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Middle Tennessee · County seat Franklin

Fishing in Williamson County, Tennessee

Williamson 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

Every public access point

Fishing access in Williamson County

2 public access points in Williamson County: 2 designated fishing sites. 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.

Harpeth River 2 in Williamson County

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteHarpeth River Fishing AccessDirections and detail →35.90923, -86.85624Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing SitePinkerton ParkDirections and detail →35.92195, -86.86251

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Williamson 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

Williamson County at a glance

Williamson County boat ramps and fishing access

Williamson County has 2 public fishing access points, on 1 lake or river.

1lake, river or creek

The big water in Williamson

Main fishing waters in Williamson County

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

free-flowing river · 115 mi total; rises in Rutherford County and runs through Williamson to…

Harpeth River

The Harpeth is one of the only substantially undammed rivers in Tennessee and became the state’s second-longest unimpeded stream after a dam removal in Franklin; it’s the county’s entire fishery and it’s a wade-and-float smallmouth river, not a lake substitute.

smallmouth basslargemouthrock bassbream
Harpeth tributary through Brentwood

Little Harpeth River

Small, urban and wadeable, running through Brentwood’s park system.

smallmouthrock basssunfish
Harpeth tributary in the southern county

West Harpeth River

Rural, agricultural and lightly fished.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

What it looks like

Williamson 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 Williamson County

Fishing from the bank in Williamson County

Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, Franklin (the winter trout stretch); Pinkerton Park, Franklin; Fieldstone Park; Meeting of the Waters; Crockett Park and Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, Brentwood; the Franklin greenway system along the Harpeth; Harpeth River bridge crossings on Hwy 96 and Hwy 46. Most of the river’s bank is private, stay in the parks and the greenway.

Getting a boat on the water in Williamson County

No marina, no lake, no ramp. The Harpeth is a canoe, kayak and tube river. Tennessee State Parks closes boating access on the river when levels reach 5 feet and above, and advises against tubing at very low water; on the Narrows loop downstream, tubing is prohibited below one foot.

Check the Kingston Springs and Bellevue gauges. Clark Marine Sales, Franklin, and Xtreme Marine Sports, Franklin, are boat dealers rather than launch points. Wake Rental, Nashville Boat Rental, 5075 Main St, Spring Hill, (615) 521-2400.

Two different trips

Visiting Williamson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Williamson County

Historic downtown Franklin and Main Street; Carnton and the Carter House (Battle of Franklin); Eastern Flank Battlefield Park; the Natchez Trace Parkway and its double-arch bridge; Leiper’s Fork; Timberland Park; Arrington Vineyards; Harpeth River paddling.

Where Williamson County locals actually go

The winter rainbow trout stocking in the Harpeth at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, put-and-take trout inside the Franklin city limits; the Little Harpeth through Brentwood’s Crockett Park for urban smallmouth; the West Harpeth in the southern county; Owl Creek; the Harpeth below the removed Franklin dam, where the restored free-flowing reach is still settling in.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Williamson County water

Creel and length limits in Williamson County

No Williamson County water carries a creel or length exception, statewide limits apply throughout. Black bass 5/day with no minimum length on the Harpeth and its tributaries; rock bass fall under the statewide sunfish rules; crappie 15/day at a 10″ minimum; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over.

Statewide trout rules apply to the Harpeth’s winter stocking at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park: 7 trout per day, no minimum length. There is no protected slot on Harpeth smallmouth, unlike the East Tennessee rivers.

State record fish from Williamson County water

No Tennessee state record is credited to a Williamson County water.

Williamson County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Questions people actually ask

Williamson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Williamson County?

Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, Franklin (the winter trout stretch).

How many public boat ramps are in Williamson County?

TWRA’s statewide access database lists no maintained boat launch inside Williamson County. Yes, for anyone wanting a lake, this county has none., J. Percy Priest Lake (14,200 ac, USACE), about 30 minutes east via Nashville or Smyrna. 15 free public ramps, 5 marinas, 132 TWRA fish attractors, and enhanced bank fishing sites at

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

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

What are the creel limits in Williamson County?

No Williamson County water carries a creel or length exception, statewide limits apply throughout. Black bass 5/day with no minimum length on the Harpeth and its tributaries; rock bass fall under the statewide sunfish rules; crappie 15/day at a 10″ minimum; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over Statewide trout rules apply to the Harpeth’s winter stocking at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park: 7 trout per day, no minimum length Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Williamson County?

– Tennessee on the Fly, 7406 Libby Ln, Fairview, (406) 546-1463., Hooked and Hunted Outfitters, 1696 Fairview Blvd, Fairview, (615) 266-8188., Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1915 Mallory Ln, Franklin, (615) 435-8341., Dick’s Sporting Goods, 2000 Mallory Ln, Franklin, (615) 778-0595., REI, 261 Franklin Rd, Brentwood, (615) 376-4248., Sun & Ski Sports, 545 Cool Springs Blvd Ste 190, Franklin, (615) 628-0289., Clark Marine Sales LLC, 420 Old Peytonsville Rd, Franklin, (615) 259-3394., No dedicated live-bait shop was verified in Williamson County, a real gap worth stating. Nearest specialist tackle: Bar Tackle, 3203 Hillside Dr, Nashville, (615) 269-8226. There is a fuller list on the Williamson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Williamson County?

The winter rainbow trout stocking in the Harpeth at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, put-and-take trout inside the Franklin city limits. the Little Harpeth through Brentwood’s Crockett Park for urban smallmouth. the West Harpeth in the southern county.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Williamson County

Yes, for anyone wanting a lake, this county has none., J. Percy Priest Lake (14,200 ac, USACE), about 30 minutes east via Nashville or Smyrna. 15 free public ramps, 5 marinas, 132 TWRA fish attractors, and enhanced bank fishing sites at Stewart Creek (Smyrna) and Vivrette Creek., Old Hickory Lake, about 45 minutes northeast., Normandy Reservoir (3,048 ac, TVA), about 1 hour southeast, with four fee-free ramps and two fishing piers at Barton Springs., Tims Ford Lake, about 1 hr 15 min southeast; the best smallmouth reservoir in Middle Tennessee, with 14 free public ramps., Montgomery Bell State Park (Dickson County), Acorn and Woodhaven lakes, about 45 minutes west, with winter catch-and-release trout at Acorn Lake 1 Dec–31 March.

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

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Williamson County

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

RiverHarpeth River2 access points in Williamson County, 12 in totalSee the spots →

Conditions

Williamson County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsHarpeth River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Williamson CountyTWRA stocks Harpeth River at Eastern Flank Battle Park. Dates are on the stocking schedule.Open →

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

About this list

Where the Williamson 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 Williamson 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 FranklinHarpeth River, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near BrentwoodJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →

The $33 combination hunt and fish license does not cover trout. That needs the $21 supplemental.

Keep looking

Counties next to Williamson

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

Next county overDavidson CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →Next county overMaury CountyDuck River, Bluecat LakeSee the spots →Next county overRutherford CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, West Fork Stones RiverSee the spots →Next county overCheatham CountyHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →Next county overMarshall CountyDuck River, New LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Williamson 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 Williamson County right now: Williamson County conditions.