With a guide
Guides and charters near Kirby Pocket
Captains who run Reelfoot Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Kincade’s Guide Service
Largemouth, crappie, catfish, bluegillCall 731-697-5494kgsreelfoot.com
Reelfoot Lake Crappie Guide
Crappie, bluegill, catfishCall 731-335-2203reelfootlakefishingguide.com
Blue Bank Resort guide staff
What to bring
Tackle for Kirby Pocket
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 Kirby Pocket
Kirby Pocket is a public boat launch on Reelfoot Lake in Obion County, Tennessee, run by TDEC.
From Samburg south on Hwy 22 1.3. miles
Kirby Pocket is 7.5 miles east of Tiptonville, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, Union City, is 16 miles to the east. The closest other public access is Samburg Watershed, 1.0 miles to the south. For bait, Boyette’s Resort in Tiptonville is about 6 miles away.
Coordinates 36.39623, -89.34011
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Kirby Pocket
Reelfoot Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Formed by the 1811-12 New Madrid earthquakes, when the Mississippi River ran backward into a subsided basin. About 68% of the lake is three feet deep or less, with extensive stump fields, aquatic vegetation and standing bald cypress.
Crappie is the most harvested species, averaging over three-quarters of a pound over the last decade, and bluegill catch rates are among the best in the state at around 0.45 lb average. Be honest about bass: strict regulations reflect historically low largemouth densities. This is a panfish lake, not a bass lake.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Kirby Pocket
What you can keep from Reelfoot Lake at Kirby Pocket. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Reelfoot Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 largemouth/spotted combined | 15 in minimum | Reelfoot Lake rule |
| Crappie | 20 | 10 in minimum | Reelfoot Lake rule |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
Other rules on Reelfoot Lake
- Reelfoot Preservation Permit required (exemptions for under 16, residents 65+, lifetime and sportsman licenses). Gas-powered boats prohibited in posted areas Apr 1–May 31.
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.
22 public boat launches in Obion County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Reelfoot Lake around Kirby Pocket
What the water at Kirby Pocket actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Next one along
More Reelfoot Lake access near Kirby Pocket
The closest other public access points on Reelfoot Lake, measured straight line from Kirby Pocket. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Kirby Pocket water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow bass.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Kirby Pocket
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Kirby Pocket, including Kingdom Watershed. Handy when the wind is wrong on Reelfoot Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Kirby Pocket
The closest shops to Kirby Pocket that this site has checked. Boyette’s Resort in Tiptonville is nearest, about 6 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Kirby Pocket
Kirby Pocket is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.