Sparta · White County

Fishing Near Sparta, Tennessee

Q: Where can I buy bait near Sparta?

- Zorro Bait Co, 270 Fred Hill Rd, Sparta — (931) 837-9676 (also listed at 535 Clarks Mill Dr). - Sparta Sporting Goods, 28 Mayberry St, Sparta — (931) 836-3786. - Red Turner's Sporting Goods, 65 Whispering Pines Dr, Sparta — (931) 836-3234. - Horseshoe Bend Marina, 6040 Webbs Camp Rd, Walling — (931) 657-5080 (marina store, Center Hill). - Jackson Kayak, Sparta — (931) 738-2628. - U Need It Archery, 7485 Monterey Hwy, Sparta — (931) 739-7485. - Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 202 Sam Walton Dr, Sparta — (931) 738-3225. Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1265 Interstate Dr, Cookeville — (931) 650-6112, about 25 min north. Woods and Waters, 1897 Quinland Lake Rd, Cookeville — (931) 537-3745.. The Sparta gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

Center Hill Lake, Calf Killer River, Great Falls Lake. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of Sparta, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Find fishing spots73 public access points within 35 miles Find gear & bait7 bait and tackle shops within 40 miles

Closest first

Every public access within reach of Sparta

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

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

Calf Killer River

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta #20 mi from Sparta · White Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.92246, -85.46660 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta1 mi from Sparta · White Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94370, -85.45050

Great Falls Lake

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRATosh Reno Boat Ramp10 mi from Sparta · Van Buren Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.79730, -85.53960

Center Hill Lake

What to bring

What to bring fishing near Sparta

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

Measured from town

Where to fish near Sparta

The water within reach of Sparta is Center Hill Lake, Collins River, Caney Fork River and 7 more.

Everything on this page is sorted by straight-line distance from Sparta, not by which county it sits in. Several of the closest spots to Sparta 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 Sparta

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

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain

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

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

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

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

No boat

Bank fishing near Sparta

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

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityOld City LakeOld City Lake · 14 mi from Sparta1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.13099, -85.44440 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCane Creek ParkCane Creek Lake · 17 mi from Sparta1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalstrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →36.16188, -85.54176 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHurricane Bridge RampCenter Hill Lake · 17 mi from Sparta2 ramps, More Than 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.02650, -85.75030 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityMeadow Park LakeMeadow Park Lake · 21 mi from Sparta1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.90196, -85.09644 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEEdgar Evins SP Ramp 2Center Hill Lake · 23 mi from Sparta1 ramp, 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.07100, -85.83870 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBuffalo Valley Boat RampCaney Fork River · 24 mi from Sparta1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.10125, -85.82938

Shoreline access in White County

Center Hill Lake shoreline and ramps in the county’s south; the Caney Fork gorge at Rock Island State Park; Calfkiller River crossings in and around Sparta; Falling Water River at Burgess Falls State Park; Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA pond banks; Scott’s Gulf creek access. As at Rock Island, the Caney Fork gorge is slick limestone with sudden TVA releases, say so.

What is in there

Fish and limits around Sparta

Water around Sparta holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge and catfish.

– Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA ponds carry their own exception: bluegill/redear 10/day no length limit; catfish 5/day no length limit; largemouth 5/day with only one fish 16″ or longer; crappie no creel or length limit., Center Hill Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″ min; walleye 5/day at 16″ min; muskellunge 1/day at a 50″ minimum; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., Caney Fork River, 1 January–30 April, from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam: one hook with a single point, or one lure with one single-point hook, and a maximum of three rods, reels or poles per angler., Caney Fork above Center Hill Dam and all tributaries: muskellunge 1/day, 50″ minimum., Great Falls Reservoir limits match Center Hill’s., TWRA does not stock trout anywhere in White County. The Calfkiller River is stocked with rainbows in Putnam County, upstream, do not extend that into White County copy.

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

Sparta fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

63°F

Mostly Clear

Wind SE 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

91°F

Sunny

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

68°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind SSE 5 mph

1% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

88°F

Rain Showers Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph

56% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

66°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Areas Of Fog

Wind ESE 0 to 5 mph

69% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

79°F

Areas Of Fog

Wind E 0 to 5 mph

69% chance of rain

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

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise6:43 AMCDT

Sunset6:17 PMCDT

First light6:17 AMLast light 6:43 PM

Daylight11 hr 34 minSunrise to sunset

MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

4 public boat launches in White County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people ask

Fishing near Sparta: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to Sparta?

City of Sparta #2 on Calf Killer River, right in Sparta, White County. It is a boat launch.

How many fishing spots are near Sparta?

There are 40 public access points within about 30 miles of Sparta, 28 of them boat launches, across 10 named waters.

Can I fish near Sparta without a boat?

Yes. Old City Lake on Old City Lake has a fishing pier and is about 14 miles from Sparta. There are 6 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near Sparta?

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 Sparta?

Center Hill Lake carries the most public access within reach of Sparta, followed by Collins River. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near Sparta?

– Zorro Bait Co, 270 Fred Hill Rd, Sparta, (931) 837-9676 (also listed at 535 Clarks Mill Dr)., Sparta Sporting Goods, 28 Mayberry St, Sparta, (931) 836-3786., Red Turner’s Sporting Goods, 65 Whispering Pines Dr, Sparta, (931) 836-3234., Horseshoe Bend Marina, 6040 Webbs Camp Rd, Walling, (931) 657-5080 (marina store, Center Hill)., Jackson Kayak, Sparta, (931) 738-2628., U Need It Archery, 7485 Monterey Hwy, Sparta, (931) 739-7485., Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 202 Sam Walton Dr, Sparta, (931) 738-3225. Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1265 Interstate Dr, Cookeville, (931) 650-6112, about 25 min north. Woods and Waters, 1897 Quinland Lake Rd, Cookeville, (931) 537-3745.. The Sparta gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near Sparta?

Mainly largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge and catfish.

Towns near here

Towns near Sparta

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

16 miles from Sparta · Putnam CountyFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →20 miles from Sparta · DeKalb CountyFishing near SmithvilleCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 miles from Sparta · Warren CountyFishing near McMinnvilleCenter Hill Lake, Collins RiverSee the spots →25 miles from Sparta · Cumberland CountyFishing near CrossvilleWatts Bar Lake, Clear CreekSee the spots →33 miles from Sparta · Overton CountyFishing near LivingstonDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →

Sparta water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Wider net

White County beyond Sparta

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

Fishing in White County

With a guide

Fishing near Sparta with a guide

Local captains who run the water near Sparta are listed on the guides page with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Tennessee guides by water

Keep going

More Sparta 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