Jefferson County has shoreline on two of the largest lakes in Tennessee Cherokee Lake is on the county's northern border and Douglas Lake is on the southern border. There are abundant opportunities for fishing, boating, skiing, camping and swimming. There is no closed fishing season. Both Douglas and Cherokee lakes have several access areas, boat docks, marinas, campgrounds and parks.

Cherokee Lake is located in the foothills of East Tennessee. Formed from the Holston River and its tributaries, its 30,300 acres of water surface and 463 miles of shoreline attract more than 2.5 million visits a year. TVA has installed aeration systems at Cherokee Dam to improve the health of the fish population as well as increase the number of fish species.

Douglas Lake is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Formed from the French Broad River and its tributaries of the Nolichucky and Pigeon Rivers, its 30,400 acres of water surface and 555 miles of shoreline attract more than 1.7 million visitors a year.

Both lakes have a fish population very similar to that found in other East Tennessee resevoirs-Black Bass, Sauger, Walleye, Crappie and the