Norris Lake Cumberland Gap and the Historic Wilderness Trail was marked by Daniel Boone.

 Along the 800 miles of shoreline, there are two state wildlife management areas, three state parks, boat docks, county parks, and public access areas. The first dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority created Norris Lake. A hydroelectric dam whose construction was completed in 1936. The dam is 265 feet high and 1,860 feet long. It contains a million cubic yards of concrete. Three years later, its completion helped moderate the disastrous Ohio and Mississippi River flood of 1937. Norris has the largest flood control storage of any TVA dam.
Famous for striped bass or rockfish, Norris Lake is well known to anglers for its trophy-size bass and walleye-as well as beautiful catches of black crappie. Clear, deep water produces excellent catches of rockfish, walleye, and bass, as well as the usual species found in other area lakes.