River · Cocke

Fishing Pigeon River, Tennessee

Q: Is Pigeon 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.

5 public access points across 1 county, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Pigeon River, county by county

All 5 public access points TWRA records on Pigeon 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.

Pigeon River access in Cocke County

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFSBluffton Access Areacanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.81241, -83.17739 Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteDenton Accesscanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.84352, -83.18512 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityNewport Police Dept.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.96782, -83.18363 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · PrivateTannery IslandFrom Newport take Hwy. 731 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94280, -83.17886 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyWalters Powerhouse AccessI-40 to Walterville exit. Walterville Rd to access area1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.77516, -83.10041

What to bring

Tackle for Pigeon River

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

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

The water

Pigeon River boat ramps and fishing access

Pigeon River has 5 public access points: 3 boat ramps and 5 kayak launches, in Cocke County.

5public access points

3boat ramps

5kayak and canoe launches

1county

River levels

Pigeon River level and flow today

The latest USGS gauge readings on the Pigeon River, the seven-day trend and the forecast.

Pigeon River level

What Pigeon River is actually like

Pigeon River, county by county

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

Cocke County

From the Cocke County page

Once badly polluted and now substantially recovered; the Walters Powerhouse release makes the upper river the whitewater run and the lower river a fishable smallmouth stretch.

What it looks like

Pigeon River in photographs

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

French Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

French Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region / Public domain

What you can catch

Fish in Pigeon River

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

smallmouth bass rock bass catfish

Guides who fish Pigeon River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Pigeon River

TWRA sets 3 rules just for Pigeon River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Smallmouth bass	1	20 in minimum	Hwy 321 bridge (Newport) upstream to the NC line
Walleye	5 walleye/sauger combined	15 in minimum	Hwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line
Sauger	5 walleye/sauger combined	No minimum, only one over 16 in	Hwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line; includes hybrids
Rock bass	20	No minimum	Statewide
Channel 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

Pigeon River fish consumption advisory

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

From French Broad River to Vinson Island at Interstate 40 (River mile 12.4)

Mercury

Precautionary advisory for smallmouth bass and channel catfish.*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 Pigeon River

Pigeon River touches 1 Tennessee county. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

NewportCocke County5 access points on Pigeon River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

5 public access points on Pigeon River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Pigeon 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.

Cocke CountyFishing near NewportPublic water within about 30 miles of Newport, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Pigeon River

How many public boat ramps are there on Pigeon River?

TWRA lists 3 public boat launches on Pigeon River, with 3 ramp lanes between them, across 1 Tennessee county. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Pigeon River?

Pigeon River holds smallmouth bass, rock bass and catfish. 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 Pigeon River run through?

Cocke county. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Pigeon River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Pigeon 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 Pigeon 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 Pigeon 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 Pigeon 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