Chatuge Shines as Top Fishing Spot

TVA and Partners Steward Critical Fish Habitat

 Shady shores studded with pines, campgrounds and marinas. Waters where anglers cast for bass and boaters tuck into tranquil, turquoise coves.

This is Chatuge Reservoir – pronounced sha-TOOG, like Chatt-a-NOOG-a – a 7,000-acre oasis tucked near the tail of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the North Carolina-Georgia line.

It's where prime habitat drives healthy populations of dozens of fish species – as well as birds, bats and deer – helping outdoor recreation businesses thrive.

Formed by a TVA earthen dam that produces power as it protects those downriver from floods, Chatuge exemplifies TVA’s tri-part mission of energy production, environmental stewardship and economic development.

Now, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, TVA is working to steward critical fish habitat and, in turn, bolster local economies.

On a steamy summer day, staff and volunteers planted 1,600 water willow and buttonbush in shady coves.

“The goal is to provide bank stabilization, because the water fluctuates in the reservoir,” Josh Stafford, fisheries biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said. “It enhances the angling experience and provides increased habitat for the fish they’re targeting.”

That helps fish – and the local economy.

A 2021 University of Georgia assessment found that tourism generates $117.4 million in revenue in Towns County and supports 1,362 jobs.

By providing spots with beautiful blooms where anglers can cast, this project draws tourists to Chatuge’s serene shores.

And about 25% of the county’s employment comes from local outdoor recreation.

“Chatuge is incredibly biodiverse, and it’s a great vacation and recreation spot,” Shannon O’Quinn, TVA Environmental Stewardship senior program manager, said. “This partnership is a win-win for all.”

Tree-riffic Fish and Economic Benefits

In project planning, O’Quinn and Stafford think like a fish. That means crafting underwater spots to hide, feed and breed.

“We’re looking at three different kinds of natural habitat this year,” O’Quinn said.

Woody habitat from sunken trees offers slow-decaying branches where fish can duck away from predators and lay eggs in protected pockets.

Water-loving native tree species such as water willow and buttonbush in coves cast shade, and their fallen leaves feed aquatic insects that fish gobble.

Finally, wispy water willow plants at the water’s edge hold nutrient-rich sediment, in which fish feed among wavy fronds.

“These native plants reduce sediment and increase habitat for crappie, largemouth bass and other brim species such as bluegill and redear,” Stafford said.

Those are some of anglers’ favorite fish.

“It’s a two-phase project,” O’Quinn said. “We’re adding natural habitat this year and artificial (engineered) habitat next year.”

That will benefit the 30 species of fish living in Chatuge, big and small, which include buffalo, drum, shad, shiner, sunfish and walleye.

The diversity of fish brings tourists to the counties of Georgia and Towns, which surround Chatuge. In turn, tourists fuel local marinas, outfitters, campgrounds, lodging operations, restaurants and more along the 132-mile shoreline.

All that visitation adds up to big benefits: increased habitat, improved water quality, stable fish populations into the future and long-term economic gains for the community.

“This partnership with TVA has been helpful, insightful and encouraging,” Stafford said. “It’s great to see how our management goals align.”