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Hawkins County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Hawkins County

Hawkins County is short on tackle shops. Here is what is actually nearby.

What to bring

Tackle for Hawkins County water

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 checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Hawkins County

The nearest bait, tackle and marina stores to Hawkins County’s water, each with its own page, directions and phone number.

Bean Station · about 19 milesHuff’s German Creek MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Bean Station · about 19 milesLakeside MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Morristown · about 20 milesCherokee Boat DockLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Kingsport · about 28 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Rutledge · about 32 milesGilmore Boat DockLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Rutledge · about 32 milesGreenlee Campground & MarineTackle and bait for Grainger County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Rutledge · about 32 milesGreenlee of May SpringsTackle and bait for Grainger County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Rutledge · about 32 milesWa-Ni Village ResortLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Johnson City · about 34 milesFly Shop of TennesseeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Hawkins County

The closest full tackle wall to Hawkins County is the Academy in Morristown, about 23 miles from Rogersville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Morristown · about 23 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Kingsport · about 24 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Johnson City · about 35 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Bristol · about 45 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Hawkins County

Buy online at gooutdoorstennessee.com and the license is on your phone in a minute, nothing is mailed. Over the counter, the Hawkins County Clerk in Rogersville sells them, along with most Walmart stores and licensed agents in the county.

Anyone 13 and over needs a license to fish Hawkins County water, and under 13 is free. If you live in Hawkins County, the $10 county-of-residence license covers you on Hawkins County water, though not for trout.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Hawkins County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Hawkins County?

Yes. Anyone 13 and over needs a Tennessee fishing license, and there is no license required for ages 12 and under. A resident annual combination hunt and fish license is $33, a resident one-day all-species license is $11, and a non-resident three-day all-species license is $40. Tennessee has no non-resident one-day license. Buy online at gooutdoorstennessee.com, from a county clerk or from a licensed agent. Licenses are digital, nothing arrives in the post.

Does my Tennessee license cover trout in Hawkins County?

Not automatically. The $33 resident combination hunt and fish license does not cover trout, and neither does the county-of-residence license or the cheaper no-trout short-term options. Those need the $21 annual trout supplemental added on. The Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include trout. There is no designated trout water in Hawkins County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Hawkins County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Hawkins County. No bait shop with a confirmed Hawkins County address was found. Cherokee Bait & Tackle is in Jefferson City, Jefferson County, not Hawkins. Walmart in Rogersville is the practical fallback; Morristown (Hamblen County, roughly 30 minutes) has the nearest real tackle selection.

Can I buy a fishing license in Hawkins County?

Yes. County clerks, most Walmart stores and licensed agents in Hawkins County sell them over the counter, and gooutdoorstennessee.com sells them 24 hours a day. The license is digital or printable, nothing is mailed.

Do I need a boat to fish Hawkins County?

Not necessarily, though Hawkins County is short on developed bank access. The fishing spots page lists every road crossing and park shoreline that is genuinely public.

What it looks like

What Hawkins County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Holston River, TennesseeHolston RiverOpen the Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cherokee Lake, TennesseeCherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0Clinch River, TennesseeClinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

11 public boat launches in Hawkins County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Hawkins County

Got what you need? The Hawkins County fishing spots page has every ramp, pier, creek and lake in the county, with directions to each one and the limits that apply on it.

Hawkins County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Hawkins County 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 waterLicence and limits