Diamond of Tennessee

Fort Loudoun Lake stretches for 55 miles past its namesake dam and is monitored and administrated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Though the nearby town of Loudon holds a similar name, the 14,600-acre lake is a landmark all its own! Of its 379-mile shoreline, Fort Loudoun Lake connects to two separate reservoirs on its southern border: Watts Bar Reservoir and Tellico Reservoir.

Essentials

Fort Loudoun Lake’s winding nature means it brushes against a few cities. Measurements for distance will be from the Fort Loudoun Lake Dam.

Emergency medical care can be found at Fort Loudon Medical Center in Lenoir City. The closest major airport is Mcghee Tyson Airport in Maryville, less than 30 minutes away.

Life at Fort Loudoun Lake

Fort Loudoun Lake’s location permits lovely four-season weather, and the calm waters are well-suited for kayaking, skiing, powerboating, and all lake activities.

Fort Loudoun Lake is host to several marinas, campgrounds, and clubs. Six boat ramps dot its shores. The Historic Fort Loudoun State Park, however, can be found in the adjacent Tellico Lake! 

Well known for its high-quality bass fishing, Fort Loudoun Lake has become a hotspot for fishing enthusiasts. While anglers come for the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, the lake also boasts crappie, sauger, catfish, bluegill, and white bass.

A Tale of Two Lakes

Despite its geographical separation from the lake that shares its name, Fort Loudoun and Fort Loudoun Lake are intricately linked in their narratives. The history of Fort Loudoun Lake stretches back for centuries to the era of colonial America. The prevailing tensions between the Cherokee, British, and French formed a highly combustible situation.

For a long time, the British had sought to establish fortifications within Cherokee territory due to the growing French influence, which posed a threat to their American colonies. The opportunity finally arose in 1755 when the Cherokee appealed to the British for assistance following raids conducted by tribes supported by the French. Seizing this chance, a group of Virginians commenced the construction of Fort Loudoun in October 1756. The Virginians departed before the arrival of the South Carolinians, led by Captain Raymond Demeré.

Captain Demeré was soon joined by John Willam Gerard de Brahm, a German engineer assigned to the fort’s design. Their conflicting ideas frequently clashed, culminating in a dispute that reached its peak when de Brahm returned to South Carolina, earning himself the moniker “the warrior who fled under the cover of darkness” among the Cherokee. With de Brahm’s departure, Demeré assumed full control of the design and oversaw the completion of the fort in 1757. It was named in honor of the Earl of Loudoun, the British troops’ commander at the time.

While the Anglo-Cherokee War raged on, Fort Loudoun experienced a period of relative tranquility. However, the relationship between the British and Cherokee deteriorated in 1758. As miscommunications and skirmishes persisted, the two sides found themselves engulfed in the throes of war. It was not until March 1760 that the Cherokee launched an assault on the British fortifications. The fort’s cannons successfully held off the Cherokee forces, resulting in a prolonged siege rather than a clear-cut victory. Anticipating such a scenario, Demeré had stockpiled sufficient provisions to sustain the garrison for several months. Later that year, Demeré surrendered and attempted to flee to South Carolina. Tragically, his party fell into an ambush at night by a force of 700, and Demeré would never reach his intended destination.

During the tumultuous years of the Great Depression, preservationists in Tennessee embarked on the formidable task of reconstructing Fort Loudoun. The Fort Loudoun Association, an organization dedicated to the fort’s preservation, encountered opposition from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the 1960s due to the proposed Tellico Dam. The construction of the dam would have resulted in the submergence of Fort Loudoun and numerous Cherokee towns, prompting strong resistance. Eventually, the TVA relented and allocated funds to raise the fort’s location above the lake’s water levels. This is why Fort Loudoun State Historic Park now stands proudly on an island in Tellico Lake. In 1965, the fort was officially designated as a National Historic Landmark.

The Place to Stay

Fort Loudoun Lake’s rich culture, proximity to Knoxville, and limitless opportunities make it a treasured location! The lake’s backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains provides an unmatched scenic panorama.