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Boat Launch · Putnam County

Meadow Creek Lake, Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, trolling motors only. 15 miles from Crossville.

Get driving directionsAll Putnam County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek Lake

Meadow Creek Lake is a public boat launch on Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake in Putnam County, Tennessee, run by the city.

TWRA holds no written directions for Meadow Creek 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.

Meadow Creek Lake is 15 miles north-west of Crossville, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, Cookeville, is 18 miles to the west. The closest other public access is Old City Lake on Old City Lake, 14 miles to the west. For bait, Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is about 16 miles away.

Coordinates 36.11618, -85.18745

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

What is there

What you will find at Meadow Creek Lake

Free to launch 2 out of 5 Facilities 2 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 Meadow Creek 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.

Trolling motors only

No gas outboards on this water. Electric only.

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 Meadow Creek Lake

Town of Monterey Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek Lake

What you can keep from Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake at Meadow Creek Lake. Town of Monterey Meadow Creek 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

Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake around Meadow Creek Lake

What the water at Meadow Creek 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

Meadow Creek Lake water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Meadow Creek Lake

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Meadow Creek Lake, including Old City Lake, Meadow Park Lake and Bryd Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityOld City LakeOld City Lake · 14 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.13099, -85.44440Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityMeadow Park LakeMeadow Park Lake · 16 miles south1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.90196, -85.09644Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TDECCumberland Mountain State ParkBryd Lake · 18 miles south-eastfishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →35.89856, -85.00049Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of SpartaCalf Killer River · 19 miles south-west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94370, -85.45050

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Meadow Creek Lake

The closest shops to Meadow Creek Lake that this site has checked. Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is nearest, about 16 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Crossville · about 16 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Sparta · about 21 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Jamestown · about 26 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Putnam County

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Common questions

Questions about Meadow Creek Lake

Can you launch a boat at Meadow Creek Lake?

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

Do you need a fishing licence at Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek Lake?

Town of Monterey Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek Lake?

Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 16 miles from Meadow Creek Lake. Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is next, about 21 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Meadow Creek Lake?

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

Who runs Meadow Creek Lake?

Meadow Creek 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 Meadow Creek Lake

Meadow Creek 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 CrossvilleEverything within about 30 miles of Crossville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Meadow Creek 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 Town of Monterey Meadow Creek Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits