With a guide
Guides and charters near Cotten’s Marina
Captains who run Center Hill and the Caney Fork, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Gone Fishin’ Expeditions
Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, catfishCall 615-814-4832gonefishinexpeditions.com
Trout Zone Anglers
Rainbow, brown and brook trout, smallmouth, muskyCall 931-261-1884troutzoneanglers.com
StriperFun Guide Service
Center Hill and Normandy walleye, Tims Ford stripers, Caney Fork troutCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com
What to bring
Tackle for Cotten’s Marina
Three picks from the trout checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Cotten’s Marina
Cotten’s Marina is a public marina on Caney Fork River in Warren County, Tennessee, run by Marina.
TWRA holds no written directions for Cotten’s Marina. 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.
Cotten’s Marina is 12 miles south-west of Sparta, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, McMinnville, is 12 miles to the south-west. The closest other public access is King’s Ramp on Collins River, 1.9 miles to the west. For bait, Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is about 11 miles away.
Coordinates 35.80279, -85.60877
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Cotten’s Marina
Caney Fork River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Runs out of DeKalb County into Smith County and meets the Cumberland at Carthage. Known as a midge factory and fished with zebra midges, dry-dropper rigs in low water and terrestrials in season.
The river can rise several feet in minutes once generation begins, which is the most important safety fact about it.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Cotten’s Marina
What you can keep from Caney Fork River at Cotten’s Marina. TWRA sets 4 rules just for Caney Fork River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | 5 combined | See species limits | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River, including tributaries |
| Rainbow trout | 5 | 14–20 in protected slot, one over 20 in | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River. Same slot applies to brook and cutthroat trout |
| Brown trout | 1 | 24 in minimum | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 50 in minimum | Above Center Hill Dam, including Collins, Calfkiller and Rocky rivers, Cane Creek and tributaries |
Other rules on Caney Fork River
- Walleye run rule Jan 1–Apr 30, Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam: one single-point hook or one lure with a single-point hook, max 3 rods or poles.
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.
8 public boat launches in Warren County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Caney Fork River around Cotten’s Marina
What the water at Cotten’s Marina actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain
Barren Fork RiverOpen the Barren Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Collins RiverOpen the Collins River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Barren Fork RiverOpen the Barren Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Caney Fork River access near Cotten’s Marina
The closest other public access points on Caney Fork River, measured straight line from Cotten’s Marina. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Cotten’s Marina water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Cotten’s Marina
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Cotten’s Marina, including Collins River, Center Hill Lake and Great Falls Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Caney Fork River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Cotten’s Marina
The closest shops to Cotten’s Marina that this site has checked. Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is nearest, about 11 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
Your turn
Rate and review Cotten’s Marina
1. Tap your stars
2. Add a few words if you like
What visitors say
Loading visitor ratings
Where to next
Around Cotten’s Marina
Cotten’s Marina is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.