West Tennessee · County seat Bolivar

Fishing in Hardeman County, Tennessee

Hatchie River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots6 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Hardeman County

6 public access points in Hardeman County: 6 boat launches and 1 fishing pier. 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.

Whiteville Lake 1 in Hardeman County

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAWhiteville LakeOff Hwy 64, 3 miles east of Whiteville, TN1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.30113, -89.13085

Hatchie River 5 in Hardeman County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRACox’s Bridge1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →35.12629, -88.81401 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAHighway 100Approximately 2 miles West of Toone on HWY 1001 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.34740, -89.01510 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityHighway 18Approximately 1 mile North of Bolivar on HWY 181 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.28120, -88.97390 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · State ParkHighway 57HWY 57 in Pocahontas1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.05750, -88.79710 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAHighway 64Approximately 5 miles East of Bolivar on HWY 641 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.24300, -88.92160

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Hardeman 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:

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

Hardeman County at a glance

Hardeman County boat ramps and fishing access

Hardeman County has 6 public fishing access points: 6 boat ramps and 1 fishing pier, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

6boat ramps

1fishing pier

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Hardeman

Main fishing waters in Hardeman County

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

river · runs west across the county, a Tennessee State Scenic River since 1970 · TWRA, Hatchie…

Hatchie River

The last substantially unchannelized river of its size in the lower Mississippi valley, snaggy, current-driven and timber-filled, fished from small boats and from bridge accesses rather than trolled.

largemouth basscrappiebluegillchannel and blue catfish

What it looks like

Hardeman County water

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

Hatchie RiverOpen the Hatchie River page →noaa.gov / 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 Hardeman County

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

small impoundment (TWRA agency lake) · 158 acres

Whiteville Lake

One of only two TWRA agency lakes in the state requiring NO lake permit, and it has no bass creel or length limit at all. Off Hwy 64, 3 miles east of Whiteville, with a ramp, fishing pier and restrooms.

largemouth basscrappiebluegill

small impoundment · park straddles the Chester/Hardeman line near Henderson

Chickasaw State Park / Lake Placid

Rental boats and bank fishing, private boats restricted. Most of the park sits in Chester County.

largemouthbluegillredear

creeks · scattered

Pleasant Run Creek and the smaller Hatchie tributaries

No confirmed public access, largely private bank.

sunfishcatfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Hardeman County

Fishing from the bank in Hardeman County

Whiteville Lake fishing pier; the Hatchie bridge crossings at Hwy 64, Hwy 18, Hwy 100 and Cox’s Bridge, each with parking and fishable bank; the Hatchie River Conservancy also lists the McNairy/Hardeman county line access and the Hardeman/Haywood/Madison county line access as public.

Getting a boat on the water in Hardeman County

Small boats, jonboats, canoes and kayaks. The Hatchie is not a ski or wake river, it is narrow, full of deadfall and moves. Cox’s Bridge is trolling-motor only. Whiteville Lake takes a motor. No marina anywhere in the county, no fuel on the water.

Two different trips

Visiting Hardeman County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Hardeman County

Chickasaw State Park; the Hatchie River scenic float between the Hwy 100 and Hwy 64 bridges; Whiteville Lake as the family and bank destination; Bolivar’s historic square.

Where Hardeman County locals actually go

Cox’s Bridge, trolling-motor-only and therefore quiet; the Powell Chapel access; Whiteville Lake itself, which most anglers outside the county have never heard of despite holding a state record and having no bass length limit.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Hardeman County water

Creel and length limits in Hardeman County

Whiteville Lake, no TWRA Lake Fishing permit required (it and Garrett Lake in Weakley County are the only two agency lakes exempt), and no bass creel or length limit. Hatchie River, statewide limits: black bass 5/day combined, crappie 15/day at 10 in, catfish unlimited under 34 in with one over. A precautionary fish consumption advisory covers part of this river system.

State record fish from Hardeman County water

Brown bullhead, 3 lb 15 oz, Whiteville Lake, Gary Dean Arthur, 25 October 2014, the Class A state record. The same angler and date also hold the Class B (jug) brown bullhead record at 3 lb 4 oz.

Whiteville Lake is wholly within Hardeman County, so this one can be stated as a county record without hedging.

6 public boat launches in Hardeman County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Hardeman County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Hardeman County?

Whiteville Lake fishing pier. Also the hatchie bridge crossings at hwy 64, hwy 18, hwy 100 and cox’s bridge, each with parking and fishable bank, and the hatchie river conservancy also lists the mcnairy/hardeman county line access and the hardeman/haywood/madison county line access as public. Hardeman County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Hardeman County?

TWRA’s access database lists 6 boat launches in Hardeman County. Most of them are on Hatchie River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Hardeman County water are largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish, bullhead, bowfin, gar and freshwater drum. 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 Hardeman 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 Hardeman County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Hardeman County?

Whiteville Lake, no TWRA Lake Fishing permit required (it and Garrett Lake in Weakley County are the only two agency lakes exempt), and no bass creel or length limit. Hatchie River, statewide limits: black bass 5/day combined, crappie 15/day at 10 in, catfish unlimited under 34 in with one over A precautionary fish consumption advisory covers part of this river system Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Hardeman County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Hardeman County. No bait shop, tackle shop or boat rental was verified inside Hardeman County. Walmart in Bolivar is the practical fallback. Nearest real tackle selection is Jackson (Madison County, roughly 40 minutes north).

Where do locals fish in Hardeman County?

Cox’s Bridge, trolling-motor-only and therefore quiet. the Powell Chapel access. Whiteville Lake itself, which most anglers outside the county have never heard of despite holding a state record and having no bass length limit.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Hardeman County

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

RiverHatchie River5 access points in Hardeman County, 11 in totalSee the spots →

Hardeman County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish.

Conditions

Hardeman County river levels

River levelsHatchie River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →

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

About this list

Where the Hardeman County access list comes from

The 6 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 Hardeman County

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

22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →17 access points within 30 milesFishing near BrownsvilleHatchie River, Forked Deer RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near SavannahKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →9 access points within 30 milesFishing near ColliervilleWolf River, Mississippi RiverSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Hardeman

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

Next county overMcNairy CountyTravis McNatt Lake, Hatchie River (upper)See the spots →Next county overChester CountyLake Placid, Lake LaJoieSee the spots →Next county overHaywood CountyHatchie River, South Fork Forked Deer RiverSee the spots →Next county overFayette CountyWolf River, Herb Parsons LakeSee the spots →Next county overMadison CountyForked Deer River, Lake GrahamSee the spots →

Keep going

More Hardeman 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 Hardeman County right now: Hardeman County conditions.