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Boat Launch · Putnam County

Old City Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, fishing pier, canoe / kayak landing. 4 miles from Cookeville.

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With a guide

Guides and charters near Old City Lake

Captains who run Center Hill and the Caney Fork, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Smithville

Gone Fishin’ Expeditions

Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, catfishCall 615-814-4832gonefishinexpeditions.com

David Knapp · Crossville

Trout Zone Anglers

Rainbow, brown and brook trout, smallmouth, muskyCall 931-261-1884troutzoneanglers.com

Capt. Jim Durham · Multi-base TN/KY

StriperFun Guide Service

Center Hill and Normandy walleye, Tims Ford stripers, Caney Fork troutCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com

Every Tennessee guide by water

What to bring

Tackle for Old City Lake

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 Old City Lake

Old City Lake is a public boat launch on Old City Lake in Putnam County, Tennessee, run by the city.

TWRA holds no written directions for Old City Lake. 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.

Old City Lake is 3.9 miles south-east of Cookeville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Cane Creek Park on Cane Creek Lake, 5.9 miles to the west. For bait, Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is about 15 miles away.

Coordinates 36.13099, -85.44440

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Cookeville
Aerial view of Old City Lake
Old City Lake from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Old City Lake

Free to launch 3 out of 5 Facilities 3 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 Old City Lake. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Fishing pier

A built pier, so you can fish deep water without a boat.

Canoe and kayak

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

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Old City Lake

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

largemouth basssmallmouth bassspotted basscrappiebluegillrock bassstriped basswalleyesauger
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What you can keep

Fishing limits at Old City Lake

What you can keep from Old City Lake at Old City Lake. Old City Lake has no limits of its own, so the statewide limits apply. These are the ones for the fish it holds.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Spotted bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Rock bass20No minimumStatewide
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in minimumStatewide

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

5 public boat launches in Putnam County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Old City Lake around Old City Lake

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

Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCenter Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Old City Lake water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Old City Lake

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Old City Lake, including Cane Creek Lake, Center Hill Lake and Calf Killer River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Old City Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCane Creek ParkCane Creek Lake · 5.9 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalstrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →36.16188, -85.54176Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECane HollowCenter Hill Lake · 12 miles south-west1 ramp, More Than 3 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.03283, -85.62161Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of SpartaCalf Killer River · 13 miles south1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94370, -85.45050Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityMeadow Creek LakeTown of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake · 14 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanetrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →36.11618, -85.18745Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta #2Calf Killer River · 14 miles south1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.92246, -85.46660Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaCookeville Boat DockCenter Hill Lake · 15 miles south-westDirections and detail →36.00098, -85.65218

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Old City Lake

The closest shops to Old City Lake that this site has checked. Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is nearest, about 15 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Sparta · about 15 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Gainesboro · about 20 milesGranville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Granville · about 22 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Putnam County

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Common questions

Questions about Old City Lake

Can you launch a boat at Old City Lake?

Yes. TWRA records Old City Lake as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Old City Lake?

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 Old City Lake?

Old City Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, striped bass, walleye and sauger. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Old City Lake?

Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 15 miles from Old City Lake. Granville Marina in Gainesboro is next, about 20 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Old City Lake?

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

Who runs Old City Lake?

Old City Lake is listed under the city 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 Old City Lake

Old City Lake is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

County guideFishing in Putnam CountyEvery public spot in Putnam County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listPutnam County spot listAll 6 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near CookevilleShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near CookevilleEverything within about 30 miles of Cookeville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Old City Lake, 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 Old City Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits