Boat Launch · Hardin County

Yellow Creek, Pickwick Lake

2 ramps, 2 lanes, accessible parking. 16 miles from Savannah.

Get driving directions All Hardin County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Yellow Creek

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

Donald Hedge · Adamsville / Savannah

Pickwick Lake Fishing Guide Service

Smallmouth, largemouth, striper, white bass, catfishCall 225-936-6309 fishingpickwicklake.com

Capt. Hunter Nanney · Counce area

Pickwick Lake Guide Services

Largemouth, smallmouth, striper, crappieCall 662-587-4019 pickwickguideservice.com

Every Tennessee guide by water

What to bring

Tackle for Yellow 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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Yellow Creek

Yellow Creek is a public boat launch on Pickwick Lake in Hardin County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

HWY 57 West, South of Pickwick, Left on Magnolia Lane

Yellow Creek is 16 miles south of Savannah, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is State Line Ramp, a few hundred yards to the south-east on the same water. For bait, Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is about 3 miles away.

Coordinates 34.99610, -88.25060

Open in Google Maps See nearby spots on the map Fishing near Savannah

Aerial view of Yellow Creek — Yellow Creek from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Yellow Creek

Free to launch 4 out of 5 Facilities 4 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 Yellow 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.

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

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

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 Yellow Creek

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass crappie bluegill redear sunfish white bass sauger flathead catfish

TWRA’s own wording is the one to quote: Pickwick has produced trophy smallies for years and rivals Dale Hollow for sizes of fish caught. The current-swept ledges and the Wilson Dam tailwater at the upper end are what make it.

Everything on Pickwick Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Yellow Creek

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

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Black bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Crappie	30	9 in minimum	Pickwick Lake rule
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Redear sunfish	20	No minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	No minimum	Statewide
Sauger	10	15 in minimum	Statewide
Flathead 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.

Statewide limits and licenses

23 public boat launches in Hardin County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Pickwick Lake around Yellow Creek

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

Pickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

Next one along

More Pickwick Lake access near Yellow Creek

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

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAState Line Rampa few hundred yards south-eastHWY 57 at TN / MS state line3 ramps, >3 lanesfishing pieraccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99580, -88.24990 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandWinn Springs2.4 miles north-eastDockside Drive, Counce, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.01440, -88.21490 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECPicwick Landing State Park Ramp #23.9 miles northState Park Lane, right on Marina Drive, then left1 ramp, 3 lanesrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →35.05227, -88.23725 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaPickwick Landing State Park Marina4.0 miles northDirections and detail →35.05277, -88.23397 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECPickwick State Park Ramp #14.3 miles northPickwick State Park, State Park Road1 ramp, More Than 3 lanesfishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05700, -88.23240 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA State Line Island4.4 miles north-eastMcKelvey Hollow Road to Hitchcock Lane1 ramp, >3 lanesDirections and detail →35.02740, -88.18120

All 8 access points on Pickwick Lake

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

Other water close by

Other fishing near Yellow Creek

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Yellow Creek, including Kentucky Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Pickwick Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free1 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAKentucky Lake Dam, south shoreKentucky Lake · 4.6 miles northDirections and detail →35.06250, -88.25693 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandBotelKentucky Lake · 4.9 miles northWarf Rd below Pickwick Dam1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.06480, -88.26970 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA Ramp below Pickwick tail watersKentucky Lake · 4.9 miles northHWY 128 South, Right on Wharf Rd. before crossing Pickwick Dam1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.06620, -88.25990 Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAKentucky Lake Dam, north shoreKentucky Lake · 5.1 miles northaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.07048, -88.25263 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandRock PileKentucky Lake · 7.4 miles north-westRock Pile Lane1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.09530, -88.30090 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandPerkins BluffKentucky Lake · 15 miles northErnest Lane from Riverside Lane, Crump, TN1 ramp, >3 lanesDirections and detail →35.21140, -88.31240

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Yellow Creek

The closest shops to Yellow Creek that this site has checked. Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is nearest, about 3 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Counce · about 3 milesRoberts Bait Tackle & Fish MarketLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Counce · about 3 milesSportsman’s One StopTackle and bait for Hardin County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Counce · about 3 milesThe Pickwick StoreSmall local store carrying bait, ice and the basics.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Hardin County

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Common questions

Questions about Yellow Creek

Can you launch a boat at Yellow Creek?

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

Do you need a fishing licence at Yellow 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 Yellow Creek?

Pickwick Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, white bass, sauger and flathead catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Yellow Creek?

Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 3 miles from Yellow Creek. Sportsman’s One Stop in Counce is next, about 3 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Yellow Creek?

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

Who runs Yellow Creek?

Yellow Creek is listed under the Tennessee Valley Authority 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 Yellow Creek

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

The whole waterFishing Pickwick Lake8 public access points across 1 county.See the spots →County guideFishing in Hardin CountyEvery public spot in Hardin County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listHardin County spot listAll 26 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near SavannahShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near SavannahEverything within about 30 miles of Savannah, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Yellow 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 Pickwick Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits