TVA's Watauga Dam — one of the highest dams in the eastern United States at 318 feet — impounds the pristine Watauga Lake behind a concrete arch structure in the mountains of Carter County. The dam overlook area provides dramatic views of the powerhouse and the mountain-ringed reservoir. Fishing in the tailwater below the dam is excellent for trout, and TVA maintains a small recreation area at the dam base. An impressive feat of mid-20th-century engineering integrated into the spectacular mountain landscape.