West Tennessee · County seat Camden

Fishing in Benton County, Tennessee

Q: What are the creel limits in Benton County?

Kentucky Lake — crappie 20/day, 10" min; black bass 5/day, 15" min. A reciprocal fishing agreement operates between Tennessee and Kentucky waters on Kentucky Lake, which matters for anyone running north USFWS refuge units within the county carry their own seasonal closures and waterfowl-season boat restrictions — check the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge before fishing the Big Sandy Unit in winter Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Q: Where do locals fish in Benton County?

The four USFWS refuge ramps — Morgan's Creek, Nix Landing, North Eagle Creek and Peckerwood Landing — which sit on federal refuge land and are absent from most commercial ramp directories. Harmons Creek WMA north and south accesses. Little Crooked Creek off Point Mason Rd. Lashlee's Crossing. Fossil Point. Sulphur Creek.

Kentucky Lake (Kentucky Reservoir), Big Sandy River (embayment of Kentucky Lake), Tennessee River / Duck River confluence area. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots33 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Benton County

33 public access points in Benton County: 27 boat launches, 4 fishing piers, 1 designated fishing site, 1 paddling access and 4 marinas. Each one opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

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

Kentucky Lake 30 in Benton County

Ky. Reservoir 1 in Benton County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRABeaver Dam State Ramp1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.06239, -88.02669

Other water in the county 2 in Benton County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVALashlee’s Crossing Access1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.04192, -88.02021 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandWildlife Cove Marina access area1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.97048, -88.04492

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Benton County

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

Benton County at a glance

Benton County boat ramps and fishing access

Benton County has 33 public fishing access points: 27 boat ramps, 4 fishing piers, 4 marinas and 1 kayak launch, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

27boat ramps

4fishing piers

4marinas

1kayak launches

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Benton

Main fishing waters in Benton County

What each of these is actually known for, and what you can expect to catch.

reservoir · 160,000+ ac total, TVA’s largest, over 2,000 mi of shoreline; Benton County holds…

Kentucky Lake (Kentucky Reservoir)

Benton sits on the middle zone where ledge fishing over stumps and brush in 6–14 ft is the defining pattern, and Bassmaster has called the lake the crappie capital of America.

crappielargemouthsmallmouthsauger

river/embayment · TVA / USFWS

Big Sandy River (embayment of Kentucky Lake)

The Big Sandy arm is one of the two named tributary systems that make the middle lake fish the way it does; TWRA’s Big Sandy Access Area has two ramps.

crappielargemouthcatfish

river · USFWS (Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge)

Tennessee River / Duck River confluence area

The refuge’s Big Sandy Unit lies partly in Benton and adds several USFWS ramps that most maps miss.

catfishcrappiesauger

What it looks like

Benton County water

Photographs of the water this page covers. Every picture opens that water’s own page. Drag or swipe to see the rest.

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

Tennessee River, TennesseeScott Basford / CC BY-SA 3.0

Reelfoot LakeOpen the Reelfoot Lake page →User:JeremyA / CC BY-SA 2.5

Mississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Ceptember / CC BY-SA 4.0

Pickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0

Obion RiverOpen the Obion River page →David.k.hochreiter / CC BY-SA 3.0

The ones nobody writes about

Small and out-of-the-way water in Benton County

County lakes, park ponds, creeks and river stretches in Benton County that never make a best-of list. Several of them fish better than the famous water on a busy weekend.

creek/embayment

Birdsong Creek

A well-known Kentucky Lake embayment with both a TWRA access area and a TWRA-owned fishing pier, plus Birdsong Marina; also the home of a freshwater pearl operation.

crappiebluegillcatfish

creek/embayment

Harmons Creek WMA (north and south accesses)

Two separate TWRA ramps on a WMA embayment, about as quiet as Kentucky Lake access gets.

crappielargemouthcatfish

creek/embayment

Crooked Creek and Little Crooked Creek

Two small single-lane ramps; Little Crooked Creek is off Point Mason Rd.

crappielargemouth

creek/embayment

Lick Creek

Single-lane TWRA ramp with ADA parking.

crappiecatfish

embayment/shoreline

Eva Access Area and Eva Beach

HWY 19 North then right on Eva Beach Dr; ramp plus a public sand beach at Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park with kayak and paddleboard rental.

crappiebluegillcatfish

creek/embayment ramps

Morgan’s Creek, Nix Landing, North Eagle Creek, Peckerwood Landing

Four federal refuge ramps in Benton County that rarely appear on commercial ramp lists.

crappiecatfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Benton County

Fishing from the bank in Benton County

Birdsong fishing pier (TWRA-owned, pier only); Camden Landing Access Area pier; Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park pier and Eva Beach shoreline; Pilot Knob North and South accesses; the Duck River Scenic Overlook on the Tennessee NWR Duck River Unit; shoreline within the Big Sandy Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge.

Getting a boat on the water in Benton County

Benton has an unusually deep bench, 27 public ramps plus four marinas. Marinas: Birdsong Resort & Marina (Camden, pontoon rentals, campground, tournament host), Beaverdam Marina (bait and fuel onsite), Wildlife Cove Village and Marina (bait, fuel, camping, rentals).

Kentucky Lake is open water with no general no-wake restriction, but the USFWS refuge units carry seasonal closures. Paddling: a dedicated paddle-craft lakefront access exists, and Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park rents kayaks and paddleboards at Eva Beach.

Two different trips

Visiting Benton County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Benton County

Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park and Eva Beach; Pilot Knob, the highest point in West Tennessee, with a Tennessee River overlook; the Tennessee River Folklife Interpretive Center and Museum; Birdsong Resort & Marina and its freshwater pearl operation; Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge; Johnsonville State Historic Park across the lake.

Where Benton County locals actually go

The four USFWS refuge ramps, Morgan’s Creek, Nix Landing, North Eagle Creek and Peckerwood Landing, which sit on federal refuge land and are absent from most commercial ramp directories. Harmons Creek WMA north and south accesses. Little Crooked Creek off Point Mason Rd. Lashlee’s Crossing. Fossil Point. Sulphur Creek.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Benton County water

Creel and length limits in Benton County

USFWS refuge units within the county carry their own seasonal closures and waterfowl-season boat restrictions, check the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge before fishing the Big Sandy Unit in winter.

State record fish from Benton County water

State record chain pickerel, 7 lb 7 oz, Burke Williams, 2 Feb 1991, Kentucky Reservoir. State records for flier and golden shiner are also credited to Kentucky Reservoir. Kentucky Lake borders nine Tennessee counties, so none of these can be attributed to Benton County without checking the original record cards. No state record verified as a Benton County catch.

27 public boat launches in Benton County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Benton County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Benton County?

Birdsong fishing pier (TWRA-owned, pier only). Also camden landing access area pier, and nathan bedford forrest state park pier and eva beach shoreline. Benton County has 4 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Benton County?

TWRA’s access database lists 27 boat launches in Benton County, plus 4 marinas. Most of them are on Kentucky Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Benton 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.

What fish can you catch in Benton County?

The main species across Benton County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, sauger and catfish. Each water body on the fishing spots page lists what it is actually known for, which is not always the same thing.

Does my Tennessee license cover trout in Benton 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. There is no designated trout water in Benton County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Benton County?

Kentucky Lake, crappie 20/day, 10″ min; black bass 5/day, 15″ min. A reciprocal fishing agreement operates between Tennessee and Kentucky waters on Kentucky Lake, which matters for anyone running north USFWS refuge units within the county carry their own seasonal closures and waterfowl-season boat restrictions, check the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge before fishing the Big Sandy Unit in winter Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Benton County?

Beaverdam Marina (Camden) and Wildlife Cove Village and Marina (Camden, 9 mi south on HWY 191) both carry bait onsite per TWRA’s own access database. Birdsong Resort & Marina, Camden, marina store, pontoon rental, campground (resort.birdsong.com). No independent walk-in bait-and-tackle shop in Camden or Big Sandy verified by name. There is a fuller list on the Benton County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Benton County?

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Benton County

Each of these has a page of its own covering the whole water, not just the Benton County end of it, with every public access point on it and what it holds.

LakeKentucky Lake30 access points in Benton County, 86 in totalSee the spots →

Benton County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Conditions

Benton County lake levels

Lake conditionsKentucky Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Kentucky Dam generation schedule.Open →

Statewide limits: 5 black bass, 15 crappie at 10 inches, 2 stripers at 15 inches, 7 trout.

About this list

Where the Benton County access list comes from

The 33 access points above come from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s public access database, which is why each one names the agency that owns or manages it. A state or TVA ramp is usually free. A Corps of Engineers site, a state park ramp or a marina often is not.

The waters, species and local notes are researched separately, county by county, against TWRA’s own reservoir pages, TVA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee State Parks.

Ramps close for repairs, gravel roads wash out and regulations change. Treat anything here as a starting point and call ahead if you are driving a long way for it.

By town instead

Towns near Benton County

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number you actually care about.

24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ParisKentucky Lake, Garrett LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near DoverLake Barkley, Kentucky LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near DicksonHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ClarksvilleLake Barkley, Red RiverSee the spots →

4 public fishing piers in Benton County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Benton

Fish do not respect county lines. These are the nearest counties to Benton with public water of their own. Each one opens its own page.

Next county overHumphreys CountyKentucky Lake, Duck RiverSee the spots →Next county overCarroll CountyMaples Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overHenry CountyKentucky LakeSee the spots →Next county overHouston CountyKentucky Lake / Tennessee River, Cumberland River / Lake BarkleySee the spots →Next county overPerry CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Benton 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

Weather alerts, power outages and road closures in Benton County right now: Benton County conditions.