West Tennessee · County seat Decaturville

Fishing in Decatur County, Tennessee

Q: What are the creel limits in Decatur County?

Kentucky Lake runs a distinct crappie limit — 20/day in combination with a 10-inch minimum, rather than the 30/day allowed on several Middle Tennessee reservoirs. Black bass 5/day combined with a 15-inch minimum for largemouth and smallmouth and no length limit on spotted bass Sauger 10/day, 15-inch minimum Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Q: Where can I buy bait and tackle in Decatur County?

Perryville Marina, Parsons — 731-847-2444, boat and pontoon rentals, fuel, slips. Cherokee Marina & Grill, Sugar Tree — 731-847-3625. Fisherdale Marina, Decaturville — 731-852-2900. Mermaid Marina, Decaturville — 731-852-2743. RiverStone Marina, Bath Springs — 731-549-2345, deli and grill on site. Beech Bend Park campground, 731-733-4087. No standalone bait-and-tackle retailer in the county was verified by name. Nearest Walmart Supercenter: Lexington (Henderson Co., ~25 min from Parsons) and Savannah (Hardin Co., ~45 min). Nearest Academy Sports: Jackson (~50 min). Nearest Bass Pro: Memphis (~2 hr 15 min).. There is a fuller list on the Decatur County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Q: Where do locals fish in Decatur County?

The Beech River confluence embayment near Perryville — sheltered crappie and catfish water when the main river is blown out. Beech Bend Park's bank, which is a county park rather than a marina and costs nothing to fish. The river mile 155–161 reach near Bath Springs, which is well upstream of the Perryville crowd.

Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River), Beech River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots10 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Decatur County

10 public access points in Decatur County: 7 boat launches, 1 fishing pier and 3 marinas. 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.

Kentucky Lake 9 in Decatur County

Kentucky 1 in Decatur County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAStewman CreekHwy. 69 in Bath Springs1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.39403, -88.13737

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Decatur 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

Decatur County at a glance

Decatur County boat ramps and fishing access

Decatur County has 10 public fishing access points: 7 boat ramps, 1 fishing pier and 3 marinas, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

7boat ramps

1fishing pier

3marinas

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Decatur

Main fishing waters in Decatur County

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

reservoir · 160,000+ acres total, TWRA gives 108,217 acres in Tennessee; Decatur County fronts…

Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River)

Decatur County sits on the Tennessee River side of the “Heart of the Tennessee River” stretch around river miles 135–161, which is classic ledge country, submerged creek channels, roadbeds and stumpfields in 6–14 ft that hold post-spawn bass through summer.

largemouthsmallmouthspotted basscrappie

river · approx. 23 miles · TVA watershed project / TWRA

Beech River

Enters the Tennessee River in Decatur County after draining the Beech River watershed lakes upstream; the lower river and its confluence embayment are the Decatur County portion.

largemouthcrappiecatfishbream

What it looks like

Decatur County water

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

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Reelfoot LakeOpen the Reelfoot Lake page →User:JeremyA / CC BY-SA 2.5

Mississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Ceptember / CC BY-SA 4.0

Pickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0

Obion RiverOpen the Obion River page →David.k.hochreiter / CC BY-SA 3.0

Forked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domain

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

river/embayment

Beech River lower reach and confluence

Backs up into the Kentucky Lake pool near Perryville, a quieter alternative to the main river when the lake is rough.

crappiecatfishlargemouth

250-acre natural area, no fishable water · TDEC

Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area

Included only to note that it is NOT a fishing destinationsince it appears on county attraction lists alongside the river sites.

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Decatur County

Fishing from the bank in Decatur County

Beech Bend Park shoreline, 5 miles east of Parsons (11 acres of county park directly on the Tennessee River, with fishing access, playground and camping); the riverbank at Perryville near the SR-20 bridge crossing; marina shorelines where the operator permits it (ask first, several are private property)

Getting a boat on the water in Decatur County

Decatur County is unusually well served with marinas for its population: Perryville Marina (Parsons, river mile 135.5, 731-847-2444) has boat and pontoon rentals, slips, fuel and RV sites; RiverStone Marina (Bath Springs, river mile 161, 731-549-2345) has 47 covered slips, boat ramps, a pavilion and a deli/grill; Cherokee Marina & Grill (Sugar Tree, 731-847-3625) is full-service with an RV park; Fisherdale Marina (Decaturville, river marker 140, 731-852-2900) has fuel and food; Mermaid Marina (Decaturville, 731-852-2743) is a full-service station and restaurant. Beech Bend Park (731-733-4087) has two county ramps and camping.

The Tennessee River here is a working navigation channel, barge traffic is constant and wake from tows is a genuine hazard for small boats. The Beech River embayment is the calmer paddling option.

Two different trips

Visiting Decatur County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Decatur County

Perryville Marina and the Perryville river landing; Beech Bend Park; RiverStone Marina at Bath Springs; Tennessee River Golf Club (18 holes, 731-852-2582) for non-anglers in the party; Brownsport Furnace, an 1830s ironworks on the National Register with public access; Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area (250 acres, 2-mile trail through limestone glades and native prairie grass)

Where Decatur County locals actually go

The river mile 155–161 reach near Bath Springs, which is well upstream of the Perryville crowd.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Decatur County water

Creel and length limits in Decatur County

Kentucky Lake runs a distinct crappie limit, 20/day in combination with a 10-inch minimum, rather than the 30/day allowed on several Middle Tennessee reservoirs. Black bass 5/day combined with a 15-inch minimum for largemouth and smallmouth and no length limit on spotted bass. Sauger 10/day, 15-inch minimum.

Catfish: no creel limit at 34 inches or under, one fish over 34 inches per day. Bluegill and warmouth have no creel or length limit; redear 20/day. A Tennessee–Kentucky reciprocal licence agreement applies on Kentucky Lake between Tennessee Highway 79 and Kentucky Highway 68/80, with the issuing state’s regulations governing, that reciprocal zone is downstream of Decatur County, so it does not help an angler fishing the Perryville reach, and the page should say so rather than implying reciprocity applies countywide.

7 public boat launches in Decatur County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Decatur County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Decatur County?

Beech Bend Park shoreline, 5 miles east of Parsons (11 acres of county park directly on the Tennessee River, with fishing access, playground and camping). Also the riverbank at perryville near the sr-20 bridge crossing, and marina shorelines where the operator permits it (ask first, several are private property). Decatur County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Decatur County?

TWRA’s access database lists 7 boat launches in Decatur County, plus 3 marinas. Most of them are on Kentucky Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Decatur County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, white bass, sauger and catfish. 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 Decatur 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. There is no designated trout water in Decatur County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Decatur County?

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Decatur County?

Perryville Marina, Parsons, 731-847-2444, boat and pontoon rentals, fuel, slips. Cherokee Marina & Grill, Sugar Tree, 731-847-3625. Fisherdale Marina, Decaturville, 731-852-2900. Mermaid Marina, Decaturville, 731-852-2743. RiverStone Marina, Bath Springs, 731-549-2345, deli and grill on site. Beech Bend Park campground, 731-733-4087. No standalone bait-and-tackle retailer in the county was verified by name. Nearest Walmart Supercenter: Lexington (Henderson Co., ~25 min from Parsons) and Savannah (Hardin Co., ~45 min). Nearest Academy Sports: Jackson (~50 min). Nearest Bass Pro: Memphis (~2 hr 15 min).. There is a fuller list on the Decatur County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Decatur County?

The Beech River confluence embayment near Perryville, sheltered crappie and catfish water when the main river is blown out. Beech Bend Park’s bank, which is a county park rather than a marina and costs nothing to fish. The river mile 155–161 reach near Bath Springs, which is well upstream of the Perryville crowd.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Decatur County

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

LakeKentucky Lake9 access points in Decatur County, 86 in totalSee the spots →WaterKentucky1 access point in Decatur CountySee the spots →

Decatur County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Conditions

Decatur County lake levels

Lake conditionsKentucky Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Kentucky Dam generation schedule.Open →

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

About this list

Where the Decatur County access list comes from

The 10 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 Decatur 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 SavannahKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →17 access points within 30 milesFishing near LawrenceburgDuck River, Richland CreekSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near DicksonHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →

1 public fishing pier in Decatur County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Decatur

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

Next county overWayne CountyKentucky LakeSee the spots →Next county overPerry CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →Next county overHenderson CountyPine Lake, Beech LakeSee the spots →Next county overCarroll CountyMaples Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overHardin CountyKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Decatur 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 Decatur County right now: Decatur County conditions.