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East (TWRA Region 3, Cumberland Plateau) Tennessee · County seat Jasper

Fishing in Marion County, Tennessee

Nickajack Lake, Guntersville Reservoir, Tennessee section, Sequatchie River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

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

Every public access point

Fishing access in Marion County

12 public access points in Marion County: 11 boat launches, 4 fishing piers 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.

Nickajack Lake 10 in Marion County

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRABennett’s Lake2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.07910, -85.53680Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyMarion County Park2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.02870, -85.56320Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDARaccoon Mountain1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05980, -85.41680Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAShellmound0.5 mile prior to Nickajack Dam on Nickajack access road1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00760, -85.60600Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAAnchor Inn Bait & TackleI-24 to HWY 41 (Memorial Bridge)1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.02820, -85.53900Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAMaple View Day Use Area1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99330, -85.61270Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVANickajack Dam1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00818, -85.61916Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVASullivans Boat Ramp3 ramps, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.02060, -85.46050Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA Seredino Ramp1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.03774, -85.53691Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAMacedonia Churchaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99140, -85.59780

Guntersville Lake 2 in Marion County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVABlue Bridge Ramp1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.01603, -85.69135Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityJC Ramp in South PittsburgSouth Pittsburg, TN at Blue Bridge near HWY 72 and HWY 156 intersection1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.01570, -85.69540

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Marion 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 checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Marion County at a glance

Marion County boat ramps and fishing access

Marion County has 12 public fishing access points: 11 boat ramps and 4 fishing piers, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

11boat ramps
4fishing piers
2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Marion

Main fishing waters in Marion County

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

TVA mainstem reservoir · 10,370 acres at summer pool, 192 mi shoreline, max depth 145 ft,…

Nickajack Lake

Held at full pool 633.5 ft year-round with no meaningful winter drawdown, which is genuinely distinctive among TVA lakes; the upper two-thirds is riverine with riprap both banks, and the black bass and crappie fishing concentrates in the coves at the lower end through the Tennessee River Gorge.

largemouth (the headline fishery)smallmouthspotted and striped basscrappie
TVA reservoir · roughly 2,500 acres of the 67,900-acre total lie in Tennessee, all in Marion…

Guntersville Reservoir, Tennessee section

The Tennessee portion is essentially the tailwater below Nickajack Dam and fishes like a river; nothing is stocked here, and the Sequatchie River mouth is a fishery in its own right.

spotted and smallmouth bass on the ripraplargemouthcrappiecatfish
free-flowing river, 116 mi · drains the Sequatchie Valley and enters the Tennessee River just…

Sequatchie River

It is the quiet alternative to Nickajack, bank-fishable at the crossings, excellent float and kayak water, and much less crowded than the reservoir.

redeye (Coosa) basssmallmouthchannel and flathead catfishsunfish

What it looks like

Marion County water

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

Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0Sequatchie River, TennesseeSequatchie RiverOpen the Sequatchie River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cherokee Lake, TennesseeCherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0Clinch River, TennesseeClinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Marion County

Fishing from the bank in Marion County

Marion County Park, Highway 41 near Jasper, pier and shoreline, purpose-built for teaching beginners. Nickajack Dam access off Highway 27 near Jasper, with boat ramps and fishing piers, both above and below the dam.

Shellmound Recreation Area, 2735 TVA Road, Jasper, shoreline plus boat launch. Maple View Recreation Area, Mapleview Road, New Hope, shoreline on the Nickajack pool, notably quieter.

Sequatchie River bank access at Ketner Mill (658 Ketner Mill Lane, Whitwell) and at the highway crossings.

Getting a boat on the water in Marion County

TVA ramps on the Marion side of Nickajack include Shellmound, Mapleview, Marion Park, Marion East, Bennett Hollow, Running Water, Cole City, North Tail, South Tail and Sullivans. Marinas on Nickajack include Hales Bar Marina and Anchor Inn (verify current operation).

The Sequatchie is the paddling river, float and kayak friendly, Class I, with the Ketner Mill stretch the standard run. No-wake zones apply around ramps, marinas and both dams; the Nickajack Dam safety zone is enforced.

Two different trips

Visiting Marion County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Marion County

Nickajack Lake and the Tennessee River Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of Tennessee.” Hales Bar Dam and Marina (the ruins of the original 1913 dam Nickajack replaced). Nickajack Cave bat viewing at dusk from the observation platform.

South Cumberland State Park (part), including Foster Falls and the Fiery Gizzard Trail. Prentice Cooper State Forest. Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant, in the extreme southeast of the county. Russell Cave is just over the Alabama line.

Where Marion County locals actually go

Maple View Recreation Area at New Hope, shoreline on Nickajack that stays quiet while Shellmound fills up. The Sequatchie River mouth where it meets the Guntersville tailwater, which holds that unique bowfin population.

The two stocked ponds inside Prentice Cooper State Forest, which almost nobody drives up there for. Ketner Mill on the Sequatchie.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Marion County water

Creel and length limits in Marion County

The Guntersville (Tennessee section) rules differ sharply from most Tennessee waters and this is the single most useful regulation note on the page, crappie 30 per day with a 9-inch minimum, and black bass 5 per day with no length limit except largemouth at 15 inches. Nickajack proper runs the standard reservoir rules: largemouth 5/day 15 in minimum, crappie 15/day 10 in minimum, catfish no limit under 34 in and one over.

Nickajack has no winter drawdown, so the seasonal pattern most anglers carry over from other TVA lakes does not apply here.

State record fish from Marion County water

Nickajack Reservoir holds three. Largemouth bass, 15 lb 7.5 oz, Darren Nunley, 28 February 2026, the current Tennessee state record, a 27⅞-inch fish caught on a ChatterBait and confirmed 9 May 2026 after genetic testing.

Freshwater drum, 54 lb 8 oz, Benny Hull, 20 April 1972, a world record. Black buffalo, 58 lb, Steve Coursey, 20 May 2013. Also credited to Guntersville Reservoir at the Nickajack tailwater: white amur / grass carp, 70 lb, Chad A. Killian, 4 June 2005.

Note that Nickajack spans Marion and Hamilton counties, so none of these can be pinned to Marion County specifically, write them as lake records, not county records.

11 public boat launches in Marion County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Marion County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Marion County?

Marion County Park, Highway 41 near Jasper, pier and shoreline, purpose-built for teaching beginners. Nickajack Dam access off Highway 27 near Jasper, with boat ramps and fishing piers, both above and below the dam. Shellmound Recreation Area, 2735 TVA Road, Jasper, shoreline plus boat launch. Maple View Recreation Area, Mapleview Road, New Hope, shoreline on the Nickajack pool, notably quieter. Sequatchie River bank access at Ketner Mill (658 Ketner Mill Lane, Whitwell) and at the highway crossings.. Marion County has 4 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Marion County?

TWRA’s access database lists 11 boat launches in Marion County. Most of them are on Nickajack Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Marion County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, white bass 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 Marion 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 Marion County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Marion County?

The Guntersville (Tennessee section) rules differ sharply from most Tennessee waters and this is the single most useful regulation note on the page, crappie 30 per day with a 9-inch minimum, and black bass 5 per day with no length limit except largemouth at 15 inches. Nickajack proper runs the standard reservoir rules: largemouth 5/day 15 in minimum, crappie 15/day 10 in minimum, catfish no limit under 34 in and one over Nickajack has no winter drawdown, so the seasonal pattern most anglers carry over from other TVA lakes does not apply here Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Marion County?

No independent tackle shop verified in Marion County.Walmart Supercenter, Kimball, is the practical stop for licences, bait and tackle. Chattanooga, 25–35 minutes east on I-24, has full outdoor retail.. There is a fuller list on the Marion County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Marion County?

Maple View Recreation Area at New Hope, shoreline on Nickajack that stays quiet while Shellmound fills up. The Sequatchie River mouth where it meets the Guntersville tailwater, which holds that unique bowfin population. The two stocked ponds inside Prentice Cooper State Forest, which almost nobody drives up there for. Ketner Mill on the Sequatchie.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Marion County

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

LakeNickajack Lake10 access points in Marion County, 18 in totalSee the spots →LakeGuntersville Lake2 access points in Marion CountySee the spots →RiverSequatchie River2 in totalSee the spots →

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

Conditions

Marion County lake levels, river levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsNickajack Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Nickajack Dam generation schedule.Open →River levelsSequatchie River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Marion CountyTWRA stocks Little Sequatchie River, Pocket Creek. 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 Marion 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 Marion 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 ChattanoogaNickajack Lake, Chickamauga LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near Soddy-DaisyChickamauga Lake, North Chickamauga CreekSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near WinchesterTims Ford Lake, Woods ReservoirSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ClevelandChickamauga Lake, Hiwassee RiverSee the spots →

4 public fishing piers in Marion County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Marion

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

Next county overHamilton CountyChickamauga Lake, Nickajack LakeSee the spots →Next county overSequatchie CountySequatchie RiverSee the spots →Next county overGrundy CountyCollins River, Grundy Lake #4See the spots →Next county overFranklin CountyTims Ford Lake, Woods ReservoirSee the spots →Next county overMoore CountyElk River, Tims Ford LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Marion 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 waterLicence and limits

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