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Cumberland County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Cumberland County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Cumberland 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 checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Cumberland County

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

Crossville · about 3 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Sparta · about 25 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Jamestown · about 37 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →McMinnville · about 43 milesOutdoor Shop IncSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →McMinnville · about 44 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Lenoir City · about 45 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive 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 Cumberland County

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

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TDECCumberland Mountain State ParkBryd Lakefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →35.89856, -85.00049Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityMeadow Park LakeMeadow Park Lake1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.90196, -85.09644

The big stores

Chain stores near Cumberland County

The closest full tackle wall to Cumberland County is the Academy in Cookeville, about 31 miles from Crossville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Cookeville · about 31 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Hixson · about 48 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 61 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Chattanooga · about 61 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Cumberland County

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

Cumberland 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 Cumberland County

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

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Cumberland County?

Meadow Park Lake park office doubles as a bait shop, 931-788-2034 (City of Crossville Leisure Services). Tansi Bait Shop, Crossville (Lake Tansi area), listed in directories. Walmart Supercenter, Crossville (Store 687) sells tackle, bait and fishing licenses. Nearest Academy Sports: Cookeville (~35 min). Nearest Bass Pro: Sevierville or Nashville, roughly 2 hours either way.. There is a fuller list on the Cumberland County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Cumberland County?

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

No. Cumberland County has 2 public fishing piers and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Cumberland County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Norris 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 3.0Hiwassee River, TennesseeHiwassee RiverOpen the Hiwassee River page →ChristopherM at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Cumberland County

Got what you need? The Cumberland 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.

Cumberland County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Cumberland 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