West Tennessee · County seat Huntingdon

Fishing in Carroll County, Tennessee

Lake Halford (Carroll County 1,000 Acre Recreational Lake), Carroll Lake, Big Sandy River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots1 public access point Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Carroll County

1 public access point in Carroll County: 1 boat launch and 1 fishing pier. 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.

Maples Creek Lake 1 in Carroll County

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAMaples Creek LakeNorth on Hwy 114 from I-40 exit 116; follow lake signs1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.86521, -88.25436

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Carroll 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:

Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Walleye and Sauger checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Carroll County at a glance

Carroll County boat ramps and fishing access

Carroll County has 1 public fishing access point: 1 boat ramp and 1 fishing pier, on 1 lake or river.

1boat ramp

1fishing pier

1lake, river or creek

The big water in Carroll

Main fishing waters in Carroll County

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

reservoir · 985–1,000 ac, 22+ mi of shoreline, 17,000+ acre-feet, billed as the largest…

Lake Halford (Carroll County 1,000 Acre Recreational Lake)

The lake splits at a TVA power line crossing, the northern two-thirds allow skiing and jet skis, the southern third is a no-wake fishing area, which is an unusually clean way to keep anglers and skiers apart.

largemouthbluegillcrappiewalleye

small reservoir · ~100 ac · TWRA

Carroll Lake

Four miles east of McKenzie on Highway 22; a genuine TWRA agency lake with a ramp, pier and pavilion, and one of relatively few small Tennessee lakes stocked with walleye.

largemouthcrappiebluegillredear

river · flows north through the county toward Kentucky Lake · largely unmanaged

Big Sandy River

Formal public access within Carroll County is unverified, the developed access is downstream in Benton and Henry counties.

catfishlargemouthsunfish

What it looks like

Carroll County water

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

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

Forked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domain

Tennessee River, TennesseeScott Basford / CC BY-SA 3.0

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

small impoundment · 90 ac

Maples Creek Lake

About 4 miles north of I-40 at exit 116 (SR-114) on Maples Lake Road; ramp, rental boats, fishing pier, restrooms and picnic area, with ADA parking.

largemouthcrappiebluegill

small impoundment · 100 ac

Carroll Lake

20572 Huntingdon-McKenzie Rd, McKenzie; TWRA’s own advice is plastic worms worked slowly below 55°F and small crayfish-coloured lipless cranks shallow once it warms.

as above

pond · small

McKenzie City Park Lake

Carries a TWRA winter trout stocking, a town pond that gets rainbows, which is exactly the sort of obscure local spot worth naming.

stocked rainbow troutpanfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Carroll County

Fishing from the bank in Carroll County

Maples Creek Lake fishing pier (ADA); Carroll Lake fishing pier and picnic pavilion off Hwy 22 east of McKenzie; Lake Halford’s northeast-side park area with beaches, picnic tables, pavilion, restrooms and concessions; McKenzie City Park Lake during the winter trout stocking. Lake Halford’s southern no-wake third is the quietest bank water in the county.

Getting a boat on the water in Carroll County

Three public ramps, no marina. Lake Halford is the only water in the county big enough for skiing and jet skis, and it is zoned for it, northern two-thirds for water sports, southern third no-wake.

Gates open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset; beaches run 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Maples Creek Lake has rental jon boats available first-come, first-served, and Natchez Trace State Park allows water skiing on Pin Oak Lake only, but Pin Oak is in Henderson County. No verified kayak or canoe livery in Carroll County.

Two different trips

Visiting Carroll County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Carroll County

Carroll County 1,000 Acre Recreational Lake at Huntingdon, with beaches and concessions; Natchez Trace State Park; Carroll Lake and its adjoining 18-hole public golf course at McKenzie; Southland Safari wildlife park at Yuma.

Where Carroll County locals actually go

The southern no-wake third of Lake Halford, which most visitors never reach because the beaches and concessions are at the north end. Maples Creek Lake, which sits inside Natchez Trace State Park but is TWRA-managed under agency-lake rules rather than park rules.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Carroll County water

Creel and length limits in Carroll County

Maples Creek Lake, largemouth only one over 18″; bluegill and crappie no creel or length limits; redear 20/day; catfish 5/day combined. Lake Halford, largemouth 10/day with an 18″ maximum and two allowed over 18″; bluegill/redear 10/day; crappie 20/day with only five over 12″; catfish 5/day, 16″ min; jug fishing is prohibited. Lake Halford also requires a separate lake use permit for all water activities.

State record fish from Carroll County water

None verified as a Carroll County catch.

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

Questions people actually ask

Carroll County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Carroll County?

Maples Creek Lake fishing pier (ADA). Also carroll lake fishing pier and picnic pavilion off hwy 22 east of mckenzie, and lake halford’s northeast-side park area with beaches, picnic tables, pavilion, restrooms and concessions. Carroll County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Carroll County?

TWRA’s access database lists 1 boat launch in Carroll County. Most of them are on Maples Creek Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Carroll 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 Carroll County?

The main species across Carroll County water are largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, walleye, catfish and rainbow trout. 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 Carroll 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 Carroll County, because there is trout water here.

What are the creel limits in Carroll County?

Carroll County holds three TWRA agency lakes, each with its own rules, and all three require a TWRA Lake permit in addition to a fishing licence (daily $6, annual $48; residents 65+, sportsman and lifetime licence holders exempt). Carroll Lake, largemouth no creel limit but only one over 18″; bluegill/redear 20/day combined; crappie no creel or length limit; catfish 5/day combined; walleye 5/day, 16″ min Maples Creek Lake, largemouth only one over 18″; bluegill and crappie no creel or length limits; redear 20/day; catfish 5/day combined Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Carroll County?

Nothing verified in the county by name and phone. TWRA’s access database records no onsite bait at any Carroll County site. Contacts that do exist: Town of Huntingdon, 731-986-5570 (Carroll Lake). There is a fuller list on the Carroll County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Carroll County?

McKenzie City Park Lake, a town pond that receives a TWRA winter trout stocking, almost nobody outside McKenzie knows it happens. Carroll Lake’s walleye, unusual in a 100-acre West Tennessee impoundment. The southern no-wake third of Lake Halford, which most visitors never reach because the beaches and concessions are at the north end. Maples Creek Lake, which sits inside Natchez Trace State Park but is TWRA-managed under agency-lake rules rather than park rules.

Carroll County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish.

Conditions

Carroll County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsBig Sandy River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Carroll CountyTWRA stocks McKenzie City Park. Dates are on the stocking schedule.Open →

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

About this list

Where the Carroll County access list comes from

The 1 access point above comes 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 Carroll 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 →22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near SavannahKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near MartinReelfoot Lake, South Fork of the Obion RiverSee the spots →

1 public fishing pier in Carroll County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Carroll

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

Next county overHenderson CountyPine Lake, Beech LakeSee the spots →Next county overBenton CountyKentucky Lake, Ky. ReservoirSee the spots →Next county overHumphreys CountyKentucky Lake, Duck RiverSee the spots →Next county overDecatur CountyKentucky Lake, KentuckySee the spots →Next county overPerry CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Carroll 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 Carroll County right now: Carroll County conditions.