Rockwood Marina & RV Resort

On 1.5 miles of Watts Bar Lake shoreline in Roane County, Tennessee, Rockwood Marina and RV Resort opened in summer 2023 as one of the most ambitious marina-integrated campground developments in the Tennessee Valley—a 149-site resort where 69 waterfront RV sites, a saltwater swimming pool, a sandy beach, kayak and pontoon boat rentals, covered and uncovered marina slips, and an on-site bar and grille create the complete lakefront resort experience on one of the Tennessee Valley Authority's most celebrated recreational lakes. Seven miles from Interstate 40 and accessible from both Knoxville and Nashville along the I-40 corridor, the resort serves both the destination visitor who comes specifically for Watts Bar Lake's fishing and boating and the highway traveler who discovers a genuine lakefront resort at a convenient exit. One hundred forty-nine RV sites include 69 waterfront positions and the remaining park-view sites, all with full hookup electric, water, and sewer connections serving the spectrum from overnight travelers to multi-week fishing enthusiasts using the resort as a seasonal base for Watts Bar Lake exploration. The marina's uncovered sailboat slips and covered lifted slips accommodate trailered and transported boats alongside the kayak, paddleboard, and pontoon boat rental fleet that serves guests without their own watercraft. A saltwater swimming pool, kiddie pool, sandy beach, bathhouse with self-service laundry, dog run, and retail store provide the resort's land-side amenity complement. Watts Bar Lake, formed by Watts Bar Dam on the Tennessee River and spanning 39,000 acres across five counties, supports one of the Tennessee Valley's most productive freshwater fisheries—with largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, and catfish all present in the deep-water main channel and the protected coves indenting the lake's 783 miles of shoreline. The lake's length creates a fishery of almost unlimited variety, from the deep main-channel ledges holding striped bass in summer to the shallow rocky points and coves producing largemouth bass in the spring spawn. The resort's marina infrastructure and boat rental fleet provide multiple access points to this fishery for guests with and without their own watercraft. Oak Ridge, about 15 miles northeast on the US 27 corridor, preserves the legacy of the Manhattan Project's X-10 Graphite Reactor—the world's first continuously operated nuclear reactor, now a National Historic Landmark at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge interprets the Manhattan Project's history and Oak Ridge National Laboratory's continuing role in American scientific research in exhibits accessible to the general public. Knoxville, about 35 miles northeast via I-40, provides the full urban amenity suite of East Tennessee's largest city—the University of Tennessee campus, Market Square's restaurant district, the Tennessee Theatre, and the Old City entertainment corridor. Watts Bar Lake's summer season from Memorial Day through Labor Day operates at peak activity, when the resort's waterfront sites, pool, and marina boat rentals fill to capacity and advance reservations become essential for the most desirable lakefront positions. Spring—from April through May—represents the prime bass fishing season on Watts Bar Lake, when largemouth bass move into the shallows for the spawn and produce the most consistent angling activity of the calendar year. Fall provides the most comfortable ambient conditions for extended outdoor stays, with the summer heat gone and the Tennessee Valley's hardwood foliage adding its October color display to a shoreline already beautiful in its native Roane County character.