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Clay County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Clay County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Clay County water

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 checklistCrappie checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Clay County

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

Gainesboro · about 19 milesGranville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Jamestown · about 29 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Granville · about 29 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Lancaster · about 38 milesCenter Hill MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Hartsville · about 43 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Sparta · about 43 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →

Buy it at the ramp

Marinas and bait at the water in Clay County

Access points in Clay County that TWRA records as carrying bait, rentals or marina services. Buying where you launch is the cheapest way to avoid a wasted trip.

Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCedar Hill MarinaDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.54435, -85.43716Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDale Hollow MarinaDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.55365, -85.44711Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaHolly Creek MarinaDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.58932, -85.39943Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaHorse Creek MarinaDale Hollow Lake2 ramps, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.51003, -85.45153Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaMitchell Creek MarinaDale Hollow Lake2 ramps, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.51365, -85.38649Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaWillow Grove MarinaDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.58458, -85.34220Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCedar Hill Marina and ResortDale Hollow LakeFrom 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, -85.43760Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaLivingston MarinaDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.51390, -85.38690

The big stores

Chain stores near Clay County

The closest full tackle wall to Clay County is the Academy in Cookeville, about 27 miles from Celina. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Cookeville · about 27 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Mt Juliet · about 66 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Murfreesboro · about 73 milesSportsman’s WarehouseChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Smyrna · about 73 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Clay County

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

Clay 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 Clay County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County, because there is trout water here.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Clay County?

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. There is a fuller list on the Clay County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Clay County?

Yes. County clerks, most Walmart stores and licensed agents in Clay 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 Clay County?

No. Clay County has 6 public fishing piers and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Clay County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Dale Hollow Lake, TennesseeDale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainObey River, TennesseeObey RiverOpen the Obey River page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainCumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domainCenter Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domainOld Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Clay County

Got what you need? The Clay 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.

Clay County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Clay 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