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Boat Launch · Smith County

Buffalo Ramp, Cordell Hull Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, canoe / kayak landing. 6 miles from Carthage.

Get driving directionsAll Smith County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Buffalo Ramp

Captains who run Nashville lakes and the Cumberland, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Billy Flatt · Nashville

Nashville Fishing Charters

Stripers, hybrids, crappie, largemouth, smallmouthCall 615-812-2091nashvillefishingcharters.com

Capt. Brian and two guides · Nashville

Fish Nashville

Striper, hybrid, catfish, crappie, bass, troutCall 615-200-0618fishnashville.com

Mark Travis · Nashville area

Crappie Guide Service

White and black crappieCall 615-542-9800crappieguideservice.com

All 6 guides on Nashville lakes and the Cumberland

What to bring

Tackle for Buffalo Ramp

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 Buffalo Ramp

Buffalo Ramp is a public boat launch on Cordell Hull Lake in Smith County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

TWRA holds no written directions for Buffalo Ramp. 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.

Buffalo Ramp is 5.9 miles north-east of Carthage, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Sullivans Bend Ramp 2, 0.8 miles to the south on the same water. For bait, Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is about 6 miles away.

Coordinates 36.31060, -85.87510

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Carthage
Aerial view of Buffalo Ramp
Buffalo Ramp from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Buffalo Ramp

Free to launch 3.5 out of 5 Facilities 3.5 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 Buffalo Ramp. 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.

Canoe and kayak

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

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Buffalo Ramp

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

largemouth basssmallmouth bassspotted basscrappiebluegillstriped basssaugercatfish

One of the younger reservoirs in Tennessee and one of the few in the state with a self-sustaining, naturally reproducing sauger population. Winter drawdown is only about five feet, so the shoreline cover stays usable year-round, and spring electrofishing surveys consistently turn up largemouth over five pounds.

Everything on Cordell Hull LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Buffalo Ramp

What you can keep from Cordell Hull Lake at Buffalo Ramp. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Cordell Hull Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined15 in minimumCordell Hull Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumCordell Hull Lake rule
Striped bass2 striped/hybrid combined32–42 in protected slot, one over 42 inCordell Hull Lake rule
Spotted bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

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

12 public boat launches in Smith County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Cordell Hull Lake around Buffalo Ramp

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

Cordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River 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 3.0Cumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Caney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Cordell Hull Lake access near Buffalo Ramp

The closest other public access points on Cordell Hull Lake, measured straight line from Buffalo Ramp. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESullivans Bend Ramp 20.8 miles south1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.29870, -85.87150Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESullivans Bend Boat Ramp1.1 miles south1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.29560, -85.86880Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDefeated Creek Marina1.9 miles west1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →36.30060, -85.90710Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHorseshoe Bend Ramp3.9 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.29630, -85.94330Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHollemans Bend Boat Ramp4.6 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.31660, -85.79270Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESalt Lick Park5.1 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.32270, -85.78520
All 15 access points on Cordell Hull Lake

Buffalo Ramp water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Buffalo Ramp

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Buffalo Ramp, including Old Hickory Lake, Cumberland River and Caney Fork River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Cordell Hull Lake or the ramp is busy.

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteOld Hickory Lake Fishing AccessOld Hickory Lake · 4.0 miles westDirections and detail →36.28966, -85.94077Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECordell Hull Dam Generator Side Boat RampCumberland River · 4.0 miles south-westTurn off Dixon Springs Hwy onto Hwy 263 Turkey Creek Hwy. Then turn onto Corps Lane, ramp is located behind playground on the right.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.28236, -85.93692Fee not listed3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USACECordell Hull Dam Access AreaCumberland River · 4.1 miles south-westfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.28789, -85.94260Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECordell Hull Dam Lock Side River Boat RampCumberland River · 4.2 miles south-westLocated at the end of Horseshoe Bend Rd. off Hwy 70 at lock side of Cordell Hull Dam.1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →36.27948, -85.93917Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESouth Carthage Boat RampCumberland River · 6.1 miles south-west1/4 mile west of bridge on Hwy 25 W (Carthage bypass)1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.24317, -85.94558Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyBob Lowery Sr. Boat RampCaney Fork River · 7.1 miles south-westlocated on Hwy 53 at Smith Co. Agricultural Complex in South Carthage, TN1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.22419, -85.94280

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Buffalo Ramp

The closest shops to Buffalo Ramp that this site has checked. Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is nearest, about 6 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Granville · about 6 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Gainesboro · about 12 milesGranville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Lancaster · about 13 milesCenter Hill MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Smith County

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Common questions

Questions about Buffalo Ramp

Can you launch a boat at Buffalo Ramp?

Yes. TWRA records Buffalo Ramp as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Buffalo Ramp?

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 Buffalo Ramp?

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

Where can I buy bait near Buffalo Ramp?

Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 6 miles from Buffalo Ramp. Granville Marina in Gainesboro is next, about 12 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Buffalo Ramp?

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

Who runs Buffalo Ramp?

Buffalo Ramp is listed under the US Army Corps of Engineers 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 Buffalo Ramp

Buffalo Ramp is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Cordell Hull Lake15 public access points across 2 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Smith CountyEvery public spot in Smith County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listSmith County spot listAll 17 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near CarthageShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near CarthageEverything within about 30 miles of Carthage, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Buffalo Ramp, 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 Cordell Hull Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits