The Holston River is a 136-mile river that flows from Kingsport, Tennessee to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Holston’s confluence with the French Broad River at Knoxville marks the beginning of the Tennessee River.
About 30 miles east of Knoxville, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Cherokee Dam forms Cherokee Lake, named for the historic Native Americans who occupied the areas along the Holston River at the time of Early-American settlements. Today, Jefferson City and Morristown are population centers on the eastern shore.
The Holston River tailwater below Cherokee Dam is one of Tennessee’s premier fly fishing rivers. However, access is very limited. The public boat ramps on the river are found at Cherokee Dam, Indian Cave, and Nance’s Ferry. The trout tailwater extends more than 21 miles downstream from the dam to the meeting of the French Broad River. The is the beginning of the Tennessee River.