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Decatur County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Decatur County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Decatur 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 Decatur County

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

Parsons · about 7 milesPerryville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Lexington · about 23 milesBeech Lake MarineTackle and bait for Henderson County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Waverly · about 23 milesBuffalo River Camping & CanoeingPaddle outfitter. Canoe and kayak rental, shuttles and life jackets.Directions and phone →Waynesboro · about 24 milesDuren’s Sporting GoodsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Savannah · about 26 milesWal-Mart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Savannah · about 27 milesHurst-Young Wholesale Bait IncLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Savannah · about 27 milesLonnie’s Sporting GoodsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Savannah · about 27 milesPickwick Landing State Park Marina storeMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Crump · about 29 milesGardner’s 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 Decatur County

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

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandMermaid MarinaKentucky LakeFrom Decaturville, take HWY 100E to Mt. Carmel Rd, follow signs1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.55980, -88.00690Free4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaPerryville MarinaKentucky Lake412 E from Parsons, TN, Right to Perryville Marina, 0.5 miles before crossing bridge1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →35.62897, -88.03980Free4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandRiverstone MarinaKentucky LakeBradley Lane at HWY 114 Bridge over TN River1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.41200, -88.04800

The big stores

Chain stores near Decatur County

The closest full tackle wall to Decatur County is the Academy in Jackson, about 43 miles from Decaturville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Jackson · about 43 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Columbia · about 56 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Franklin · about 70 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Clarksville · about 76 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 Decatur County

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

Anyone 13 and over needs a license to fish Decatur County water, and under 13 is free. If you live in Decatur County, the $10 county-of-residence license covers you on Decatur County water, though not for trout.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Decatur County

Do I need a fishing license to fish in Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Decatur County?

Perryville Marina, Parsons, 731-847-2444, boat and pontoon rentals, fuel, slips. Cherokee Marina & Grill, Sugar Tree, 731-847-3625. Fisherdale Marina, Decaturville, 731-852-2900. Mermaid Marina, Decaturville, 731-852-2743. RiverStone Marina, Bath Springs, 731-549-2345, deli and grill on site. Beech Bend Park campground, 731-733-4087. No standalone bait-and-tackle retailer in the county was verified by name. Nearest Walmart Supercenter: Lexington (Henderson Co., ~25 min from Parsons) and Savannah (Hardin Co., ~45 min). Nearest Academy Sports: Jackson (~50 min). Nearest Bass Pro: Memphis (~2 hr 15 min).. There is a fuller list on the Decatur County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Decatur County?

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

No. Decatur County has 1 public fishing pier and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Decatur County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Kentucky Lake, TennesseeKentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainReelfoot Lake, TennesseeReelfoot LakeOpen the Reelfoot Lake page →User:JeremyA / CC BY-SA 2.5Mississippi River, TennesseeMississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Ceptember / CC BY-SA 4.0Pickwick Lake, TennesseePickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0Obion River, TennesseeObion RiverOpen the Obion River page →David.k.hochreiter / CC BY-SA 3.0Forked Deer River, TennesseeForked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domain

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Decatur County

Got what you need? The Decatur 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.

Decatur County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Decatur 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