Lake · Coffee and Franklin

Fishing Woods Reservoir, Tennessee

Q: Is Woods Reservoir 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 2 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Woods Reservoir, county by county

All 5 public access points TWRA records on Woods Reservoir. 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.

Woods Reservoir access in Coffee County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAClark Hill Boat RampDrive to the end of Clark Hill Rd in Hillsboro1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.31573, -85.99482

Woods Reservoir access in Franklin County

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherCheck-In Station Road Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.33012, -86.05372 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherFranklin County Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.30913, -86.07544 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherMorris Ferry Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.29650, -86.05789 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherSouth Hap Arnold Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.33096, -86.06057

What to bring

Tackle for Woods Reservoir

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

The water

Woods Reservoir boat ramps and fishing access

Woods Reservoir has 5 public access points: 5 boat ramps, 1 fishing pier and 5 kayak launches, in Coffee and Franklin counties.

5public access points

5boat ramps

1fishing pier

5kayak and canoe launches

2counties

What Woods Reservoir is actually like

Woods Reservoir, county by county

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

Coffee County

From the Coffee County page

An Air Force lake with genuinely good public access, five free ramps including a dedicated Coffee County Access on Old Brick Church Road, plus four fishing piers on a paved greenway.

Franklin County

From the Franklin County page

Mostly in Franklin County, and genuinely unusual in being a military-owned public fishery

What it looks like

Woods Reservoir in photographs

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

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

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

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

Tims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

What you can catch

Fish in Woods Reservoir

What Woods Reservoir 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 crappie white bassyellow basschannel catfish

Guides who fish Woods Reservoir

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Woods Reservoir

TWRA sets 1 rule just for Woods Reservoir. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	18 in minimum	Largemouth and spotted bass: no length limit
Largemouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Crappie	15	10 in minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	No minimum	Statewide
Channel catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide

Other rules on Woods Reservoir

Waterfowl refuge area closed to fishing Dec 1–Jan 31; a second marked area closed on duck hunting days (see map in guide)

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

Woods Reservoir fish consumption advisory

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

Entirety (3,908 acres)

PCBs

Precautionary advisory for 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 Woods Reservoir

Woods Reservoir touches 2 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

ManchesterCoffee County1 access point on Woods Reservoir, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →WinchesterFranklin County4 access points on Woods Reservoir, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

5 public access points on Woods Reservoir, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Woods Reservoir

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.

Franklin CountyFishing near WinchesterPublic water within about 30 miles of Winchester, closest first.See the spots →Coffee CountyFishing near TullahomaPublic water within about 30 miles of Tullahoma, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Woods Reservoir

How many public boat ramps are there on Woods Reservoir?

TWRA lists 5 public boat launches on Woods Reservoir, with 10 ramp lanes between them, across 2 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Woods Reservoir?

Woods Reservoir holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, white bass, yellow bass and channel 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 Woods Reservoir run through?

Coffee and Franklin counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Woods Reservoir from the bank?

Yes. 1 of the public access points on Woods Reservoir have a built fishing pier, and most of the ramps have shoreline you can walk. A pier is the easiest option with children or without a boat.

Do you need a licence to fish Woods Reservoir?

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 Woods Reservoir 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 Woods Reservoir 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

Closures and notices on Woods Reservoir

What’s biting on Woods Reservoir in %M%