What to bring
Tackle for Vales Mill Access Area
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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Vales Mill Access Area
Vales Mill Access Area is a public boat launch on Richland Creek in Giles County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Turn east on Chicken Creek Rd off Hwy 64,.3 mil to Vales Mill Rd
Vales Mill Access Area is 16 miles east of Lawrenceburg, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Jim Potts Access Area Richland Creek, 2.4 miles to the north-west on the same water. For bait, Academy Sports in Columbia is about 29 miles away.
Coordinates 35.19411, -87.06300
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Vales Mill Access Area
Richland Creek holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Runs through Maury and Giles counties and past Pulaski before joining the Elk below the Tennessee–Alabama line
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Vales Mill Access Area
What you can keep from Richland Creek at Vales Mill Access Area. Richland Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth 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 |
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.
5 public boat launches in Giles County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Richland Creek around Vales Mill Access Area
What the water at Vales Mill Access Area actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Richland CreekOpen the Richland Creek page →Snyder, Frank R. Flickr: Miami U. Libraries, Digital Collec / No restrictions
Elk RiverOpen the Elk River page →dmtilley / CC BY 3.0
Richland CreekOpen the Richland Creek page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Elk RiverOpen the Elk River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Richland CreekOpen the Richland Creek page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Elk RiverOpen the Elk River page →Michael Barera / CC BY-SA 4.0Next one along
More Richland Creek access near Vales Mill Access Area
The closest other public access points on Richland Creek, measured straight line from Vales Mill Access Area. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Vales Mill Access Area water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Vales Mill Access Area
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Vales Mill Access Area, including Elk River, Shoal Creek and Lake Lindsey. Handy when the wind is wrong on Richland Creek or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Vales Mill Access Area
The closest shops to Vales Mill Access Area that this site has checked. Academy Sports in Columbia is nearest, about 29 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Vales Mill Access Area
Vales Mill Access Area is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.