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Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Bledsoe County

Bait, tackle, rental boats and licenses in and around Bledsoe County.

What to bring

Tackle for Bledsoe County water

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

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

Bluegill and Panfish checklistCatfish checklistTrout checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Bledsoe County

The nearest bait, tackle and marina stores to Bledsoe County’s water, each with its own page, directions and phone number.

Crossville · about 22 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Soddy-Daisy · about 25 milesHog Farmer Bait CompanyLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Sparta · about 28 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Cleveland · about 31 milesFishTales Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Hixson · about 31 milesTalkin’ Tackle Outfitter & LodgeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →McMinnville · about 33 milesOutdoor Shop IncSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →McMinnville · about 34 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 36 milesJack’s Bait & Tackle ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 38 milesThe Hatch OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Bledsoe County

The closest full tackle wall to Bledsoe County is the Academy in Hixson, about 26 miles from Pikeville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Hixson · about 26 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 38 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 38 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 38 milesSportsman’s WarehouseChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Bledsoe County

Buy online at gooutdoorstennessee.com and the license is on your phone in a minute, nothing is mailed. Over the counter, the Bledsoe County Clerk in Pikeville sells them, along with most Walmart stores and licensed agents in the county.

Bledsoe County has trout water, and no base license covers trout. The $21 annual trout supplemental is the add-on, and the Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include it.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Bledsoe County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Bledsoe 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.

Does my Tennessee license cover trout in Bledsoe 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. This matters in Bledsoe County, because there is trout water here.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Bledsoe County?

Nothing verified in Bledsoe County. No bait shop, tackle shop, marina store or rental operation confirmed in Pikeville. TWRA records bait and fuel only “in proximity” to the M.A. Patterson ramp, which means convenience stores. Fall Creek Falls State Park rents canoes, kayaks, pedal boats and jon boats, but that operation is on the lake in Van Buren County. Nearest big-box: Walmart in Dunlap (Sequatchie County, roughly 30 minutes south) or Crossville (Cumberland County, roughly 40 minutes north). Nearest Academy or Bass Pro is Chattanooga, over an hour.. There is a fuller list on the Bledsoe County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Bledsoe County?

Yes. County clerks, most Walmart stores and licensed agents in Bledsoe County sell them over the counter, and gooutdoorstennessee.com sells them 24 hours a day. The license is digital or printable, nothing is mailed.

Do I need a boat to fish Bledsoe County?

Not necessarily, though Bledsoe County is short on developed bank access. The fishing spots page lists every road crossing and park shoreline that is genuinely public.

What it looks like

What Bledsoe County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Sequatchie River, TennesseeSequatchie RiverOpen the Sequatchie River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cherokee Lake, TennesseeCherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0Clinch River, TennesseeClinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

1 public boat launches in Bledsoe County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Bledsoe County

Got what you need? The Bledsoe County fishing spots page has every ramp, pier, creek and lake in the county, with directions to each one and the limits that apply on it.

Bledsoe County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Bledsoe 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 waterLicence and limits