Middle (TWRA Region 3, Cumberland Plateau) Tennessee · County seat Spencer

Fishing in Van Buren County, Tennessee

Q: Where do locals fish in Van Buren County?

Rocky River trout stockings on the Warren County line — a plateau smallmouth river that gets rainbows and sees almost no pressure. Laurel Creek. lower Cane Creek below the park boundary.

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

Find fishing spots1 public access point Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Van Buren County

1 public access point in Van Buren County: 1 boat launch. 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.

Great Falls Lake 1 in Van Buren County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRATosh Reno Boat Ramp1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.79730, -85.53960

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Van Buren 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

Van Buren County at a glance

Van Buren County boat ramps and fishing access

Van Buren County has 1 public fishing access point: 1 boat ramp, on 1 lake or river.

1boat ramp

1lake, river or creek

The big water in Van Buren

Main fishing waters in Van Buren County

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

TVA impoundment · Great Falls Lake is 2,110 ac total · TVA (1916, one of the oldest…

Caney Fork / Great Falls Lake

The Caney Fork forms Van Buren’s northern border with White County and feeds Great Falls Lake; the lake is mostly riverine and the musky live in the upper tributaries, with a 50″ minimum making it a pure trophy fishery.

muskylargemouthsmallmouthspotted bass

Caney Fork tributary forming the western boundary with Warren County

Rocky River

TWRA stocks rainbows here on the seasonal schedule, which makes a Cumberland Plateau smallmouth river into part-time trout water.

smallmouthrock bassstocked rainbow trout

Caney Fork tributary draining the Fall Creek Falls area · Tennessee State Parks / TWRA

Cane Creek

Stocked in two separate listings, “Cane Creek (Fall Creek Falls State Park)” and “Cane Creek (lower)”, so the fishable stretch runs from inside the park down toward the Rocky River.

stocked rainbow troutsmallmouthrock bass

What it looks like

Van Buren County water

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

Caney Fork River, TennesseeU.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

Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / 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

The ones nobody writes about

Small and out-of-the-way water in Van Buren County

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

Laurel Creek, seasonally stocked with rainbow trout by TWRA.

Black Pond (GNIS), small natural pond.

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Van Buren County

Fishing from the bank in Van Buren County

Fall Creek Falls Lake shoreline, piers and the dam area inside the state park; Cane Creek crossings inside and below the park; Rocky River road crossings on the Warren County line; Laurel Creek crossings; the Caney Fork/Great Falls Lake bank at the county’s northern edge. Van Buren is, practically, a bank and wade county with one lake.

Getting a boat on the water in Van Buren County

Fall Creek Falls State Park rents boats on the park lake; the lake is small, no-wake and electric/trolling-motor in character. There is no marina in the county. Great Falls Lake access is effectively through Rock Island State Park in Warren/White County.

The Caney Fork gorge below Great Falls Dam is dangerous, TVA can raise it several feet within minutes.

Two different trips

Visiting Van Buren County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Van Buren County

Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park, Tennessee’s highest waterfall at 256 ft, plus five other named falls, a lodge, 18-hole golf course, the Betty Dunn Nature Center, cabins and camping. Big Bone Cave State Natural Area. The county has over 850 documented caves, more than 3 per square mile, which is among the densest cave concentrations on earth.

Where Van Buren County locals actually go

Rocky River trout stockings on the Warren County line, a plateau smallmouth river that gets rainbows and sees almost no pressure; Laurel Creek; lower Cane Creek below the park boundary; the Caney Fork bank at the head of Great Falls Lake for musky in the tributary water; the plunge pools below the smaller Fall Creek Falls park waterfalls.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Van Buren County water

Creel and length limits in Van Buren County

– Fall Creek Falls Lake carries its own exception: largemouth 10/day with only one longer than 16″; bluegill/redear 10/day, no length limit; crappie no creel or length limit; catfish 5/day with a 16″ minimum., Great Falls Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″; walleye 5/day at 16″; muskellunge 1/day at a 50″ minimum; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; bluegill/warmouth no creel or length limit; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., Caney Fork River above Center Hill Dam and its tributaries: muskellunge 1/day, 50″ minimum. That covers the Collins and Rocky River arms., Statewide trout rules on the stocked creeks: 7/day, no minimum.

State record fish from Van Buren County water

– Channel catfish, 41 lb, Fall Creek Falls Lake, Clint Walters Jr., 30 July 1982., Bluegill (tie), 3 lb, Fall Creek Falls Creek, Thelma Grissom, 27 June 1977. Both are credited to Fall Creek Falls, which straddles Van Buren and Bledsoe counties; GNIS places Fall Creek Falls Lake in Van Buren.

1 public boat launches in Van Buren County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Van Buren County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Van Buren County?

Fall Creek Falls Lake shoreline, piers and the dam area inside the state park.

How many public boat ramps are in Van Buren County?

TWRA’s access database lists 1 boat launch in Van Buren County. Most of them are on Great Falls Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Van Buren 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 Van Buren County?

The main species across Van Buren County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge, catfish and rainbow trout. 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 Van Buren 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. This matters in Van Buren County, because there is trout water here.

What are the creel limits in Van Buren County?

– Fall Creek Falls Lake carries its own exception: largemouth 10/day with only one longer than 16″; bluegill/redear 10/day, no length limit; crappie no creel or length limit; catfish 5/day with a 16″ minimum., Great Falls Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″; walleye 5/day at 16″; muskellunge 1/day at a 50″ minimum; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; bluegill/warmouth no creel or length limit; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over, Caney Fork River above Center Hill Dam and its tributaries: muskellunge 1/day, 50″ min Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Van Buren County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Van Buren County. No bait, tackle, marine or sporting goods business was verified inside Van Buren County. Nearest verified:, Zorro Bait Co, 270 Fred Hill Rd, Sparta, (931) 837-9676, about 25 min north., Red Turner’s Sporting Goods, 65 Whispering Pines Dr, Sparta, (931) 836-3234., Sparta Sporting Goods, 28 Maybe

Where do locals fish in Van Buren County?

Rocky River trout stockings on the Warren County line, a plateau smallmouth river that gets rainbows and sees almost no pressure. Laurel Creek. lower Cane Creek below the park boundary.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Van Buren County

The county is thin on still water beyond the park lake. Center Hill Lake (18,220 ac, USACE) is about 45 min north via Sparta or Rock Island. Great Falls Lake access through Rock Island State Park is about 30 min northwest. Dale Hollow is about 2 hours.

Van Buren County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Conditions

Van Buren County lake levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsGreat Falls Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Great Falls Dam generation schedule.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Van Buren CountyTWRA stocks Cane Creek (Fall Creek Falls State Park), Cane Creek (lower), Laurel Creek and 1 more. 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 Van Buren County access list comes from

The 1 access point above comes 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 Van Buren 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 SpartaCenter Hill Lake, Calf Killer RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near McMinnvilleCenter Hill Lake, Collins RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near SmithvilleCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Van Buren

Fish do not respect county lines. These are the nearest counties to Van Buren 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 overWarren CountyBarren Fork River, Collins RiverSee the spots →Next county overDeKalb CountyCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overPutnam CountyCenter Hill Lake, Cane Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overBledsoe CountySequatchie RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Van Buren 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 Van Buren County right now: Van Buren County conditions.