95 Counties · 1,002 Public Access Points · 78 Lakes and RiversTennessee state record fish

Bartlett · Shelby County

Fishing Near Bartlett, Tennessee

Mississippi River, Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of Bartlett, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Closest first

Every public access within reach of Bartlett

From TWRA’s own access database, with a directions link on each one. Distances are straight-line from Bartlett, so the drive is always a bit longer.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

Wolf River

Mississippi River

Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake

Glen Springs Lake

Cold Creek

Hatchie River

What to bring

What to bring fishing near Bartlett

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

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Measured from town

Where to fish near Bartlett

The water within reach of Bartlett is Mississippi River, Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake and 3 more.

Everything on this page is sorted by straight-line distance from Bartlett, not by which county it sits in. Several of the closest spots to Bartlett are across a county line, which is exactly the kind of thing a county-by-county list hides.

No boat

Bank fishing near Bartlett

2 public fishing piers within reach of Bartlett. No boat needed for any of them.

Shoreline access in Shelby County

Shelby Farms is the answer for most people, designated shore fishing areas on the southern side of Hyde Lake, plus fishing piers at Beaver Lake and Pine Lake, and paved path access at Patriot Lake. Poplar Tree Lake’s fishing dock at Meeman-Shelby. Cameron Brown Park in Germantown. Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park on McKellar Lake. Tom Lee Park and the downtown riverfront on the Mississippi. Mud Island at the Wolf River mouth. Edmund Orgill Park.

What is in there

Fish and limits around Bartlett

Water around Bartlett holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass, sauger, blue catfish, trout, bowfin and buffalo.

Mississippi River, including adjacent sloughs, bayous, river runs and chutes accessible by boat, black bass 10 per day with no length limit; sunfish and bream 50 per day; catfish no creel limit with only one fish over 34 inches per day; crappie 50 per day with no length limit; striped and hybrid striped bass 6 per day; sauger 6 per day; white bass 30 per day. These are dramatically more liberal than statewide limits and are worth a dedicated section on a Memphis page. Wolf and Loosahatchie rivers, including tributaries, grouped in regulation with the Forked Deer, Hatchie and Obion, crappie 30 per day with no length limit. Casper Lake (Shelby County), largemouth bass 2 per day with a 16-inch minimum. Cameron Brown Park Pond, Germantown, on the Community Fishing Program, catfish 5 per day no size limit; bluegill and redear 20 per day combined; black bass 1 per day no size limit; crappie 30 per day no size limit; trout 5 per day no size limit. Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Poplar Tree Lake, largemouth bass 10 per day with an 18-inch MAXIMUM size limit, only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested; bluegill and redear 20 per day combined. Shelby Farms Park, Tennessee f

From TWRA’s statewide creel and length limits, last updated 4 August 2026. Water-specific exceptions change, so check the current guide before keeping a fish.

Weather

Bartlett fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

72°F

Mostly Clear

Wind SSE 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

92°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

1% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

73°F

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

34% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

83°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind W 5 mph

83% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

67°F

Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind NNE 5 to 10 mph

83% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

76°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind NE 10 mph

47% chance of rain

National Weather Service forecast, updated 12:16 AM, Thu, Oct 1.

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise7:00 AMCDT
Sunset6:35 PMCDT
First light6:35 AMLast light 7:00 PM
Daylight11 hr 35 minSunrise to sunset
MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

2 public boat launches in Shelby County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people ask

Fishing near Bartlett: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to Bartlett?

Shelby Farms on Wolf River, about 5 miles from Bartlett in Shelby County. It is a paddling.

How many fishing spots are near Bartlett?

There are 11 public access points within about 30 miles of Bartlett, 6 of them boat launches, across 6 named waters.

Can I fish near Bartlett without a boat?

Yes. Herb Parsons Lake on Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake has a fishing pier and is about 15 miles from Bartlett. There are 2 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near Bartlett?

Yes, anyone 13 and over. 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 sells no non-resident one-day license. Note the $33 combination license does not cover trout, that needs the $21 supplemental.

What is the best lake near Bartlett?

Mississippi River carries the most public access within reach of Bartlett, followed by Wolf River. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near Bartlett?

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid, 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, a full-scale outdoor retailer inside the converted Memphis Pyramid on the riverfront, and the single most useful gear reference for this county and for much of West Tennessee. Academy Sports and Outdoors operates multiple Memphis-area locations. Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park rents boats and canoes at Poplar Tree Lake. Shelby Farms Park offers paddlecraft rental on Hyde Lake.. The Bartlett gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near Bartlett?

Mainly largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass, sauger, blue catfish, trout, bowfin and buffalo.

Bartlett water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass.

Keep going

More Bartlett 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.