinvols; 02-17-2011 at 12:32 PM.
02-17-2011, 02:10 PM
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Location: Northern, KY (Cincinnati) Lake St Clair, MI Norris Lake, TN
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My family has a town house in the Willows at Twin Cove. I love it down there and spend as much time as possible on Norris. I ldon't bring the Baja. My parents have a pontoon down there. Plenty for that lake. Not too many perfomance boats on it. It's big enough for them though. Lots of marinas, gas, food, etc.
02-17-2011, 02:46 PM
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We stay with friends in Deerfield. We take the Malibu, not the Formula. The lake is similar to Cumberland if you're launching & retrieving. As others have said, it's mostly water skiing, wake boarding, house boating, jet skiing. Not too many offshores, but I'd rather see/hear them than the pocket cruisers that are zig-zagging along, pulling six kids on a tube.
There's a bridge by Sugar Hollow Marina that the locals jump off and party under. I think Sea Ray and Malibu had a rendezvous there. Two words to remember: Dry county. Some places have beer and wine coolers, but for anything else, you've got to bring it. Some marinas have fireworks for the Fourth (Sequoia, I think).
My perception is Norris is like Cumberland, but more family oriented.
There's a bridge by Sugar Hollow Marina that the locals jump off and party under. I think Sea Ray and Malibu had a rendezvous there. Two words to remember: Dry county. Some places have beer and wine coolers, but for anything else, you've got to bring it. Some marinas have fireworks for the Fourth (Sequoia, I think).
My perception is Norris is like Cumberland, but more family oriented.
02-17-2011, 06:13 PM
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Beautiful Lake !
I get down there once a yr. and love the warm, deep,calm waters for Boating fun.Totally diffirent from my Northeast Boating condtions.
We stay at the Deeerfield Condo's and visit Springs dock for food & lunch stops.
Here's a vid i took while cruising with the Brother inlaws 22Donzi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Th9O5Mtpak
I was there for the Malibu rally last yr. and also jumping off that bridge is always a ritual..
I get down there once a yr. and love the warm, deep,calm waters for Boating fun.Totally diffirent from my Northeast Boating condtions.
We stay at the Deeerfield Condo's and visit Springs dock for food & lunch stops.
Here's a vid i took while cruising with the Brother inlaws 22Donzi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Th9O5Mtpak
I was there for the Malibu rally last yr. and also jumping off that bridge is always a ritual..
02-19-2011, 12:06 PM
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I might run up there that weekend. We usually have a Rockin the Docks thing that weekend on Ft. Loudon so it will depend on where my crew wants to go that day.
