Middle Tennessee · County seat Winchester

Fishing in Franklin County, Tennessee

Q: Where can I fish from the bank in Franklin County?

Morris Ferry Access on Woods Reservoir is the standout — four public fishing piers plus bank fishing connected by a paved greenway path, with an additional pier at Pumping Station Road. The Elk River tailwater below Tims Ford Dam is wadeable for roughly 15 miles and is the best wade-fishing bank access in the county. Winchester City Park on Tims Ford. Tims Ford State Park shoreline. Beth Page Bridge on Tims Ford for paddlers and bank anglers. Cowan City Park pond. Farris Bridge on the Elk (35.19684, -86.278551, Farris Creek Bridge Rd, Belvidere). Old Dam Ford on the Elk (35.12406, -86.33227).. Franklin County has 2 public fishing piers listed in TWRA's access database.

Tims Ford Lake, Elk River (below Tims Ford Dam), Woods Reservoir. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots11 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Franklin County

11 public access points in Franklin County: 8 boat launches, 2 fishing piers and 3 marinas. 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.

Tims Ford Lake 7 in Franklin County

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECPleasant Grove Boat RampTake HWY 130 NW from Winchester to Pleasant Grove Rd on Left, take Pleasant Grove Lane on Left to ramp1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.26630, -86.20010 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECDevil’s Step Boat RampHWY 41 to HWY 50 W to Fairview Rd, dead ends at ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.20200, -86.16430 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECEstill Springs ParkHWY 41A through Estill Springs1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.26120, -86.11980 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECRock Creek Boat RampHWY 41A to East Brook Rd on Left past Rock Creek Bridge1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.25220, -86.14220 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaHoliday Landing MarinaDirections and detail →35.26950, -86.24390 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaLakeview MarinaDirections and detail →35.21113, -86.24730 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaTims Ford MarinaDirections and detail →35.22510, -86.24330

Woods Reservoir 4 in Franklin County

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherMorris Ferry Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.29650, -86.05789 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherCheck-In Station Road Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.33012, -86.05372 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherFranklin County Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.30913, -86.07544 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · OtherSouth Hap Arnold Boat Ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.33096, -86.06057

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Franklin 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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Franklin County at a glance

Franklin County boat ramps and fishing access

Franklin County has 11 public fishing access points: 8 boat ramps, 2 fishing piers and 3 marinas, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

8boat ramps

2fishing piers

3marinas

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Franklin

Main fishing waters in Franklin County

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

reservoir · 10,600 acres, dam completed 1970, full pool 888 ft and winter pool 873 ft ·…

Tims Ford Lake

TWRA states plainly that it is considered the best reservoir smallmouth fishery in Middle Tennessee

smallmouth basslargemouthcrappiestriped bass

tailwater · roughly 15 miles of trout water below the dam; the whole Elk runs about 195 miles…

Elk River (below Tims Ford Dam)

Unlike most Tennessee tailwaters this one is primarily a wading river, it is small and easy to wade, and it is full of scuds, with mayflies and caddis and year-round midges

brownrainbowbrook and cutthroat troutsmallmouth bass

reservoir · 3,660 acres, dam completed 1952, full pool 960 ft and winter pool 957 ft · US Air…

Woods Reservoir

Mostly in Franklin County, and genuinely unusual in being a military-owned public fishery

largemouth basscrappiewhite bassyellow bass

What it looks like

Franklin County water

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

Tims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Geobeedude / CC BY-SA 3.0

Elk River, Tennesseedmtilley / CC BY 3.0

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain

Old Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

Duck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

city park pond · small

Cowan City Park pond

On TWRA’s winter rainbow trout stocking schedule, the county’s confirmed winter trout pond and a genuinely obscure spot.

breamcatfishstocked rainbow trout

creek

Boiling Fork Creek

Runs through Cowan and Winchester toward the Elk.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

creeks

Bean Creek and Crow Creek

South Franklin County drainages toward the Tennessee River.

sunfishrock basssmall bass

creek arms

Rock Creek and Lost Creek arms of Tims Ford

Named embayments with their own ramps that fish as separate waters in spring.

crappielargemouthsmallmouth

river access

Dabbs Ford (Elk River above Woods Reservoir)

One of the five fee-free Woods Reservoir access sites, and it is river rather than lake.

smallmouthcatfishsunfish

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Franklin County

Fishing from the bank in Franklin County

Beth Page Bridge on Tims Ford for paddlers and bank anglers. Cowan City Park pond. Farris Bridge on the Elk (35.19684, -86.278551, Farris Creek Bridge Rd, Belvidere). Old Dam Ford on the Elk (35.12406, -86.33227).

Getting a boat on the water in Franklin County

Tims Ford has 14 free public boat ramps and is a major recreational lake with Tims Ford State Park providing cabins and campsites. TWRA maintains 20 fish attractor sites on Tims Ford and publishes downloadable GPS data for them, which is a genuinely useful thing to link from a county page.

Woods Reservoir has five fee-free launches, but it sits on Air Force property and access conditions can change without notice, confirm current rules before directing anyone there. The Elk River below Tims Ford Dam is floatable by canoe, kayak or small pontoon, with the Farris Creek float running about 9 miles as a full day; wading is the primary method. Generation from Tims Ford Dam changes the river fast.

Two different trips

Visiting Franklin County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Franklin County

Tims Ford State Park (cabins, campsites, marina access, one of the more scenic state parks in Middle Tennessee); Tims Ford Lake; the Elk River tailwater for wade trout fishing, which is the main draw for visiting fly anglers; Woods Reservoir’s Morris Ferry piers and greenway; Winchester City Park; the Sewanee/Monteagle area on the plateau above the county

Where Franklin County locals actually go

The Lost Creek and Rock Creek arms of Tims Ford, which are quiet compared with the dam end. Boiling Fork Creek through Cowan for small-stream smallmouth. The Woods Reservoir pier at Pumping Station Road.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Franklin County water

Creel and length limits in Franklin County

The Elk River trout regulation carries an explicit trophy-brown rule, brown trout 20-inch minimum, 1 per day, within a seven-trout total creel; stocked March through December from Tims Ford Dam down to the I-65 bridge. A Tennessee trout licence is required on the Elk tailwater.

Cowan City Park pond is a seasonal trout water and the trout licence applies there too. Woods Reservoir sits on Arnold AFB property, confirm current base access requirements, which are outside TWRA’s control and can change.

State record fish from Franklin County water

Tennessee state record spotted sucker, 2024, Woods Reservoir.

8 public boat launches in Franklin County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Franklin County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Franklin County?

Morris Ferry Access on Woods Reservoir is the standout, four public fishing piers plus bank fishing connected by a paved greenway path, with an additional pier at Pumping Station Road. The Elk River tailwater below Tims Ford Dam is wadeable for roughly 15 miles and is the best wade-fishing bank access in the county. Winchester City Park on Tims Ford. Tims Ford State Park shoreline. Beth Page Bridge on Tims Ford for paddlers and bank anglers. Cowan City Park pond. Farris Bridge on the Elk (35.19684, -86.278551, Farris Creek Bridge Rd, Belvidere). Old Dam Ford on the Elk (35.12406, -86.33227).. Franklin County has 2 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Franklin County?

TWRA’s access database lists 8 boat launches in Franklin County, plus 3 marinas. Most of them are on Tims Ford Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Franklin County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, white bass and yellow bass. 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Franklin County?

Tims Ford runs an 18-inch minimum on smallmouth against 15 inches on largemouth, 5 per day combined; walleye 16-inch minimum; striped and hybrid striped bass 2 per day at a 15-inch minimum; crappie 15 per day at a 10-inch minimum. Woods Reservoir differs: black bass 5 per day in combination, crappie 15 per day at 10 inches, white bass 15 per day, catfish unlimited under 34 inches with one over per day The Elk River trout regulation carries an explicit trophy-brown rule, brown trout 20-inch minimum, 1 per day, within a seven-trout total creel; stocked March through December from Tims Ford Dam down to the I-65 br Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Franklin County?

No standalone fly shop or bait-and-tackle retailer in Franklin County was verified by name. Tims Ford Marina, Winchester is the most likely on-water source of bait, tackle and rentals, confirm phone and stock before publishing. Several Elk River fly-fishing guide services operate in the area but are based outside the county. Walmart Supercenter, Winchester and Walmart Supercenter, Tullahoma (Coffee Co., Store 667) both sell tackle, bait and licences. Nearest Academy Sports: Murfreesboro or Huntsville, Alabama (both roughly an hour). Nearest Bass Pro: Nashville (~1 hr 30 min).. There is a fuller list on the Franklin County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Franklin County?

Cowan City Park pond during the winter trout stocking. Dabbs Ford River Access on the Elk above Woods Reservoir, a fee-free river access most people miss because it is listed among Woods Reservoir sites. Old Dam Ford on the Elk. The Lost Creek and Rock Creek arms of Tims Ford, which are quiet compared with the dam end. Boiling Fork Creek through Cowan for small-stream smallmouth. The Woods Reservoir pier at Pumping Station Road.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Franklin County

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

LakeTims Ford Lake7 access points in Franklin County, 9 in totalSee the spots →LakeWoods Reservoir4 access points in Franklin County, 5 in totalSee the spots →

Franklin County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Conditions

Franklin County lake levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsTims Ford Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Tims Ford Dam generation schedule.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Franklin CountyTWRA stocks Cowan City Park, Tims Ford TW / Elk River. 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 Franklin County access list comes from

The 11 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 Franklin 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 WinchesterTims Ford Lake, Woods ReservoirSee the spots →

2 public fishing piers in Franklin County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Franklin

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

Next county overMoore CountyElk River, Tims Ford LakeSee the spots →Next county overCoffee CountyNormandy Lake, Duck RiverSee the spots →Next county overBedford CountyDuck River, Bedford LakeSee the spots →Next county overLincoln CountyElk RiverSee the spots →Next county overGrundy CountyCollins River, Grundy Lake #4See the spots →

Keep going

More Franklin 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 Franklin County right now: Franklin County conditions.