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McMinn County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in McMinn County

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

What to bring

Tackle for McMinn 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 checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near McMinn County

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

Cleveland · about 9 milesFishTales Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Soddy-Daisy · about 23 milesHog Farmer Bait CompanyLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Tellico Plains · about 28 milesTellico OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Hixson · about 28 milesTalkin’ Tackle Outfitter & LodgeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 29 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 30 milesJack’s Bait & Tackle ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →East Ridge · about 33 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 35 milesThe Hatch OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 35 milesLake Chickamauga Tackle & OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near McMinn County

The closest full tackle wall to McMinn County is the Academy in Hixson, about 25 miles from Athens. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Hixson · about 25 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 35 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 35 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 35 milesSportsman’s WarehouseChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in McMinn County

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

Anyone 13 and over needs a license to fish McMinn County water, and under 13 is free. If you live in McMinn County, the $10 county-of-residence license covers you on McMinn County water, though not for trout.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in McMinn County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in McMinn 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 McMinn 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. There is no designated trout water in McMinn County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in McMinn County?

No tackle shop verified in McMinn County. Walmart Supercenter, Athens, for licences and basic tackle. The Hiwassee fly-fishing trade is based at Reliance in Polk County (about 30 minutes southeast), that is where guides and fly shops for this river actually are. Athens is also within 45 minutes of Cleveland and about an hour of Chattanooga and Knoxville for full outdoor retail.. There is a fuller list on the McMinn County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in McMinn County?

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

Not necessarily, though McMinn 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 McMinn County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Hiwassee River, TennesseeHiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5Norris 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 2.0Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 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 3.0

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in McMinn County

Got what you need? The McMinn 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.

McMinn County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More McMinn 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