Middle Tennessee · County seat Gainesboro

Fishing in Jackson County, Tennessee

Cordell Hull Reservoir, Cumberland River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots12 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Jackson County

12 public access points in Jackson County: 10 boat launches and 1 marina. 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.

Cordell Hull Lake 9 in Jackson County

Cumberland River 1 in Jackson County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBrimstone Creek1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.47920, -85.60850

Roaring River 2 in Jackson County

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesTWRAFish DamDirections and detail →36.35265, -85.59912 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAThe BoilsFrom Gainesboro take HWY 53 N to HWY 135. Turn right and travel 2.4 miles then turn left on Roaring River Rd., cross bridge, turn right and go 4.2 miles. Access area is on right.canoe / kayak landingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →36.34946, -85.56340

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Jackson 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

Jackson County at a glance

Jackson County boat ramps and fishing access

Jackson County has 12 public fishing access points: 10 boat ramps and 1 marina, on 3 lakes, rivers and creeks.

10boat ramps

1marina

3lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Jackson

Main fishing waters in Jackson County

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

reservoir · 13,920 acres, completed 1973, one of the younger reservoirs in the state; Jackson…

Cordell Hull Lake

TWRA notes Cordell Hull is one of the few reservoirs in Tennessee with a self-sustaining, naturally reproducing sauger population, and spring electrofishing surveys consistently turn up largemouth over 5 lb. Winter drawdown is only about 5 ft, so access stays usable year round.

largemouth basssmallmouthspotted basswhite and black crappie

river · the Cordell Hull pool and the river above it through Gainesboro · USACE / TWRA

Cumberland River

The upper reach above Cordell Hull fishes as a river; the Brimstone Creek ramp accesses it.

saugercatfishwhite basssmallmouth

What it looks like

Jackson County water

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

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

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

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

river · enters Cordell Hull near Gainesboro

Roaring River

The Boils WMA at 2036 Roaring River Rd is a floodplain habitat with gravel bar access, TWRA restricts it to trolling motors, which keeps it quiet. Fish Dam is a second TWRA-managed site on the same river.

smallmouthrock basslargemouth

State Scenic River · Cummins Falls State Park sits on Blackburn Fork

Blackburn Fork / West Blackburn Fork

Gorge access at Cummins Falls requires an online permit. A Tennessee state record creek chub came from West Blackburn Fork.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

creek · Cordell Hull tributary

Jennings Creek

Local creek, access at crossings.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Jackson County

Fishing from the bank in Jackson County

Roaring River Park (campground, swimming, paddling and bank access on the Cordell Hull pool); Salt Lick Creek Recreation Area and Campground; Wartrace Creek Recreation Area; The Boils WMA gravel bars on the Roaring River; the High School Ramp area in Gainesboro. Cummins Falls State Park gives creek access on Blackburn Fork but the gorge requires a permit.

Getting a boat on the water in Jackson County

Granville Marina is the county’s full-service option, boat slips, fuel and camping. Wildwood Resort and Marina, 7316 Granville Hwy, Granville, has slips and rents pontoons, kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards.

The Corps ramps are single-lane and well spread along the upper lake. Cordell Hull’s shallow winter drawdown (about 5 ft) means ramps stay usable through the cold months, genuinely different from the TVA lakes. The Roaring River at The Boils is trolling-motor-only, a spring-fed boil worth paddling.

Two different trips

Visiting Jackson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Jackson County

Granville, a restored historic river town with a marina and resort; Cummins Falls State Park and its 75-foot waterfall (permit required for gorge access); Roaring River Park campground; Salt Lick Creek Recreation Area; Wildwood Resort and Marina.

Where Jackson County locals actually go

The Boils WMA on the Roaring River, a spring boil in a floodplain hardwood bottom, trolling motors only, and almost nothing published about fishing it; Fish Dam on the same river; Hollemans Bend, Smith’s Bend and Whites Bend, three quiet single-lane Corps ramps; Brimstone Creek on the Cumberland above the lake; Martins Creek.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Jackson County water

Creel and length limits in Jackson County

Cordell Hull falls under statewide creel and length limits, black bass 5 per day combined with no minimum, crappie 15 per day at 10 in, sauger 10 per day at 15 in, walleye 5 per day at 16 in, striped/hybrid bass 2 per day at 15 in, catfish unlimited under 34 in with one over. The Boils is restricted to trolling motors. Cummins Falls gorge access requires an online permit.

State record fish from Jackson County water

Class B river carpsucker, 8 lb 1 oz, archery, Cordell Hull Reservoir, Brandon Nixon, 2 May 2020, the lake spans Smith, Jackson and Clay counties and no catch county is recorded. Creek chub, 8 oz, West Blackburn Fork Creek, Jake Wear, 21 June 2017.

The Tennessee state record striped bass (65 lb 6 oz, 2000) came from Cordell Hull Reservoir but downlake near the dam, which is in Smith County.

10 public boat launches in Jackson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Jackson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Jackson County?

Roaring River Park (campground, swimming, paddling and bank access on the Cordell Hull pool).

How many public boat ramps are in Jackson County?

TWRA’s access database lists 10 boat launches in Jackson County, plus 1 marina. Most of them are on Cordell Hull Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Jackson County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, striped bass, white bass and sauger. 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Jackson County?

Cordell Hull falls under statewide creel and length limits, black bass 5 per day combined with no minimum, crappie 15 per day at 10 in, sauger 10 per day at 15 in, walleye 5 per day at 16 in, striped/hybrid bass 2 per day at 15 in, catfish unlimited under 34 in with one over. The Boils is restricted to trolling motors Cummins Falls gorge access requires an online permit Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Jackson County?

Granville Marina (camping, fuel, bait available in proximity per TWRA). There is a fuller list on the Jackson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Jackson County?

The Boils WMA on the Roaring River, a spring boil in a floodplain hardwood bottom, trolling motors only, and almost nothing published about fishing it. Fish Dam on the same river. Hollemans Bend, Smith’s Bend and Whites Bend, three quiet single-lane Corps ramps.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Jackson County

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

LakeCordell Hull Lake9 access points in Jackson County, 15 in totalSee the spots →RiverRoaring River2 access points in Jackson CountySee the spots →RiverCumberland River1 access point in Jackson County, 13 in totalSee the spots →

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

Conditions

Jackson County lake levels

Lake conditionsCordell Hull Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Cordell Hull 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 Jackson County access list comes from

The 12 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 Jackson 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 CarthageCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CelinaDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near LivingstonDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Jackson

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

Next county overSmith CountyCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overPutnam CountyCenter Hill Lake, Cane Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overMacon Countypublic waterSee the spots →Next county overClay CountyDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →Next county overDeKalb CountyCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Jackson 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 Jackson County right now: Jackson County conditions.