Celina · Clay County

Fishing Near Celina, Tennessee

Dale Hollow Lake, Obey River, Cumberland River. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of Celina, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Find fishing spots68 public access points within 35 miles Find gear & bait5 bait and tackle shops within 40 miles

Closest first

Every public access within reach of Celina

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

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

Obey River/Cumberland River

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDonaldson Park Boat Ramp1 mi from Celina · Clay Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.55565, -85.49523

Obey River

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDonaldson Park1 mi from Celina · Clay Co.1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.55590, -85.49540 Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAMoody Boat Ramp2 mi from Celina · Clay Co.Directions and detail →36.54222, -85.46978 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDale Hollow Dam Boat Ramp3 mi from Celina · Clay Co.1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53729, -85.45674

Dale Hollow Lake

What to bring

What to bring fishing near Celina

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 Striper and Hybrid checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Measured from town

Where to fish near Celina

The water within reach of Celina is Dale Hollow Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Obey River and 3 more.

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

What it looks like

The water around Celina

Photographs of the lakes and rivers on this page. Drag or swipe for more. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Dale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Cordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain

Obey RiverOpen the Obey River page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

Dale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Obey RiverOpen the Obey River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

No boat

Bank fishing near Celina

6 public fishing piers within reach of Celina. No boat needed for any of them.

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDale Hollow Dam Boat RampObey River · 3 mi from Celina1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53729, -85.45674 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDale Hollow MarinaDale Hollow Lake · 3 mi from CelinaFrom Celina, 53 N to Old HWY 53, turn right on Arlon Webb Road1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.55360, -85.44710 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCedar Hill Marina and ResortDale Hollow Lake · 4 mi from CelinaFrom Celina, 53 N to Old Hwy 53, turn right on Cedar Hill Rd to resort1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.54400, -85.43760 Fee not listed3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · MarinaHorse Creek ResortDale Hollow Lake · 4 mi from Celina2 ramps, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.51010, -85.45180 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaLivingston MarinaDale Hollow Lake · 7 mi from Celina1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.51390, -85.38690 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACELilydaleDale Hollow Lake · 12 mi from Celina1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.60550, -85.29940

Shoreline access in Clay County

Dale Hollow Dam Boat Ramp fishing pier and the Obey River shoreline below the dam; Moody Boat Ramp pier; Obey River Recreation Area shoreline; Donaldson Park in Celina; Lilydale’s fishing pier; Horse Creek Resort and Cedar Hill Marina piers; Butler’s Landing on the Cumberland. The tailwater immediately below Dale Hollow Dam is the best bank trout fishing in the county.

What is in there

Fish and limits around Celina

Water around Celina holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, walleye, sauger, catfish and rainbow trout.

Dale Hollow, smallmouth 2/day with a 16–21″ protected length range (one under 16″ and one over 21″ permitted); largemouth 15″ min; black bass 5/day combined with only two smallmouth; a maximum of four rods per angler, which is an unusual and easily missed rule. Cordell Hull, statewide reservoir rules apply for most species; its sauger population is self-sustaining. Obey River below Dale Hollow Dam is managed trout water, check current tailwater creel and length rules before publishing specifics, as the Obey is not covered by the Caney Fork’s distinctive brown trout rule. Several USACE ramps and recreation areas charge a day-use or launch fee.

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

Celina fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

64°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind S 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

92°F

Sunny

Wind SSW 5 to 10 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

71°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind S 5 mph

3% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

87°F

Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph

76% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

63°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Rain Showers Likely

Wind E 0 to 5 mph

62% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

76°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Wind NE 5 mph

63% chance of rain

National Weather Service forecast, updated 6:51 PM, Wed, Sep 30.

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise6:44 AMCDT

Sunset6:17 PMCDT

First light6:18 AMLast light 6:43 PM

Daylight11 hr 33 minSunrise to sunset

MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

13 public boat launches in Clay County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people ask

Fishing near Celina: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to Celina?

Donaldson Park Boat Ramp on Obey River/Cumberland River, right in Celina, Clay County. It is a boat launch.

How many fishing spots are near Celina?

There are 40 public access points within about 30 miles of Celina, 24 of them boat launches, across 6 named waters.

Can I fish near Celina without a boat?

Yes. Dale Hollow Dam Boat Ramp on Obey River has a fishing pier and is about 3 miles from Celina. There are 6 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near Celina?

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 Celina?

Dale Hollow Lake carries the most public access within reach of Celina, followed by Cordell Hull Lake. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near Celina?

Bait onsite, per TWRA’s access database, at Cedar Hill Marina and Resort, Dale Hollow Marina, Holly Creek Dock/Marina, Horse Creek Resort/Marina, Livingston Marina, Mitchell Creek Marina and Willow Grove Dock & Resort, seven marina stores, all at Celina or Allons. Boat rentals at all seven. Clay County Chamber of Commerce, (931) 869-9001, for guide referrals. No standalone walk-in tackle shop verified in Celina by name and phone. Nearest big-box: no Walmart verified in Celina. The Celina gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near Celina?

Mainly largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, walleye, sauger, catfish and rainbow trout.

Towns near here

Towns near Celina

The nearest towns to Celina with pages of their own. If nothing near Celina suits, one of these usually does.

15 miles from Celina · Overton CountyFishing near LivingstonDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →27 miles from Celina · Putnam CountyFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →32 miles from Celina · Smith CountyFishing near CarthageCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →43 miles from Celina · White CountyFishing near SpartaCenter Hill Lake, Calf Killer RiverSee the spots →44 miles from Celina · DeKalb CountyFishing near SmithvilleCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →

Celina water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass.

Wider net

Clay County beyond Celina

Celina is one town in Clay County. The county page covers every water inside the county line, including the ones nowhere near Celina.

Fishing in Clay County

Keep going

More Celina 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