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Boat Launch · Clay County

Donaldson Park, Obey River

1 ramp, 1 lane. In Celina.

Get driving directionsAll Clay County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Donaldson Park

Captains who run Dale Hollow, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Isaac Peavyhouse · Star Point Marina

Dale Hollow Bass Guide

BassCall 931-704-4642dalehollowbassguide.com

“Dale Hollow Dave” · Dale Hollow

Dale Hollow Trophy Troller

Trolling: smallmouth, walleye, musky, white bass, crappie, troutCall 615-477-7888trolldhl.com

Bobby Gentry · Dale Hollow

Reel Country with Bobby Gentry

SmallmouthCall 270-427-0419bobbygentry.com

All 4 guides on Dale Hollow

What to bring

Tackle for Donaldson Park

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:

Fish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Donaldson Park

Donaldson Park is a public boat launch on Obey River in Clay County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

TWRA holds no written directions for Donaldson Park. Use the coordinates below, which come straight from the state’s access record and drop you on the access point itself rather than on the nearest town.

Donaldson Park is in Celina. The closest other public access is Donaldson Park Boat Ramp on Obey River/Cumberland River, a few hundred yards to the south-east. For bait, Granville Marina in Gainesboro is about 17 miles away.

Coordinates 36.55590, -85.49540

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Celina
Aerial view of Donaldson Park
Donaldson Park from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Donaldson Park

Free to launch 2.5 out of 5 Facilities 2.5 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Donaldson Park. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Not recorded here: fishing pier, canoe and kayak, restrooms, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Donaldson Park

Obey River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

smallmouth bass

The Dale Hollow tailwater is a genuine trout fishery stocked with all three species, and it joins the Cumberland right at Celina, which is why one small town sits on trout water, sauger water and smallmouth water at once.

Everything on Obey RiverFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Donaldson Park

What you can keep from Obey River at Donaldson Park. TWRA sets 1 rule just for Obey River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Walleye516 in minimum, only one over 20 inEast Fork Obey (Dale Hollow headwaters), Compton boat ramp to Hwy 52 bridge, Jan 1–Apr 15: one single-point hook or lure, max 3 rods. The tailwater below Dale Hollow Dam follows statewide rules
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide

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

13 public boat launches in Clay County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Obey River around Donaldson Park

What the water at Donaldson Park actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Obey River, TennesseeObey RiverOpen the Obey River page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainDale Hollow Lake, TennesseeDale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainCumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainObey River, TennesseeObey RiverOpen the Obey River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Dale Hollow Lake, TennesseeDale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Obey River access near Donaldson Park

The closest other public access points on Obey River, measured straight line from Donaldson Park. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAMoody Boat Ramp1.7 miles south-eastDirections and detail →36.54222, -85.46978Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDale Hollow Dam Boat Ramp2.5 miles south-east1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53729, -85.45674
All 3 access points on Obey River

Donaldson Park water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Donaldson Park

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Donaldson Park, including Obey River/Cumberland River and Dale Hollow Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Obey River or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDonaldson Park Boat RampObey River/Cumberland River · a few hundred yards south-east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.55565, -85.49523Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDale Hollow MarinaDale Hollow Lake · 2.7 miles east1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.55365, -85.44711Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDale Hollow MarinaDale Hollow Lake · 2.7 miles eastFrom Celina, 53 N to Old HWY 53, turn right on Arlon Webb Road1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.55360, -85.44710Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEPleasant Grove Recreation AreaDale Hollow Lake · 3.3 miles east1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53837, -85.44004Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCedar Hill Marina and ResortDale Hollow Lake · 3.3 miles eastFrom Celina, 53 N to Old Hwy 53, turn right on Cedar Hill Rd to resort1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.54400, -85.43760Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEPleasant Grove Day Use AreaDale Hollow Lake · 3.3 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53880, -85.43950

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Donaldson Park

The closest shops to Donaldson Park that this site has checked. Granville Marina in Gainesboro is nearest, about 17 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Gainesboro · about 17 milesGranville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Granville · about 27 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Jamestown · about 33 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Clay County

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Common questions

Questions about Donaldson Park

Can you launch a boat at Donaldson Park?

Yes. TWRA records Donaldson Park as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Donaldson Park?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Donaldson Park?

Obey River holds smallmouth bass. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Donaldson Park?

Granville Marina in Gainesboro is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 17 miles from Donaldson Park. Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is next, about 27 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Donaldson Park?

No restroom is recorded here. Most TWRA ramps have none, so plan for that on a long day.

Who runs Donaldson Park?

Donaldson Park is listed under the US Army Corps of Engineers in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Donaldson Park

Donaldson Park is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Obey River3 public access points across 1 county.See the spots →County guideFishing in Clay CountyEvery public spot in Clay County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listClay County spot listAll 25 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near CelinaShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near CelinaEverything within about 30 miles of Celina, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Donaldson Park, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes Obey River rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits