River · Bedford, Coffee, Hickman, Humphreys, Marshall and Maury

Fishing Duck River, Tennessee

Q: Is Duck River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not — Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

26 public access points across 6 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Duck River, county by county

All 26 public access points TWRA records on Duck River. Each card 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.

What to bring

Tackle for Duck River

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 Bluegill and Panfish checklist Striper and Hybrid checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Duck River boat ramps and fishing access

Duck River has 26 public access points: 17 boat ramps and 22 kayak launches, in Bedford, Coffee, Hickman, Humphreys, Marshall and Maury counties.

26public access points

17boat ramps

22kayak and canoe launches

6counties

Lake conditions

Duck River generation schedule

The flow in the Duck River follows the release from Normandy Dam. The schedule for it is on its lake conditions page. USGS flow and gauge readings for the Duck River are on its river level page.

Normandy Dam schedule Duck River flow Trout stocking

What Duck River is actually like

Duck River, county by county

Duck River does not fish the same at both ends. This is what the research for each county on it turned up.

Marshall County

From the Marshall County page

This is the county’s headline water and the page should lead with the biodiversity claim: the Duck is described as the most biologically diverse river in North America, with over 50 freshwater mussel species and 151 fish species. Below Henry Horton the pools get larger and the catfishing is the strength, with fish averaging around 18 inches.

Hickman County

From the Hickman County page

Described as the most biologically diverse river in North America, with over 50 freshwater mussel species and 151 fish species. Through Hickman it is a shallow, gravel-and-ledge smallmouth float, not a boat-ramp-and-motor river.

Maury County

From the Maury County page

The most biologically diverse river in North America, 50-plus mussel species and 151 fish species, and through Maury County it is a genuine trophy-catfish float, with the occasional large flathead.

What it looks like

Duck River in photographs

What Duck River looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Duck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Normandy LakeOpen the Normandy Lake page →Chris Breeze / CC BY 2.0

Duck RiverOpen the Duck River page →La Citta Vita / CC BY-SA 2.0

What you can catch

Fish in Duck River

What Duck River actually holds, from the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes. A licence is required for all of it.

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass bluegill rock bassyellow basschannel catfish flathead catfishredhorse

Guides who fish Duck River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Duck River

Duck River has no limits of its own, so the statewide limits apply. These are the ones for the fish it holds.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Largemouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Spotted bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Rock bass	20	No minimum	Statewide
Channel catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide
Flathead catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide

From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

Duck River fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Duck River, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

From Cold Bramch (River mile 11.5) to Interstate 40 (River mile 31.8)

Mercury, PCB

Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) for mercury. Precautionary advisory for Catfish for PCB..*Precautionary means: Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.

Every Tennessee fish advisory

By county

Counties on Duck River

Duck River touches 6 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

ShelbyvilleBedford County9 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →ManchesterCoffee County2 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →CentervilleHickman County3 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →WaverlyHumphreys County2 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →LewisburgMarshall County2 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →ColumbiaMaury County8 access points on Duck River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

26 public access points on Duck River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Duck River

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number that matters when you are deciding where to drive.

Coffee CountyFishing near TullahomaPublic water within about 30 miles of Tullahoma, closest first.See the spots →Bedford CountyFishing near ShelbyvillePublic water within about 30 miles of Shelbyville, closest first.See the spots →Dickson CountyFishing near DicksonPublic water within about 30 miles of Dickson, closest first.See the spots →Maury CountyFishing near ColumbiaPublic water within about 30 miles of Columbia, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Duck River

How many public boat ramps are there on Duck River?

TWRA lists 17 public boat launches on Duck River, with 18 ramp lanes between them, across 6 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Duck River?

Duck River holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill, rock bass, yellow bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish and redhorse. Which of those is actually worth chasing depends on the season, and TWRA sets size and creel limits that change, so check before you keep anything.

Which counties does Duck River run through?

Bedford, Coffee, Hickman, Humphreys, Marshall and Maury counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Duck River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Duck River. Bank fishing here means the shoreline and parking areas at the public ramps, plus road and bridge crossings where there is public right of way.

Do you need a licence to fish Duck River?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence, and a trout supplemental on top if you plan to keep trout. Non-residents can buy a three-day or ten-day licence rather than a full year.

Is Duck River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not, Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

Keep going

More Duck River 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