Monroe County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Monroe County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Monroe 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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Monroe County

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

Tellico Plains · about 14 milesTellico OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Lenoir City · about 17 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Louisville · about 22 milesDunmore Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Townsend · about 27 milesLittle River OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 33 milesSmitty’s Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 33 milesBig Fish OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 33 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Cleveland · about 44 milesFishTales Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →

Buy it at the ramp

Marinas and bait at the water in Monroe County

Access points in Monroe County that TWRA records as carrying bait, rentals or marina services. Buying where you launch is the cheapest way to avoid a wasted trip.

Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaTellico MarinaTellico Lake2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →35.60570, -84.19730

The big stores

Chain stores near Monroe County

The closest full tackle wall to Monroe County is the Academy in Knoxville, about 33 miles from Madisonville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Knoxville · about 33 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Kodak · about 44 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Hixson · about 61 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Morristown · about 68 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Monroe County

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

Monroe County has trout water, and no base license covers trout. The $21 annual trout supplemental is the add-on, and the Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include it.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Monroe County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Monroe 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 Monroe 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. This matters in Monroe County, because there is trout water here.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Monroe County?

Tellico Outfitters. Fish Skinz Apparel, Tellico Plains. 865 Anglers. Indian Boundary General Store, which sells bait and tackle at the lake. Guided trips: Cody Fischer Guided Fishing Trips. The TWRA Tellico Lake/South Cherokee workbase is at 1111 Hwy 360, Vonore, and the Citico Creek check station at 1663 Citico Road, Vonore, relevant because the permit area check-in happens there. Walmart in Madisonville and Sweetwater for licences. Knoxville (~50 min) for full outdoor retail.. There is a fuller list on the Monroe County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Monroe County?

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

No. Monroe County has 2 public fishing piers and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Monroe County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Tellico RiverOpen the Tellico River page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5

Chilhowee LakeOpen the Chilhowee Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Cherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0

Watauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0

7 public boat launches in Monroe County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Monroe County

Got what you need? The Monroe 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.

Monroe County fishing spots Back to the county page

Keep going

More Monroe 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 water Licence and limits