The Watauga River flows westward from Grandfather Mountain, NC into Tennessee, providing world-class trout fishing as well as rafting and kayaking opportunities before ultimately emptying into Boone Lake near Johnson City. The tailwater, hosting a majority of activity, begins below Wilbur Dam in Elizabethton, TN and holds the designation of a trophy stream in the lower section. For up-to-date information on water levels, visit Tennessee Valley Authority’s lake levels page.