Reel in the thrill as your East Tennessee fishing guide, Captain Billy, leads you on a guided adventure across the Tennessee River and its lakes! I take up to three anglers on my brand-new 21-foot Excel Catfish Pro for epic catfish trips. As a fully licensed and insured fishing guide based in Knoxville, I’m ready to make your East Tennessee fishing adventure unforgettable.
East Tennessee Fishing Guide Trip Rates and Information
- Fishing trip (~4 hours) – up to 2 anglers $350. Anglers under 16 fish for free with a paying adult. Please bring appropriate personal floatation device (PFD) for the child. Deposit required. Lakes and Rivers fished are in the Knoxville/Kingston Tennessee Area. Please check out my trip types below the booking calendar!
- Deposit – $100 (subtracted from total)
- Payment Methods – I take secure payments through my booking calendar below, which allows debit cards, credit cards, or PayPal. My booking calendar allows you to pay the required deposit, or you can pay in full if needed, through PayPal (no PayPal account needed). At the end of the trip, I accept debit cards, credit cards, cash (preferred), PayPal, or Venmo for the remaining balance. You’re welcome to tip if you’d like, but it’s not mandatory.
- Note: During the summertime it gets extremely hot on the water and I have no protection from the sun. We start early just before the sun is up and call it when it starts getting hot around 4 hours later. Sometimes I go longer if its a slow or cloudy day. Contact me if you are looking for something else (groups, more time, etc).
Contact info
- Phone: (865) 690-5144 – Click here to call me. Please feel free to call or text me at your convenience. If I am unable to answer, kindly leave a voicemail, and I will respond promptly. Note that due to a high volume of spam calls, your call may be directed to voicemail.
- Email: Billy@TNRVG.com – Click here to email
Book your East Tennessee Fishing Guide now!
Explore below the booking calendar for extensive details on my East Tennessee fishing guide service. You will discover the fish species we target, our meeting and fishing locations, and accommodation options. Don’t forget to secure your Tennessee Fishing License from Go Outdoors website: https://gooutdoorstennessee.com/ before the fishing trip. Book now before your date is taken!
Fishing trip types:
- Catfish Trips – Our waterways host three main catfish species: Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish, and Channel Catfish. I use traditional bottom fishing and modern dragging techniques with the freshest baits, making catfishing the heart of my trips! While I don’t recommend eating catfish from most of our lakes, Tellico Lake is cleaner. I’m open to running an “eater” trip there, using jugs to target smaller catfish. Keep in mind, I’m still learning Tellico, so we might come up empty-handed!
- Multi-Species “Mixed Bag” Trips – Our waters teem with variety, making these trips perfect for kids and anglers of all levels, with species like Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, the occasional Walleye or Yellow Perch, catfish, and abundant Freshwater Drum. Using my new Creek Bank Bait Tank, 30 Pro, I keep live bait—threadfins for most mixed-species action and gizzard shad for Striped Bass—fresh and ready for action. If those aren’t available, I switch to minnows or shiners, occasionally mixing in artificial lures for extra fun. On Tellico Lake, you’ll find the same diverse catches, plus I’ve consistently hooked Crappie by pitching live bait around the docks. Since I’m still learning Tellico, we might strike out some days, but the thrill of the chase keeps everyone, especially kids, hooked!
Less Popular Fishing Trips I Offer
- Common Carp – Experience the thrill of Common Carp fishing using European methods with rod and reel. These catches are just as exhilarating as Catfish!
- Musky – For those seeking the challenge of Musky fishing, prepare for an fun adventure. With the “fish of 10,000 casts”, perseverance is key. I only schedule Musky trips during cooler temperatures avoiding the summer months. This maximizes chances for optimal success and survival of the Musky, if one is caught. Additionally, I can not guarantee you will catch the fish of 10,000 casts! Just seeing one chase your bait is considered a good day!
Trophy Fish
I’m equipped year-round to target trophy catfish and offer dedicated trips during certain times of the year. I look further south for these specialized trophy catfish trips trips, where your chances of catching a true giant are significantly higher. These seasonal trips include an additional fee due to the extended travel required. On my standard fishing trips, many guests have landed trophy catfish at no extra cost, making every outing a potential trophy adventure!
How the fishing trip works:
I provide all the fishing equipment, bait, and the boat for us to fish out of. Additionally, please be sure to buy a Tennessee fishing license online at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s “Go Outdoors Tennessee” website before we go fishing.
Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions and bring a cooler with ice if you plan on keeping any fish. I do not clean fish or recommend keeping any fish from our lakes (with the exception of Tellico Lake). Please take care of cleaning after the trip if you decide to keep any. Furthermore, please bring some non-alcoholic drinks and snacks for yourself if needed. Children under 16 must have life jackets on at all times and I ask you bring one due to the varying size of children. Book now so you don’t lose the date you want to fish!
Explore Our Fishing Locations
I guide exciting fishing trips across East Tennessee’s rivers and lakes near Knoxville and Kingston Tennessee, including Watts Bar, Tellico, Melton Hill, and the Tennessee and Clinch rivers—perfect for kids and anglers alike. For Catfish trips, I meet at Kingston City Park Boat Ramp during high water (late spring to early fall) or Ladd Landing Boat Ramp during low water (late fall to early spring). For “Mixed Bag” trips, I typically launch from Melton Hill Dam Tailwater Boat Ramp. Since I switch ramps and lakes often, I’ll confirm the meeting spot in advance. Contact me to arrange a different location!
Where to Stay Near the Tennessee River
I am an East Tennessee fishing guide that lives in Knoxville, which is situated at the intersection of I-75 and I-40. It takes me 30 to 45 minutes to reach many of my fishing spots from here. Although there are plenty of hotels for travelers in Knoxville, I tend to fish around Kingston, Tennessee, if you are looking for a place near the water. Sometimes I fish at Fort Loudoun Lake, which is in Knoxville itself. Other times, I venture further south to fish at Watts Bar Dam.
While there are some hotels in the Kingston and Oak Ridge areas, there are fewer attractions there compared to the Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg areas. These areas are situated in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They offer a range of accommodations including log cabins for rent and hotels for tourists. Visitors can enjoy popular attractions like Dollywood and the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Aquarium. Furthermore, check out this website for more information about places to stay in the Smokey’s: https://www.visitmysmokies.com/. Sevierville and Pigeon Forge are around 1.5 hours away from my fishing spots. Additionally, Gatlinburg can be over 2 hours depending on traffic.
You can also check out KAYAK for travel deals! Search flights, hotels, and places to stay easily and fast!
Discover My Fishing Boat
At present, I guide fishing excursions from the Excel Catfish Pro 21. This boat is a robust 21-foot catfish boat accommodating up to six passengers. Furthermore, my boat is fully equipped with a self deploying Ulterra Trolling motor, anchor poles for shallow water, and MulTbars featuring Smackdown Catfishing Rod Holders ready for your next catch. Additionally, the boat is powered by a dependable Suzuki 150 horsepower outboard. This vessel is primed to embark on your upcoming fishing escapade!
Other Important East Tennessee Fishing Guide Information
TRANSPARENCY
As a dedicated YouTube content creator and East Tennessee fishing guide, I pride myself on being among the most transparent guides in the industry. As a result, I cannot promise a trophy fish catch (no guide can) and the catch of a specific fish. However, I commit to employing top-tier techniques customized for targeting trophy fish. Therefore, for a chance to land a trophy fish, I recommend booking a trophy trip when available and being ready to travel a substantial distance. Contact me for more information.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If we have to cancel a trip due to severe weather we will either reschedule your trip or provide a full refund of your deposit (your choice). If you cancel a trip with more than two weeks notice I will refund your deposit. Additionally, I am prepared to fish if it just raining and I advise you should be too. If you cancel with less than two weeks notice we keep the deposit. We can reschedule your trip at the earliest mutually convenient date.
NO FISH POLICY
If we are unable to catch any fish during a normal fishing trip you do not have to pay me for my services until we catch fish on a makeup trip in the future (minus deposit). Unfortunately, specialty trips and lakes like Tellico may be excluded. Contact me if you have questions about this policy.
Thank you for your interest in my East Tennessee fishing guide service!