Fishing at Lake Ottosee, Knox County, Tennessee

• Overview

  Lake Ottosee is one of the Knox County waters in Tennessee. The ground around here is dry hill. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Knoxville is the closest town at 3.3 miles. It is 3.1 miles to Knoxville, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ottosee

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Species logged across Knox County include bluegill, snubnose darter, redbreast sunfish and smallmouth bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lake Ottosee gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 77°F in July and bottom out at 37°F in January. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Lake Ottosee fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data records a pier about 110 yards out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Mill Lake at 6.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Lake Ottosee before loading the car.