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East Tennessee · County seat Newport

Fishing in Cocke County, Tennessee

Douglas Lake, French Broad River, Pigeon River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots12 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Cocke County

12 public access points in Cocke County: 7 boat launches and 4 designated fishing sites. 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.

Douglas Lake 1 in Cocke County

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAWalter’s Bridge1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.04224, -83.25664

French Broad River 6 in Cocke County

Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesTDOTHwy 70Bluff Rd, Newport, TN1 rampDirections and detail →Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVARankinHoly Town Rd, Newport, TN 378211 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.05008, -83.20845Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAWalters Bridge1469 E US-25 70, Newport, TN 378211 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.04222, -83.25630Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFSWolf CreekUS 25.70, 1/2 mile est of Wolf Creek Bridge1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.92248, -82.96379Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · PrivateHighway 321 BridgeHwy. 25/20 to Newport to Hwy. 321 to Rock Hill Rd. River Mile 76canoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.98223, -83.15961Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFSWeaver BendNear Paint Mountain and Chimney Rocks Trail around River mile 100canoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.93038, -82.90210

Pigeon River 5 in Cocke County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityNewport Police Dept.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.96782, -83.18363Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · PrivateTannery IslandFrom Newport take Hwy. 731 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94280, -83.17886Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyWalters Powerhouse AccessI-40 to Walterville exit. Walterville Rd to access area1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.77516, -83.10041Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFSBluffton Access Areacanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.81241, -83.17739Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteDenton Accesscanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.84352, -83.18512

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Cocke 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 checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Cocke County at a glance

Cocke County boat ramps and fishing access

Cocke County has 12 public fishing access points: 7 boat ramps, on 3 lakes, rivers and creeks.

7boat ramps
3lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Cocke

Main fishing waters in Cocke County

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

reservoir · 30,600 ac, 555 mi shoreline · TVA

Douglas Lake

TWRA calls it flatly the best crappie reservoir in East Tennessee; the defining feature is a 60-ft annual elevation swing from 1,000 ft summer pool to 940 ft winter, and it can rise 15–20 ft in a day or two after heavy rain. Cocke County holds the upper end where the French Broad comes in.

crappielargemouthsmallmouthcatfish
river · flows out of North Carolina through the county into Douglas · TVA/TWRA, with USFS land…

French Broad River

Above the Highway 321 bridges the French Broad is river rather than reservoir, and it is one of the better smallmouth and musky floats in East Tennessee.

smallmouthlargemouthcatfishmuskellunge
river · flows out of North Carolina through Hartford and Newport into the French Broad · city,…

Pigeon River

Once badly polluted and now substantially recovered; the Walters Powerhouse release makes the upper river the whitewater run and the lower river a fishable smallmouth stretch.

smallmouthrock basscatfish
river · forms part of the county’s northern edge before entering Douglas · TVA/TWRA

Nolichucky River

The Douglas reservoir regulation extends up the Nolichucky to the ENKA Dam, which is the line to cite.

smallmouthcatfishredhorse

What it looks like

Cocke County water

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

French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Douglas Lake, TennesseeDouglas LakeOpen the Douglas Lake page →Dwight Burdette / CC BY 3.0Nolichucky River, TennesseeNolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky 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 2.0

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

creek · small

Cosby Creek

TWRA stocks twelve separate numbered points along it near Cosby, the densest small-stream trout stocking in the county and a genuinely good roadside wade fishery.

stocked rainbow trout
creek · small

Gulf Fork Big Creek

Seven numbered stocking points near Hartford, running up into Cherokee National Forest.

stocked rainbow trout
creek · small

Trail Fork Big Creek

Six stocking points near Del Rio, including the Toms Creek Rd bridge, the Bell Carrie Way bridge and the Shelley Rock Farm bridge.

stocked rainbow trout
creek · small

Brush Creek

Twelve stocking points near Del Rio, labelled by bridge and pull-off, a creek that exists in the stocking records and almost nowhere else.

stocked rainbow trout
river stretch

Bluffton Access Area, Pigeon River

Forest Service access with a canoe landing.

smallmouthrock bass
river stretch

Denton Access, Pigeon River

Canoe-capable access; ownership not stated in TWRA’s data.

smallmouth
river stretch

Weaver Bend, French Broad River

Near Paint Mountain and the Chimney Rocks Trail around river mile 100, remote Forest Service river access.

smallmouthmusky
river stretch

Wolf Creek, French Broad River

On US 25/70 half a mile east of the Wolf Creek bridge, with camping nearby.

smallmouthcatfish
pond · small

Allen Branch Pond

Carries its own creel exception, catfish five per day, which means TWRA manages it as a distinct small water.

catfishpanfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Cocke County

Fishing from the bank in Cocke County

Walters Powerhouse Access on Walterville Rd (restrooms, ADA); Walters Bridge on US-25/70 (ADA); the Newport Police Department ramp on the Pigeon in town; Bluffton Access Area and Weaver Bend on Forest Service land; Wolf Creek on US 25/70; the twelve stocked roadside points on Cosby Creek and the numbered bridges and pull-offs on Brush Creek, Trail Fork Big Creek and Gulf Fork Big Creek, collectively the best small-stream bank fishing in the county.

Getting a boat on the water in Cocke County

Six public ramps plus two private ones; no marina in Cocke County, the Douglas marinas are across the line in Jefferson County. Douglas has no general no-wake restriction, but the 60-ft drawdown makes winter launching genuinely difficult at the upper end, and ramps that work in June can be on dry ground in January.

Paddling is the county’s real boating story: the Pigeon River through Hartford is one of the best-known commercial whitewater runs in the Southeast, fed by scheduled Walters Powerhouse releases, and the French Broad from Wolf Creek and Weaver Bend down to Douglas is an excellent smallmouth float.

Two different trips

Visiting Cocke County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Cocke County

Pigeon River whitewater rafting at Hartford, the county’s biggest visitor draw; Douglas Lake; Cherokee National Forest and the Cosby entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the French Broad River; Newport as the “adventure side of the Smokies” base town.

Where Cocke County locals actually go

Cosby Creek’s twelve stocked points, which sit minutes from a national park entrance and get a fraction of the park’s traffic. Brush Creek and Trail Fork Big Creek near Del Rio, stocked trout creeks that exist in TWRA’s records and essentially nowhere in published fishing coverage.

Weaver Bend on the French Broad near Paint Mountain, around river mile 100. Bluffton Access on the Pigeon. Allen Branch Pond, small enough to carry its own creel rule. Wolf Creek’s Forest Service access on US 25/70.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Cocke County water

Creel and length limits in Cocke County

Douglas Reservoir, black bass 5/day with no length limit October 1 through May 31, but from June 1 through September 30 only one largemouth or smallmouth over 16″ may be kept per day; musky 1/day, 36″ min; walleye 15″ min; sauger with only one over 16″ per day. The Douglas reservoir regulation extends upstream to the ENKA Dam on the Nolichucky and to the Highway 321 bridges in Newport and on the French Broad, above those points river regulations apply.

Allen Branch Pond carries a specific exception: catfish five per day, no length limit. Cosby Creek, Brush Creek, Gulf Fork Big Creek and Trail Fork Big Creek are spring-stocked under statewide trout rules with no delayed-harvest season and no daily permit.

Waters inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park carry separate NPS regulations and require no Tennessee licence beyond the park’s own rules, check before publishing.

State record fish from Cocke County water

None verified as a Cocke County catch.

7 public boat launches in Cocke County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Cocke County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Cocke County?

Walters Powerhouse Access on Walterville Rd (restrooms, ADA).

How many public boat ramps are in Cocke County?

TWRA’s access database lists 7 boat launches in Cocke County. Most of them are on French Broad River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Cocke County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish, rock bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and muskellunge. 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 Cocke 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 Cocke County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Cocke County?

Douglas Reservoir, black bass 5/day with no length limit October 1 through May 31, but from June 1 through September 30 only one largemouth or smallmouth over 16″ may be kept per day; musky 1/day, 36″ min; walleye 15″ min; sauger with only one over 16″ per day. The Douglas reservoir regulation extends upstream to the ENKA Dam on the Nolichucky and to the Highway 321 bridges in Newport and on the French Broad, above those points river regulations apply Allen Branch Pond carries a specific exception: catfish five per day, no length limit Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Cocke County?

Nothing verified in Cocke County by name and phone. TWRA records bait “in proximity” at almost every Cocke County access, Newport Police Dept., Rankin, Tannery Island, Walters Bridge, Walters Powerhouse, Bluffton and Denton, which indicates convenience stores rather than a tackle shop. No marina in the county. Whitewater outfitters cluster at Hartford but rent rafts, not fishing gear. Nearest big-box: Walmart Supercenter in Newport. There is a fuller list on the Cocke County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Cocke County?

Cosby Creek’s twelve stocked points, which sit minutes from a national park entrance and get a fraction of the park’s traffic. Brush Creek and Trail Fork Big Creek near Del Rio, stocked trout creeks that exist in TWRA’s records and essentially nowhere in published fishing coverage. Weaver Bend on the French Broad near Paint Mountain, around river mile 100. Bluffton Access on the Pigeon. Allen Branch Pond, small enough to carry its own creel rule. Wolf Creek’s Forest Service access on US 25/70.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Cocke County

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

RiverFrench Broad River6 access points in Cocke County, 13 in totalSee the spots →RiverPigeon River5 access points in Cocke CountySee the spots →LakeDouglas Lake1 access point in Cocke County, 21 in totalSee the spots →RiverNolichucky River10 in totalSee the spots →

Cocke County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish.

Conditions

Cocke County lake levels, river levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsDouglas Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Douglas Dam generation schedule.Open →River levelsNolichucky River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsFrench Broad River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsPigeon River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Cocke CountyTWRA stocks Brush Creek, Cosby Creek, Gulf Fork Big Creek and 1 more. 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 Cocke County access list comes from

The 12 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 Cocke 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 NewportDouglas Lake, French Broad RiverSee the spots →

Tennessee sells no non-resident one-day fishing license. The three-day is the shortest option.

Keep looking

Counties next to Cocke

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

Next county overJefferson CountyDouglas Lake, Cherokee LakeSee the spots →Next county overGreene CountyNolichucky RiverSee the spots →Next county overSevier CountyDouglas Lake, French Broad RiverSee the spots →Next county overHamblen CountyCherokee LakeSee the spots →Next county overGrainger CountyCherokee Lake, Norris LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Cocke 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

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