West Tennessee · County seat Lexington

Fishing in Henderson County, Tennessee

Beech Lake, Beech River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots8 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Henderson County

8 public access points in Henderson County: 8 boat launches and 5 fishing piers. 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.

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Henderson 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:

Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Catfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Henderson County at a glance

Henderson County boat ramps and fishing access

Henderson County has 8 public fishing access points: 8 boat ramps and 5 fishing piers, on 7 lakes, rivers and creeks.

8boat ramps

5fishing piers

7lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Henderson

Main fishing waters in Henderson County

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

reservoir · roughly 875 acres · TVA (Beech River project, dam completed 1963)

Beech Lake

The county’s biggest water and its recreational centre, deep channels, ledges, humps and underwater points, with two boat ramps, a marina, two beaches and camping. Ramp is off Hwy 412 at Lexington.

largemouth basscrappiebluegillchannel catfish

river · 38.3 miles, rising about 5 miles northwest of Lexington · TVA project

Beech River

The river itself is minor; what matters is the eight-reservoir Beech River project built on it, which gives this county more distinct public lakes than almost any other in West Tennessee.

sunfishcatfishbass

What it looks like

Henderson County water

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

Reelfoot LakeOpen the Reelfoot Lake page →User:JeremyA / CC BY-SA 2.5

Mississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Ceptember / CC BY-SA 4.0

Pickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0

Obion RiverOpen the Obion River page →David.k.hochreiter / CC BY-SA 3.0

Forked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domain

Tennessee River, TennesseeScott Basford / CC BY-SA 3.0

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

TWRA agency lake · 167 acres, inside Natchez Trace State Park

Brown’s Creek Lake

A managed trophy-bass water: 10 per day with an 18-25 in protected length range and one fish over 25 in. Boat launch, fish attractors, fishing pier, restrooms, rental boats. A Bill Dance Signature Lake.

largemouth basscrappiebluegill

reservoir · roughly 690 acres, in Natchez Trace State Park

Pin Oak Lake

The park’s big-bass lake, ramps at both ends, with the lodge, villas, restaurant, camping and swimming beach on it.

largemouth bassbreamcrappie

reservoir · roughly 500 acres

Dogwood Lake

Remote, a steep ramp, and it sees little activity, and it holds a Tennessee state record. Ramp on Hemby Lane, Lexington.

shellcracker (redear)largemouthbream

reservoir · 235 acres

Redbud Lake

One-lane ramp with a fishing pier on Redbud Lake Lane, a bluegill and redear lake rather than a bass lake.

bream and shellcracker

reservoir · TVA (1964), extends more than two miles

Pine Lake

Two-lane ramp with a fishing pier on Pine Lake Rd, plus a separate county-owned canoe launch with a fee.

bassbreamcatfish

reservoir · TVA (1965), stretches 1.5 miles

Sycamore Lake

One-lane ramp with a fishing pier on Sycamore Lake Rd.

bassbreamcatfish

reservoir · TVA (1963), stretches about one mile

Cedar Lake

The smallest of the project pools, no TWRA-listed ramp.

breambasscatfish

small impoundment · 58 acres, Natchez Trace State Park

Cub Lake

Shore fishing and piers with park rental boats only, private boats are not allowed. That restriction makes it the best family and bank option in the county.

multi-species

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Henderson County

Fishing from the bank in Henderson County

Fishing piers at Beech Lake, Brown’s Creek Lake, Pine Lake, Redbud Lake and Sycamore Lake, five public piers in one county, which is unusual; Cub Lake shore fishing and piers in Natchez Trace State Park; Beech Lake’s two beaches; the Pin Oak Lake shoreline around the park lodge.

Getting a boat on the water in Henderson County

Beech Lake has the county’s marina and takes larger boats. Natchez Trace State Park rents boats on Brown’s Creek, Pin Oak and Cub lakes. Cub Lake takes park rental boats only. The smaller Beech River pools are single-lane ramps suited to jonboats and small bass boats; Dogwood’s ramp is steep.

Two different trips

Visiting Henderson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Henderson County

Natchez Trace State Park, four fishable lakes, a lodge, villas, a restaurant, camping and a swimming beach; Beech Lake for boating, swimming and camping; Brown’s Creek Lake as a Bill Dance Signature Lake.

Where Henderson County locals actually go

Dogwood Lake, remote, steep-ramped, lightly fished, and the state record pumpkinseed came out of it; Redbud Lake at 235 acres, a dedicated bream and shellcracker water with a pier and almost no pressure; Sycamore Lake and its group camp; Cub Lake for anyone without a boat; the county-run Pine Lake canoe launch.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Henderson County water

Creel and length limits in Henderson County

Brown’s Creek Lake requires a TWRA Lake Fishing permit in addition to a fishing licence ($6 daily / $48 annual) and has its own limits, largemouth 10 per day with an 18-25 in protected length range and one fish over 25 in; bluegill and redear 10 per day, no size limit; crappie no limit; catfish 5 per day in combination. The other Beech River pools and Beech Lake fall under statewide limits unless posted otherwise. Cub Lake: no private boats.

State record fish from Henderson County water

Pumpkinseed, 5 oz, Dogwood Lake, Lynn Middleton, 14 June 1998.

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

Questions people actually ask

Henderson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Henderson County?

Fishing piers at Beech Lake, Brown’s Creek Lake, Pine Lake, Redbud Lake and Sycamore Lake, five public piers in one county, which is unusual. Also cub lake shore fishing and piers in natchez trace state park, and beech lake’s two beaches. Henderson County has 5 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Henderson County?

TWRA’s access database lists 8 boat launches in Henderson County. Most of them are on Pine Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Henderson County water are largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish. 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 Henderson 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 Henderson County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Henderson County?

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Henderson County?

Beech Lake Marine, Lexington, (731) 968-8492. There is a fuller list on the Henderson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Henderson County?

Dogwood Lake, remote, steep-ramped, lightly fished, and the state record pumpkinseed came out of it. Redbud Lake at 235 acres, a dedicated bream and shellcracker water with a pier and almost no pressure. Sycamore Lake and its group camp.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Henderson County

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

LakePine Lake2 access points in Henderson CountySee the spots →

Henderson County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish.

Conditions

Henderson County trout stocking

TroutTrout stocking in Henderson CountyTWRA stocks Beech Lake. 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 Henderson County access list comes from

The 8 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 Henderson County

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number you actually care about.

22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near SavannahKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ParisKentucky Lake, Garrett LakeSee the spots →17 access points within 30 milesFishing near BrownsvilleHatchie River, Forked Deer RiverSee the spots →

5 public fishing piers in Henderson County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Henderson

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

Next county overCarroll CountyMaples Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overDecatur CountyKentucky Lake, KentuckySee the spots →Next county overMadison CountyForked Deer River, Lake GrahamSee the spots →Next county overChester CountyLake Placid, Lake LaJoieSee the spots →Next county overWayne CountyKentucky LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Henderson 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 Henderson County right now: Henderson County conditions.