Middle Tennessee · County seat Charlotte

Fishing in Dickson County, Tennessee

Cumberland River (Cheatham Reservoir pool), Harpeth River, Piney River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots4 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Dickson County

4 public access points in Dickson County: 3 boat launches and 1 designated fishing site. Each one opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Dickson County

Three picks from the largemouth bass checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Smallmouth Bass checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Dickson County at a glance

Dickson County boat ramps and fishing access

Dickson County has 4 public fishing access points: 3 boat ramps, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

3boat ramps

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Dickson

Main fishing waters in Dickson County

What each of these is actually known for, and what you can expect to catch.

river/reservoir · Cheatham pool is 7,450 acres overall · US Army Corps of Engineers

Cumberland River (Cheatham Reservoir pool)

Forms the county’s northeastern boundary; this reach is big, slow navigation water best fished for catfish and, in winter, sauger.

catfish (bluechannelflathead)largemouth

river · Harpeth River State Park protects multiple segments · TDEC (state park) and TWRA

Harpeth River

Runs along the county’s eastern border; a State Scenic River in places and one of the better small-river smallmouth fisheries within an hour of Nashville, with the added draw of the Narrows of the Harpeth.

smallmouth bassrock basslargemouthsunfish

river · 23.7 miles, formed where the West and East Piney meet near Mount Sinai · TWRA, mixed…

Piney River

Rises in Dickson County and runs southwest into Hickman County to meet the Duck River near Centerville; a genuine float-and-wade smallmouth stream and the county’s most distinctive fishing asset.

smallmouth bassrock basssunfishcatfish

What it looks like

Dickson County water

Photographs of the water this page covers. Every picture opens that water’s own page. Drag or swipe to see the rest.

Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain

Old Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Duck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Geobeedude / CC BY-SA 3.0

Cordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain

The ones nobody writes about

Small and out-of-the-way water in Dickson County

County lakes, park ponds, creeks and river stretches in Dickson County that never make a best-of list. Several of them fish better than the famous water on a busy weekend.

state park lake · approx. 35 acres (verify)

Acorn Lake, Montgomery Bell State Park

The main park lake, with seasonal boat rental and no gas motors.

largemouth bassbluegillcatfish

state park lake · small

Lake Woodhaven, Montgomery Bell State Park

The quieter of the park’s lakes.

bassbreamcatfish

state park lake · small

Creech Hollow Lake, Montgomery Bell State Park

Smallest of the three and the least fished.

bassbreamcatfish

city park pond · small

J.D. Buckner Park pond, Dickson

On TWRA’s winter rainbow trout stocking schedule, this is the county’s confirmed winter trout option and is genuinely obscure outside Dickson.

breamcatfishstocked rainbow trout

creeks

Tumbling Creek and Brush Creek

Reported as stocked waters in one TWRA listing but not confirmed on the winter schedule.

sunfishrock basspossible stocked trout

creeks

Jones Creek and Turnbull Creek

Tributaries with road-crossing access only.

sunfishrock basssmall smallmouth

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Dickson County

Fishing from the bank in Dickson County

Acorn Lake, Lake Woodhaven and Creech Hollow Lake shorelines at Montgomery Bell State Park; J.D. Buckner Park pond in Dickson (paved, easy, stocked with trout in winter); Harpeth River State Park access points including the Narrows of the Harpeth; Piney River at public road crossings; Cumberland River bank at public road ends, verify each for posting

Getting a boat on the water in Dickson County

Montgomery Bell State Park rents canoes, kayaks and paddle boats on Acorn Lake seasonally through a concession operator; gas motors are not permitted on the park lakes. The Harpeth River is the county’s headline paddling water, the Narrows of the Harpeth is one of the most popular canoe runs in Middle Tennessee, with a short portage across the neck making a compact loop.

The Piney River is a quieter, more technical float through Dickson into Hickman County, with commercial canoe rental operating from Pinewood/Nunnelly on the Hickman County end. The Cumberland is navigation water with barge traffic, unsuitable for casual paddling.

Two different trips

Visiting Dickson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Dickson County

Montgomery Bell State Park (three lakes, lodge, golf course, campground, cabins); Harpeth River State Park and the Narrows of the Harpeth; the Piney River float; Charlotte’s 1835 courthouse, Tennessee’s oldest in continuous use, for non-anglers

Where Dickson County locals actually go

The upper Piney River above Mount Sinai where the West and East forks join. Harpeth River access points upstream of the Narrows, which see a fraction of the canoe traffic.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Dickson County water

Creel and length limits in Dickson County

J.D. Buckner Park pond is on TWRA’s winter rainbow trout stocking schedule, so trout regulations and a trout licence apply there seasonally. Acorn Lake at Montgomery Bell has been reported as a stocked trout water in at least one TWRA listing, verify, because if correct it changes the licence requirement for park visitors.

Montgomery Bell State Park lakes are electric-motor or paddle only, no gas motors. The Harpeth River carries statewide stream bass regulations; confirm whether any scenic-river section has a special restriction.

Cheatham Reservoir rules apply on the Cumberland: largemouth 14-inch minimum, smallmouth 18-inch, crappie 30/day at 10 inches, catfish unlimited under 34 inches with one over.

3 public boat launches in Dickson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Dickson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Dickson County?

Acorn Lake, Lake Woodhaven and Creech Hollow Lake shorelines at Montgomery Bell State Park.

How many public boat ramps are in Dickson County?

TWRA’s access database lists 3 boat launches in Dickson County. Most of them are on Cheatham Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Dickson County?

Yes. Anyone 13 and over needs a Tennessee fishing license, and there is no license required for ages 12 and under. A resident annual combination hunt and fish license is $33, a resident one-day all-species license is $11, and a non-resident three-day all-species license is $40. Tennessee has no non-resident one-day license. Buy online at gooutdoorstennessee.com, from a county clerk or from a licensed agent. Licenses are digital, nothing arrives in the post.

What fish can you catch in Dickson County?

The main species across Dickson County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, white bass, sauger, catfish and rainbow trout. Each water body on the fishing spots page lists what it is actually known for, which is not always the same thing.

Does my Tennessee license cover trout in Dickson County?

Not automatically. The $33 resident combination hunt and fish license does not cover trout, and neither does the county-of-residence license or the cheaper no-trout short-term options. Those need the $21 annual trout supplemental added on. The Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include trout. This matters in Dickson County, because there is trout water here.

What are the creel limits in Dickson County?

J. D Buckner Park pond is on TWRA’s winter rainbow trout stocking schedule, so trout regulations and a trout licence apply there seasonally Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Dickson County?

Broken Paddle Outfitters operates boat rentals on Lake Acorn at Montgomery Bell State Park (seasonal. There is a fuller list on the Dickson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Dickson County?

J.D. Buckner Park pond in Dickson during the winter trout stocking, a city park pond most anglers outside the county have never heard of. Creech Hollow Lake at Montgomery Bell, the least-fished of the three park lakes. The upper Piney River above Mount Sinai where the West and East forks join. Harpeth River access points upstream of the Narrows, which see a fraction of the canoe traffic.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Dickson County

Each of these has a page of its own covering the whole water, not just the Dickson County end of it, with every public access point on it and what it holds.

LakeCheatham Lake1 access point in Dickson County, 14 in totalSee the spots →RiverCumberland River1 access point in Dickson County, 13 in totalSee the spots →RiverHarpeth River12 in totalSee the spots →

Dickson County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Conditions

Dickson County lake levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsCheatham Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Cheatham Dam generation schedule.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Dickson CountyTWRA stocks Acorn Lake (Montgomery Bell SP), J.D. Buckner Park. Dates are on the stocking schedule.Open →

Statewide limits: 5 black bass, 15 crappie at 10 inches, 2 stripers at 15 inches, 7 trout.

About this list

Where the Dickson County access list comes from

The 4 access points above come from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s public access database, which is why each one names the agency that owns or manages it. A state or TVA ramp is usually free. A Corps of Engineers site, a state park ramp or a marina often is not.

The waters, species and local notes are researched separately, county by county, against TWRA’s own reservoir pages, TVA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee State Parks.

Ramps close for repairs, gravel roads wash out and regulations change. Treat anything here as a starting point and call ahead if you are driving a long way for it.

By town instead

Towns near Dickson County

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number you actually care about.

24 access points within 30 milesFishing near DicksonHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →

Tennessee sells no non-resident one-day fishing license. The three-day is the shortest option.

Keep looking

Counties next to Dickson

Fish do not respect county lines. These are the nearest counties to Dickson with public water of their own. Each one opens its own page.

Next county overCheatham CountyHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →Next county overMontgomery CountyLake Barkley, Red RiverSee the spots →Next county overRobertson CountyRed RiverSee the spots →Next county overHouston CountyKentucky Lake / Tennessee River, Cumberland River / Lake BarkleySee the spots →Next county overDavidson CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Dickson County water, and who fishes it

Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits

Weather alerts, power outages and road closures in Dickson County right now: Dickson County conditions.