The 14 lakes in the first phase of the Signature Lake project include both large reservoirs and small lakes that provide access to anglers of all ages and interests .
Watauga Lake on the extreme eastern edge of Tennessee in Johnson and Carter counties , to whopper-sized bluegill in 10,247-acre Reelfoot Lake – the state ’ s largest natural lake , in the extreme northwestern corner of the state in Lake and Obion Counties – the Bill Dance Signature Lakes are equally divided among the three regions of the state ( Eastern , Central , Western ) to provide maximum accessibility to both Tennesseans and to traveling anglers passing through the state ’ s borders .
“ We have a state that stretches more than 400 miles across , from east to west ,” Dance says . “ Chances are , if you ’ re coming down to the South from anywhere in the north – or if you ’ re driving north from Florida , Alabama , Georgia and those states – you ’ re going to go through Tennessee at some point . There ’ s a Signature Lake near wherever you ’ re going and fish there waiting for your hook .”
When Bill Dance talks Tennessee fishing …
Dance ’ s unabashed love of the Volunteer State ’ s fishing wealth should come as no surprise to the three generations of anglers who have spent endless hours watching the amiable Tennessean fishing , catching , teaching – and sometimes pratfalling – his way through more than 2,000 episodes of Bill Dance Outdoors . Dance ’ s show started quietly in 1968 on WHBQ in Memphis before elevating to ESPN , The Nashville Network , the Outdoor Life Network and Outdoor Channel , a 55-year on-air run that cemented the host as a the most well-known angler in the world , and a died-in-the-wool Vol ; orange-and-white University of
“ When you think about it , you could say that the entire state of Tennessee is a fishing town ,”
Tennessee hat perched on his head as he fished lakes largely inside the borders of his home state .
America ’ s bass anglers have literally grown up with Bill Dance . And when Uncle Billy talks about fishing in Tennessee , we all listen .
“ There ’ s no other place you can go in this country that has better opportunities to catch fish on the number of great lakes we have in Tennessee ,” he says . “ We ’ re well
PHOTO BY JOEL SHANGLE PHOTO BY JOEL SHANGLE
54 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024