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Middle Tennessee · County seat Springfield

Fishing in Robertson County, Tennessee

Robertson County is thin on public water. This page lists what there is, then points at what is close.

Find fishing spots2 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Robertson County

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Bluegill and Panfish checklistCatfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Robertson County at a glance

Robertson County boat ramps and fishing access

Robertson County has 2 public fishing access points: 2 boat ramps, on 1 lake or river.

2boat ramps
1lake, river or creek

The big water in Robertson

Main fishing waters in Robertson County

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

free-flowing river · 100 mi long, 1,482 sq mi watershed across TN and KY · TWRA

Red River

The county’s only significant water. It rises in Sumner County, loops through Kentucky and re-enters Robertson County, running west past Adams toward the Cumberland at Clarksville. Named for the red-brown colour its iron-oxide clay and silt load gives it, which also means it clouds fast after rain.

smallmouth bassrock basscatfishsunfish

What it looks like

Robertson 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 domainOld 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 domainDuck River, TennesseeDuck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0Tims Ford Lake, TennesseeTims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Geobeedude / CC BY-SA 3.0Cordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Robertson County

Fishing from the bank in Robertson County

Port Royal State Historic Park, which is the single best public bank access on the Red River in the county; Red River road crossings around Adams and Port Royal; Sulphur Fork Creek at the Port Royal bridge; Cedar Hill Swamp WMA; J. Travis Price Park and American Legion Park in Springfield, which are municipal parks rather than fisheries, confirm whether either holds a fishable pond before listing it as one.

Getting a boat on the water in Robertson County

No reservoir, no marina, no public ramp of consequence. The Red River is a canoe and kayak river, shallow, Class I, and the county’s only real paddling asset. Red River Canoe operates out of Adams and is the named outfitter that appears in published descriptions of the river; verify its current status and contact details before publishing.

There are no horsepower restrictions because there is no water that would carry a powerboat.

Two different trips

Visiting Robertson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Robertson County

Port Royal State Historic Park, with its 1859 Masonic Lodge and general store and its designated section of the original Trail of Tears roadbed; the Bell Witch Cave at Adams, which is the county’s best-known attraction and sits along the river; Springfield’s historic square; Red River paddling trips.

Where Robertson County locals actually go

The Red River between Adams and Port Royal, which is a genuinely good and almost entirely unpressured smallmouth and rock bass float, the county has no lake, so nobody thinks of Robertson as fishing country at all. Sulphur Fork Creek above its Port Royal confluence. Cedar Hill Swamp WMA.

The Red River’s Kentucky loop, which is fishable from either state with the appropriate licence.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Robertson County water

Creel and length limits in Robertson County

No water-specific regulation exceptions found for Robertson County in TWRA’s exception list. Statewide creel and length limits apply throughout. Anglers floating the Red River’s Kentucky loop need to be aware they cross a state line.

If the Puncheon Camp Creek winter trout stocking is confirmed, statewide trout rules would apply there, seven trout per day, no minimum length.

2 public boat launches in Robertson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Robertson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Robertson County?

Port Royal State Historic Park, which is the single best public bank access on the Red River in the county.

How many public boat ramps are in Robertson County?

TWRA’s access database lists 2 boat launches in Robertson County. Most of them are on Red River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Robertson County water are smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, catfish 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 Robertson 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 Robertson County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Robertson County?

No water-specific regulation exceptions found for Robertson County in TWRA’s exception list. Statewide creel and length limits apply throughout Anglers floating the Red River’s Kentucky loop need to be aware they cross a state line Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Robertson County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Robertson County. No bait or tackle shop in Robertson County verified in this pass. Springfield has general retail and is the county’s commercial centre. Clarksville, about 30 minutes west, is the nearest city with full sporting goods retail and sits on Barkley/Cumberland water. Nashville is roughly 40 minutes south

Where do locals fish in Robertson County?

The Red River between Adams and Port Royal, which is a genuinely good and almost entirely unpressured smallmouth and rock bass float, the county has no lake, so nobody thinks of Robertson as fishing country at all. Sulphur Fork Creek above its Port Royal confluence. Cedar Hill Swamp WMA. The Red River’s Kentucky loop, which is fishable from either state with the appropriate licence.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Robertson County

This county is genuinely thin, and the page should say so plainly. Old Hickory Lake at Gallatin or Hendersonville is roughly 40 minutes south-east, 22,500 acres, 44 free public access sites, 11 marinas, eight fishing piers, and trophy striped bass.

Cheatham Lake and the Cumberland River at Clarksville are about 30 minutes west. Barkley Lake is about an hour and fifteen minutes north-west. For a bank angler with no boat, Old Hickory is the answer.

Robertson County water holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, catfish.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Robertson County

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

RiverRed River2 access points in Robertson County, 6 in totalSee the spots →

Conditions

Robertson County trout stocking

TroutTrout stocking in Robertson CountyTWRA stocks Sulphur Fork 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 Robertson County access list comes from

The 2 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 Robertson 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 SpringfieldCheatham Lake, Old Hickory LakeSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Robertson

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

Next county overMontgomery CountyLake Barkley, Red RiverSee the spots →Next county overDickson CountyCheatham Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →Next county overCheatham CountyHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →Next county overSumner CountyOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →Next county overDavidson CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Robertson 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 Robertson County right now: Robertson County conditions.