Middle Tennessee · County seat Hartsville

Fishing in Trousdale County, Tennessee

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

Find fishing spots3 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Trousdale County

3 public access points in Trousdale County: 3 boat launches. 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.

Goose Creek 1 in Trousdale County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchGoose Creek1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37422, -86.13631

Old Hickory Lake 2 in Trousdale County

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountySecond Creek1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.38830, -86.20860 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchTaylor’s Landing1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37233, -86.16785

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Trousdale 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 Striper and Hybrid checklist Walleye and Sauger checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Trousdale County at a glance

Trousdale County boat ramps and fishing access

Trousdale County has 3 public fishing access points: 3 boat ramps, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

3boat ramps

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Trousdale

Main fishing waters in Trousdale County

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

river/reservoir headwater · forms the county’s northern and eastern boundary with Sumner,…

Cumberland River (upper Old Hickory Lake)

Trousdale sits on the riverine upper end of Old Hickory, well above the broad water; it fishes as a river, current seams, bank cover and the mouths of feeder creeks, not as a lake.

catfishsaugerwhite basscrappie

What it looks like

Trousdale County water

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

Old Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Cumberland River, TennesseeU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain

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

Cordell 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 Trousdale County

Fishing from the bank in Trousdale County

Cumberland River bank at the Hartsville area river access and the Hwy 25 crossing; feeder-creek road crossings on Goose Creek and Dixon Creek. There is no municipal fishing lake and no state park in the county.

Getting a boat on the water in Trousdale County

No marina in the county. River access is by public ramp on the Cumberland only. The Cumberland here is a navigable commercial waterway with barge traffic; no horsepower restriction, but Corps no-wake zones apply at ramps.

Two different trips

Visiting Trousdale County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Trousdale County

Hartsville’s historic courthouse square; Battle of Hartsville Civil War site; Trousdale Place (actually in Gallatin, Sumner County. Realistically, visitors are routed to Cordell Hull Lake at Carthage or Old Hickory at Gallatin.

Where Trousdale County locals actually go

The Cumberland River bank below the Hartsville bridge for blue and channel catfish; the mouths of Goose Creek and Dixon Creek on a rising river; the Old Hickory WMA river frontage.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Trousdale County water

Creel and length limits in Trousdale County

Old Hickory Reservoir rules apply up to full pool elevation: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum, largemouth 14″ minimum, smallmouth 18″, striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″, white bass 15/day, walleye 5/day at 16″, paddlefish 2/day 24 April–31 May, catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over. Above full pool elevation on the tributaries, statewide limits apply instead. No water-specific exception exists for any Trousdale County water.

State record fish from Trousdale County water

None credited to a Trousdale County water.

3 public boat launches in Trousdale County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Trousdale County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Trousdale County?

Cumberland River bank at the Hartsville area river access and the Hwy 25 crossing.

How many public boat ramps are in Trousdale County?

TWRA’s access database lists 3 boat launches in Trousdale County. Most of them are on Old Hickory Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Trousdale County water are largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, sauger, 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 Trousdale 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 Trousdale County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Trousdale County?

Old Hickory Reservoir rules apply up to full pool elevation: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum, largemouth 14″ minimum, smallmouth 18″, striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″, white bass 15/day, walleye 5/day at 16″, paddlefish 2/day 24 April–31 May, catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over. Above full pool elevation on the tributaries, statewide limits apply instead No water-specific exception exists for any Trousdale County water Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Trousdale County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Trousdale County. No bait, tackle or sporting goods shop was verified inside Trousdale County. Nearest verified:, York Bait Company, 88 Pleasant Shade Hwy, Carthage, (615) 732-2109, about 20 min east., Poindexter Bait Shop, 1380 S Water Ave, Gallatin, (615) 452-7550, about 30 min west., Flippers Bait & Tackle, 2

Where do locals fish in Trousdale County?

The Cumberland River bank below the Hartsville bridge for blue and channel catfish. the mouths of Goose Creek and Dixon Creek on a rising river. the Old Hickory WMA river frontage.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Trousdale County

Yes, this county is thin and should be written that way., Cordell Hull Reservoir (13,920 ac, USACE), Carthage, about 20 minutes east. State record striped bass water; self-sustaining sauger., Old Hickory Lake proper at Gallatin’s Lock 4 Park, about 30 minutes west., Bledsoe Creek State Park, Gallatin, about 30 minutes west, the nearest state park with a ramp and campground., Center Hill Lake, about 1 hour southeast.

Trousdale County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, sauger.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Trousdale County

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

LakeOld Hickory Lake2 access points in Trousdale County, 54 in totalSee the spots →

Conditions

Trousdale County lake levels

Lake conditionsOld Hickory Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Old Hickory 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 Trousdale County access list comes from

The 3 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 Trousdale 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 LebanonOld Hickory Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CarthageCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near GallatinOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near Mount JulietOld Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Trousdale

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

Next county overMacon Countypublic waterSee the spots →Next county overWilson CountyOld Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →Next county overSmith CountyCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overSumner CountyOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →Next county overJackson CountyCordell Hull Lake, Roaring RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Trousdale 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 Trousdale County right now: Trousdale County conditions.