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Johnson County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Johnson County

Bait, tackle, rental boats and licenses in and around Johnson County.

What to bring

Tackle for Johnson 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 Johnson County

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

Mountain City · about 6 milesTNT OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Bristol · about 13 milesSouth Holston River Fly ShopFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Elizabethton · about 16 milesAppalachian OutpostFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Piney Flats · about 22 milesThe South Holston River CompanyTackle and bait for Sullivan County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Johnson City · about 25 milesFly Shop of TennesseeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Kingsport · about 33 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Johnson County

The closest full tackle wall to Johnson County is the Bass Pro in Bristol, about 19 miles from Mountain City. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Bristol · about 19 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Johnson City · about 26 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Kingsport · about 37 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Morristown · about 79 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Johnson County

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

Johnson County has trout water, and no base license covers trout. The $21 annual trout supplemental is the add-on, and the Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include it.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Johnson County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Johnson 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 Johnson 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. This matters in Johnson County, because there is trout water here.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Johnson County?

TNT Outdoors, 2010 TN-67, Mountain City, TN 37683, (423) 727-4181, a hometown sporting goods store that claims the largest fishing selection in East Tennessee. There is a fuller list on the Johnson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Johnson County?

Yes. County clerks, most Walmart stores and licensed agents in Johnson 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 Johnson County?

Not necessarily, though Johnson 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 Johnson County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cherokee Lake, TennesseeCherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 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 3.0Hiwassee River, TennesseeHiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5

1 public boat launches in Johnson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Johnson County

Got what you need? The Johnson 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.

Johnson County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Johnson 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