With a guide
Guides and charters near The Boils
Captains who run Nashville lakes and the Cumberland, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Nashville Fishing Charters
Stripers, hybrids, crappie, largemouth, smallmouthCall 615-812-2091nashvillefishingcharters.com
Fish Nashville
Striper, hybrid, catfish, crappie, bass, troutCall 615-200-0618fishnashville.com
Crappie Guide Service
White and black crappieCall 615-542-9800crappieguideservice.com
What to bring
Tackle for The Boils
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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to The Boils
The Boils is a public boat launch on Roaring River in Jackson County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
From Gainesboro take HWY 53 N to HWY 135. Turn right and travel 2.4 miles then turn left on Roaring River Rd., cross bridge, turn right and go 4.2 miles. Access area is on right.
The Boils is 13 miles north of Cookeville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Fish Dam, 2.0 miles to the west on the same water. For bait, Granville Marina in Gainesboro is about 5 miles away.
Coordinates 36.34946, -85.56340
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at The Boils
Roaring River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
The Boils WMA at 2036 Roaring River Rd is a floodplain habitat with gravel bar access, TWRA restricts it to trolling motors, which keeps it quiet. Fish Dam is a second TWRA-managed site on the same river.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at The Boils
What you can keep from Roaring River at The Boils. Roaring River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| 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.
10 public boat launches in Jackson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Roaring River around The Boils
What the water at The Boils actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Cordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain
Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain
Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →Pub. by Southern Latex Co., Nashville, Tenn. “Ti / Public domainNext one along
More Roaring River access near The Boils
The closest other public access points on Roaring River, measured straight line from The Boils. Each one opens its own page with directions.
The Boils water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near The Boils
Public access on other water within 20 miles of The Boils, including Cordell Hull Lake and Cumberland River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Roaring River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near The Boils
The closest shops to The Boils that this site has checked. Granville Marina in Gainesboro is nearest, about 5 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around The Boils
The Boils is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.