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Middle (TWRA Region 3, Cumberland Plateau) Tennessee · County seat Sparta (on the Calfkiller River)

Fishing in White County, Tennessee

Center Hill Lake, Caney Fork River, Great Falls Lake. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots5 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

What to bring

What to bring fishing in White 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

White County at a glance

White County boat ramps and fishing access

White County has 5 public fishing access points: 4 boat ramps and 1 marina, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

4boat ramps
1marina
2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in White

Main fishing waters in White County

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

USACE impoundment on the Caney Fork · 18,220 ac · US Army Corps of Engineers (1948)

Center Hill Lake

White County holds the lake’s upper end below Great Falls Dam; it’s a deep, clear highland reservoir with rocky shorelines under steep ridges, and the March–April walleye run up the Caney Fork is the county’s signature event.

largemouthsmallmouthspotted basscrappie
river forming the southern border with Van Buren, Warren and DeKalb · TVA above Great…

Caney Fork River

The stretch from the Rock Island State Park ramp up to Great Falls Dam carries the single-hook walleye rule January through April, and the whole Caney Fork above Center Hill Dam carries the 50″ musky minimum.

muskywalleyesmallmouthlargemouth
TVA impoundment · 2,110 ac · TVA

Great Falls Lake

Partly in White County along the Warren/Van Buren line; Rock Island State Park straddles the White/Warren boundary at its head.

muskybasscrappiewalleye
Caney Fork tributary through Sparta

Calfkiller River

Drains the county’s centre and runs through the county seat; wadeable smallmouth water for most of its length.

smallmouthrock basssunfish
Caney Fork tributary in the northwest · partly Burgess Falls State Park

Falling Water River

Carries the 136-ft Burgess Falls on the White/Putnam line.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

What it looks like

White 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 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 domainDuck River, TennesseeDuck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in White County

Fishing from the bank in White County

Center Hill Lake shoreline and ramps in the county’s south; the Caney Fork gorge at Rock Island State Park; Calfkiller River crossings in and around Sparta; Falling Water River at Burgess Falls State Park; Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA pond banks; Scott’s Gulf creek access. As at Rock Island, the Caney Fork gorge is slick limestone with sudden TVA releases, say so.

Getting a boat on the water in White County

Horseshoe Bend Marina, 6040 Webbs Camp Rd, Walling, (931) 657-5080 (Center Hill Lake). Jackson Kayak is headquartered in Sparta (325 Iris Dr, (931) 738-2628; also listed at 3300 McMinnville Hwy), a whitewater and fishing kayak manufacturer, worth naming as a local-industry hook.

Blue Sky Boat, 3300 McMinnville Hwy, Sparta, (931) 738-2583. Center Hill has no blanket horsepower limit; the upper Caney Fork above Rock Island is small-boat and paddle water.

Two different trips

Visiting White County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in White County

Rock Island State Park; Burgess Falls State Park; Virgin Falls State Natural Area and Scott’s Gulf; Center Hill Lake; Cumberland Caverns is 30 min south in Warren County; Sparta’s Liberty Square and the Lester Flatt bluegrass heritage; Jackson Kayak’s Sparta plant.

Where White County locals actually go

The Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA ponds, 15 acres of TWRA-regulated pond fishing that isn’t on the family-fishing-lake list and isn’t signed from the highway; the Calfkiller River through Sparta for smallmouth; the Caney Fork between Great Falls Dam and the Rock Island ramp during the January–April walleye run; Falling Water River above Burgess Falls; the Center Hill headwater flats at Walling.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for White County water

Creel and length limits in White County

– Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA ponds carry their own exception: bluegill/redear 10/day no length limit; catfish 5/day no length limit; largemouth 5/day with only one fish 16″ or longer; crappie no creel or length limit., Center Hill Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″ min; walleye 5/day at 16″ min; muskellunge 1/day at a 50″ minimum; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., Caney Fork River, 1 January–30 April, from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam: one hook with a single point, or one lure with one single-point hook, and a maximum of three rods, reels or poles per angler., Caney Fork above Center Hill Dam and all tributaries: muskellunge 1/day, 50″ minimum., Great Falls Reservoir limits match Center Hill’s., TWRA does not stock trout anywhere in White County. The Calfkiller River is stocked with rainbows in Putnam County, upstream, do not extend that into White County copy.

State record fish from White County water

No Tennessee state record is credited to a White County water. The state record brook trout (4 lb 12 oz, Saša Krezić, 1 April 2016) came from the Caney Fork River, but from the tailwater below Center Hill Dam in DeKalb/Smith counties, not from the White County reach.

4 public boat launches in White County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

White County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in White County?

Center Hill Lake shoreline and ramps in the county’s south.

How many public boat ramps are in White County?

TWRA’s access database lists 4 boat launches in White 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 White 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 White County?

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

What are the creel limits in White County?

– Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA ponds carry their own exception: bluegill/redear 10/day no length limit; catfish 5/day no length limit; largemouth 5/day with only one fish 16″ or longer; crappie no creel or length limit., Center Hill Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″ min; walleye 5/day at 16″ min; muskellunge 1/day at a 50″ minimum; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over, Caney Fork River, 1 January–30 April, from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in White County?

– Zorro Bait Co, 270 Fred Hill Rd, Sparta, (931) 837-9676 (also listed at 535 Clarks Mill Dr)., Sparta Sporting Goods, 28 Mayberry St, Sparta, (931) 836-3786., Red Turner’s Sporting Goods, 65 Whispering Pines Dr, Sparta, (931) 836-3234., Horseshoe Bend Marina, 6040 Webbs Camp Rd, Walling, (931) 657-5080 (marina store, Center Hill)., Jackson Kayak, Sparta, (931) 738-2628., U Need It Archery, 7485 Monterey Hwy, Sparta, (931) 739-7485., Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 202 Sam Walton Dr, Sparta, (931) 738-3225. Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1265 Interstate Dr, Cookeville, (931) 650-6112, about 25 min north. Woods and Waters, 1897 Quinland Lake Rd, Cookeville, (931) 537-3745.. There is a fuller list on the White County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in White County?

The Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA ponds, 15 acres of TWRA-regulated pond fishing that isn’t on the family-fishing-lake list and isn’t signed from the highway. the Calfkiller River through Sparta for smallmouth. the Caney Fork between Great Falls Dam and the Rock Island ramp during the January–April walleye run.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in White County

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

LakeCenter Hill Lake3 access points in White County, 26 in totalSee the spots →RiverCalf Killer River2 access points in White CountySee the spots →RiverCaney Fork River10 in totalSee the spots →

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

Conditions

White County lake levels and river levels

Lake conditionsGreat Falls Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Great Falls Dam generation schedule.Open →Lake conditionsCenter Hill Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Center Hill Dam generation schedule.Open →River levelsCalfkiller River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsFalling Water River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →

Statewide limits: 5 black bass, 15 crappie at 10 inches, 2 stripers at 15 inches, 7 trout.

About this list

Where the White County access list comes from

The 5 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 White 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 →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to White

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

Next county overVan Buren CountyGreat Falls LakeSee the spots →Next county overPutnam CountyCenter Hill Lake, Cane Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overDeKalb CountyCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overWarren CountyBarren Fork River, Collins RiverSee the spots →Next county overSmith CountyCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More White 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 White County right now: White County conditions.