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Middle Tennessee · County seat Cookeville

Fishing in Putnam County, Tennessee

Center Hill Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Falling Water River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

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

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Putnam 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

Putnam County at a glance

Putnam County boat ramps and fishing access

Putnam County has 6 public fishing access points: 5 boat ramps, 2 fishing piers and 1 marina, on 5 lakes, rivers and creeks.

5boat ramps
2fishing piers
1marina
5lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Putnam

Main fishing waters in Putnam County

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

USACE reservoir · 18,220 acres, 415 mi shoreline, 64 mi long, max depth 190 ft · US Army Corps…

Center Hill Lake

Putnam holds a share of the upper lake; it is a deep, clear, steep-sided highland reservoir with rocky shorelines under bluffs, fished very differently from the shallow Middle Tennessee impoundments.

smallmouthlargemouth and spotted basscrappiewalleye
USACE reservoir · ~12,000–13,920 acres, 381 mi shoreline · US Army Corps of Engineers, dam…

Cordell Hull Lake

The county’s northern and north-western drainage runs into Cordell Hull; it is one of the few reservoirs in Tennessee with a self-sustaining sauger population and it holds only a five-foot winter drawdown.

largemouth basssaugercrappiestriped bass
free-flowing river · 46.8 mi, 191 sq mi drainage · TWRA; TDEC at Burgess Falls

Falling Water River

Rises just west of Monterey and drops 250 feet in under a mile at Burgess Falls before reaching Center Hill Lake; the river is the spine of the county’s small-water fishing.

smallmouthrock basssunfishcatfish

What it looks like

Putnam County water

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

Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain
Falling Water River, Tennessee
Falling Water River, TennesseeBrian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Putnam County

Fishing from the bank in Putnam County

Cookeville City Lake Park, which has both bank frontage and a ramp and is the easiest no-boat fishing in the county; Cane Creek Park in western Cookeville; Burgess Falls State Park (bank access to the river above the falls, note the gorge itself is not a fishing venue); Johnson Chapel Recreation Area on Center Hill; Corps shoreline on the Cordell Hull side; Blackburn Fork crossings; Center Hill ramps at Cove Hollow and Johnson Chapel.

Getting a boat on the water in Putnam County

Center Hill has marinas at Cookeville Boat Dock, Center Hill Marina, Pates Ford and Hidden Harbor (several of these sit in DeKalb County rather than Putnam, check before attributing). Cookeville City Lake has a small boat ramp. Cane Creek Lake is a trolling-motor and paddle water.

The Falling Water and Blackburn Fork are kayak and wade water, not powerboat water; the Cane Creek gorge below Window Cliffs is technical and not a fishing float.

Two different trips

Visiting Putnam County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Putnam County

Burgess Falls State Park and its 136-foot cataract; Cummins Falls State Park; Window Cliffs State Natural Area; Cane Creek Park; Cookeville’s Dogwood Park and depot district; Tennessee Tech; Center Hill and Dale Hollow lakes as day trips. Cookeville is the natural hub town for a Cumberland Plateau fishing trip, sitting within an hour of Center Hill, Cordell Hull and Dale Hollow.

Where Putnam County locals actually go

Cane Creek Lake in west Cookeville, a CCC lake inside the city that visitors never hear about. Cookeville City Lake, similarly overlooked in favour of Center Hill twenty minutes away.

Blackburn Fork and West Blackburn Fork, small wade streams that hold a state record between them. The Calfkiller headwaters near Monterey. Burgess Falls Lake above the old dam. The upper Falling Water River between Monterey and the Highland Rim drop.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Putnam County water

Creel and length limits in Putnam County

Center Hill, smallmouth bass 18-inch minimum, largemouth 15-inch minimum, walleye 16-inch minimum, crappie 15 per day with a 10-inch minimum. In the Center Hill system above the dam, including the Collins River, Calfkiller River, Rocky River and Cane Creek and their tributaries, muskellunge are 1 per day with a 50-inch minimum.

On the Caney Fork River from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam, 1 January–30 April, anglers are restricted to one hook with a single point or one lure with a single hook with one point, and to three rods, this is the walleye-run rule, and although the reach itself is in Warren and White counties it governs the upstream end of Putnam’s Center Hill water. Cordell Hull regulations apply to the northern drainage.

State park lakes default to crappie 15 per day with no length limit and channel or blue catfish 5 per day.

State record fish from Putnam County water

Creek chub, 8 oz, West Blackburn Fork Creek, Jake Wear, 21 June 2017. Blackburn Fork runs through Putnam and Jackson counties, so confirm the catch location before claiming it for Putnam.

5 public boat launches in Putnam County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Putnam County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Putnam County?

Cookeville City Lake Park, which has both bank frontage and a ramp and is the easiest no-boat fishing in the county. Also cane creek park in western cookeville, and burgess falls state park (bank access to the river above the falls, note the gorge itself is not a fishing venue). Putnam County has 2 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Putnam County?

TWRA’s access database lists 5 boat launches in Putnam County, plus 1 marina. Most of them are on Center Hill Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

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

What are the creel limits in Putnam County?

Center Hill, smallmouth bass 18-inch minimum, largemouth 15-inch minimum, walleye 16-inch minimum, crappie 15 per day with a 10-inch minimum. In the Center Hill system above the dam, including the Collins River, Calfkiller River, Rocky River and Cane Creek and their tributaries, muskellunge are 1 per day with a 50-inch minimum On the Caney Fork River from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam, 1 January–30 April, anglers are restricted to one hook with a single point or one lure with a single hook with one point, and to three rods, this is the walleye-run rule, and although the reach Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Putnam County?

Cookeville is the retail centre for the whole upper Cumberland and has full big-box and sporting goods retail, which is the honest answer for this county, a visitor to Center Hill, Cordell Hull or Dale Hollow will generally stock up here.There is a fuller list on the Putnam County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Putnam County?

Cane Creek Lake in west Cookeville, a CCC lake inside the city that visitors never hear about. Cookeville City Lake, similarly overlooked in favour of Center Hill twenty minutes away. Blackburn Fork and West Blackburn Fork, small wade streams that hold a state record between them. The Calfkiller headwaters near Monterey. Burgess Falls Lake above the old dam. The upper Falling Water River between Monterey and the Highland Rim drop.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Putnam County

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

LakeCenter Hill Lake2 access points in Putnam County, 26 in totalSee the spots →RiverCaney Fork River1 access point in Putnam County, 10 in totalSee the spots →LakeCordell Hull Lake15 in totalSee the spots →

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

Conditions

Putnam County lake levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsCenter Hill Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Center Hill Dam generation schedule.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Putnam CountyTWRA stocks Calfkiller River, Cane Creek 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 Putnam 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 Putnam 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 CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →

2 public fishing piers in Putnam County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Putnam

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

Next county overWhite CountyCenter Hill Lake, Calf Killer RiverSee the spots →Next county overDeKalb CountyCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overJackson CountyCordell Hull Lake, Roaring RiverSee the spots →Next county overVan Buren CountyGreat Falls LakeSee the spots →Next county overSmith CountyCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Putnam 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 Putnam County right now: Putnam County conditions.