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Boat Launch · Sumner County

Cairo Boat Ramp, Old Hickory Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane. 5 miles from Gallatin.

Get driving directionsAll Sumner County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Cairo Boat Ramp

Captains who run Old Hickory Lake, 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 Cairo Boat 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 checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Cairo Boat Ramp

Cairo Boat Ramp is a public boat launch on Old Hickory Lake in Sumner County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

TWRA holds no written directions for Cairo Boat 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.

Cairo Boat Ramp is 5.1 miles south-east of Gallatin, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Ziegler’s Fort Ramp, 1.1 miles to the north on the same water. For bait, Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is about 4 miles away.

Coordinates 36.35930, -86.36250

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

What is there

What you will find at Cairo Boat Ramp

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 Cairo Boat 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.

Open 24 hours

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

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 Cairo Boat Ramp

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

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiestriped basswhite basswalleyesaugercatfish

The Cumberland forms Wilson County’s northern border with Trousdale and Sumner and that reach is Old Hickory; the Wilson side is the Cedar Creek and Hunters Point country, and TWRA rates the lake a world-class trophy striped bass fishery with regular catches over 50 lb.

Everything on Old Hickory LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Cairo Boat Ramp

What you can keep from Old Hickory Lake at Cairo Boat Ramp. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Old Hickory Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined14 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Crappie3010 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in 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

20 public boat launches in Sumner County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Old Hickory Lake around Cairo Boat Ramp

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

Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Old Hickory Lake access near Cairo Boat Ramp

The closest other public access points on Old Hickory Lake, measured straight line from Cairo Boat Ramp. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECZiegler’s Fort Ramp1.1 miles north1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.37440, -86.35880Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECBledsoe Creek State Park Ramp1.3 miles north-eastZieglers Fort Rd1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37610, -86.35230Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECiaro Bend1.4 miles south-west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.34060, -86.37370Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaShady Cove Marina1.8 miles north-eastDirections and detail →36.37689, -86.33945Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEOld Union Hill Access2.9 miles north1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.39830, -86.34530Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAGallatin Steam Plant Ramp2.9 miles south-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierDirections and detail →36.32420, -86.39200
All 54 access points on Old Hickory Lake

Cairo Boat Ramp water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Cairo Boat Ramp

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Cairo Boat Ramp, including Goose Creek, Cheatham Lake and Cumberland River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Old Hickory Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchGoose CreekGoose Creek · 13 miles east1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37422, -86.13631Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USACEOld Hickory DamCheatham Lake · 17 miles westI-40 to exit 221, OH Blvd to OH Damrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.29657, -86.65942Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEOld Hickory Dam Boat RampCheatham Lake · 17 miles westI-40 to exit 221, OH Blvd to OH Dam1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.29828, -86.66279Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACERome Boat RampCumberland River · 18 miles south-eastHwy 70 between Rock City/Rome and Wilson County Line west of Carthage1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.26158, -86.07003Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEVivrett Creek Recreation AreaJ. Percy Priest Lake · 18 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.14076, -86.54348Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESeven Points Boat RampJ. Percy Priest Lake · 19 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.13170, -86.56510

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Cairo Boat Ramp

The closest shops to Cairo Boat Ramp that this site has checked. Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is nearest, about 4 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Gallatin · about 4 milesPoindexter Bait ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Hartsville · about 11 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Mount Juliet · about 14 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Sumner County

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Common questions

Questions about Cairo Boat Ramp

Can you launch a boat at Cairo Boat Ramp?

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

Do you need a fishing licence at Cairo Boat 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 Cairo Boat Ramp?

Old Hickory Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, white bass, walleye, 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 Cairo Boat Ramp?

Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 4 miles from Cairo Boat Ramp. Walmart Supercenter in Hartsville is next, about 11 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Cairo Boat Ramp?

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

Who runs Cairo Boat Ramp?

Cairo Boat 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 Cairo Boat Ramp

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

The whole waterFishing Old Hickory Lake54 public access points across 5 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Sumner CountyEvery public spot in Sumner County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listSumner County spot listAll 26 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near GallatinShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near GallatinEverything within about 30 miles of Gallatin, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Cairo Boat 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 Old Hickory Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits