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Boat Launch · Hamilton County

Suck Creek, Nickajack Lake

1 ramp, 2 lanes, canoe / kayak landing. 5 miles from Chattanooga.

Get driving directionsAll Hamilton County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Suck Creek

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

Capt. Paul Johnson · Chattanooga

Paul Johnson Guide Service

Largemouth, spotted, smallmouthCall 423-598-9083pauljohnsonguideservice.com

Steve Kite and Chris Coleman · Chattanooga

Chattanooga Fishing Guides

BassCall 423-240-5389chattanoogafishingguides.com

Richard Simms and six guides · Chattanooga

Scenic City Fishing Charters

Trophy catfish, walleye, crappie, bass, striper, saugersceniccityfishing.com

All 4 guides on Chickamauga and Nickajack

What to bring

Tackle for Suck Creek

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

How to get there

Getting to Suck Creek

Suck Creek is a public boat launch on Nickajack Lake in Hamilton County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

TWRA holds no written directions for Suck Creek. 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.

Suck Creek is 5.4 miles north-west of Chattanooga, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Raccoon Mountain, 4.5 miles to the south-west on the same water. For bait, The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is about 5 miles away.

Coordinates 35.10950, -85.36510

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

What is there

What you will find at Suck Creek

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 Suck Creek. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 2 lanes.

Canoe and kayak

A landing shallow enough to carry a paddle craft in and out.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Suck Creek

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

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiebluegillredear sunfishstriped basswhite basschannel catfishfreshwater drum

Held at full pool 633.5 ft year-round with no meaningful winter drawdown, which is genuinely distinctive among TVA lakes; the upper two-thirds is riverine with riprap both banks, and the black bass and crappie fishing concentrates in the coves at the lower end through the Tennessee River Gorge.

Everything on Nickajack LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Suck Creek

What you can keep from Nickajack Lake at Suck Creek. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Nickajack Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined15 in minimumNickajack Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimum, only one over 16 inSame rule for spotted, Alabama and hybrid bass
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Redear sunfish20No minimumStatewide
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

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

24 public boat launches in Hamilton County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Nickajack Lake around Suck Creek

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

Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainNickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →RebelCowboySnB Marlon N Weldon / CC BY-SA 3.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Next one along

More Nickajack Lake access near Suck Creek

The closest other public access points on Nickajack Lake, measured straight line from Suck Creek. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDARaccoon Mountain4.5 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05980, -85.41680Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaErwin Marine Riverfront4.6 miles south-eastDirections and detail →35.05530, -85.31701Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaBrowns Ferry Landing Marina4.6 miles southDirections and detail →35.04338, -85.35237Launch fee2.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · CityRoss’s Landing4.7 miles south-eastI-24 to 27 N to MLK W, end of MLK, right at light, about 3/4 mile on leftrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05680, -85.31260Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyTN River Park6.2 miles east1 ramp, 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.09630, -85.25520Free3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CountyTN River Park Pier6.3 miles eastfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.09790, -85.25310
All 18 access points on Nickajack Lake

Suck Creek water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Suck Creek

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Suck Creek, including North Chickamauga Creek and Chickamauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Nickajack Lake or the ramp is busy.

Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesPaddling · TWRANorth Chickamauga Creek Paddle LaunchNorth Chickamauga Creek · 7.9 miles eastcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.14078, -85.22928Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaChickamauga MarinaChickamauga Lake · 8.3 miles eastDirections and detail →35.09439, -85.21877Free3 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaLakeshore MarinaChickamauga Lake · 8.3 miles eastrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.10910, -85.21620Launch fee1.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandGold Point MarinaChickamauga Lake · 9.0 miles eastDirections and detail →35.11330, -85.20400Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECBooker T. Washington State ParkChickamauga Lake · 10 miles eastHWY 58 to Champion Road1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.11060, -85.17980Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandHixson MarinaChickamauga Lake · 11 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.14110, -85.17460

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Suck Creek

The closest shops to Suck Creek that this site has checked. The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is nearest, about 5 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Chattanooga · about 5 milesThe Hatch OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 5 milesLake Chickamauga Tackle & OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Hixson · about 8 milesTalkin’ Tackle Outfitter & LodgeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Hamilton County

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Common questions

Questions about Suck Creek

Can you launch a boat at Suck Creek?

Yes. TWRA records Suck Creek as having a boat ramp. It has 2 lanes. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Suck Creek?

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 Suck Creek?

Nickajack Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Suck Creek?

The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 5 miles from Suck Creek. Lake Chickamauga Tackle & Outdoors in Chattanooga is next, about 5 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Suck Creek?

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

Who runs Suck Creek?

Suck Creek is listed under the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 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 Suck Creek

Suck Creek is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Nickajack Lake18 public access points across 2 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Hamilton CountyEvery public spot in Hamilton County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listHamilton County spot listAll 44 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near ChattanoogaShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near ChattanoogaEverything within about 30 miles of Chattanooga, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Suck Creek, 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 Nickajack Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits