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Middle Tennessee · County seat Centerville

Fishing in Hickman County, Tennessee

Hickman County is thin on public water. This page lists what there is, then points at what is close.

Find fishing spots4 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Hickman County

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Bluegill and Panfish checklistCatfish checklistTrout checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Hickman County at a glance

Hickman County boat ramps and fishing access

Hickman County has 4 public fishing access points: 1 boat ramp and 3 kayak launches, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

1boat ramp
3kayak launches
2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Hickman

Main fishing waters in Hickman County

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

river · 284 miles total, the longest river entirely within Tennessee; Hickman holds roughly…

Duck River

Described as the most biologically diverse river in North America, with over 50 freshwater mussel species and 151 fish species. Through Hickman it is a shallow, gravel-and-ledge smallmouth float, not a boat-ramp-and-motor river.

smallmouthlargemouth and spotted bassrock basschannel catfish
river · 23.7 miles, rising near Dickson and flowing southeast into Hickman, joining the Duck a…

Piney River

Small, clear and scenic, with a well-known swimming hole, primarily a canoe, kayak and wade stream.

smallmouthrock basssunfishcatfish

What it looks like

Hickman County water

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

Duck River, TennesseeDuck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domainOld Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainTims Ford Lake, TennesseeTims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Geobeedude / CC BY-SA 3.0Cordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

creek · a Piney River tributary in Hickman County

Mill Creek

Reported to be frequently stocked with trout by TWRA. If confirmed, this is the only trout water in the county.

stocked rainbow troutsmallmouthrock bass
creek · Duck River tributary

Swan Creek

Named locally, access points not individually published.

smallmouthrock basssunfish
creeks · Duck River tributaries

Beaverdam Creek, Lick Creek, Cane Creek

Small wadeable water with access mostly at road crossings.

sunfishrock basssmallmouth

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Hickman County

Fishing from the bank in Hickman County

River Park in Centerville, next to the TN Hwy 100 bridge, the county’s most usable bank spot; the Hwy 48 bridge north of Centerville; Dixie Shouse Bridge on Hwy 50; the Hwy 50 bridges at Wright Bend and near Only (the Only crossing is right off I-40 exit 148); Leatherwood Bridge on Bratton Road; the Piney River swimming hole area.

Getting a boat on the water in Hickman County

Canoe, kayak and jonboat water only. The Duck through Hickman is shallow with long gravel shoals and is floated, not motored, there is no ski water, no marina, no fuel on the water and no rental fleet operating out of Centerville itself.

Standard floats run bridge to bridge: Littlelot to Centerville, Centerville to Dixie Shouse, and the longer lower runs toward Only. Pinewood Canoe & Camp and Piney River Escape both run river floats.

Two different trips

Visiting Hickman County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Hickman County

The Duck River float, marketed as North America’s most biodiverse river; the Piney River swimming hole and campground; Piney River Escape; Pinewood Canoe & Camp; the Natchez Trace Parkway; Centerville’s square.

Where Hickman County locals actually go

Pluck’Em Inn at river mile 97, reached down a dead-end county road, the most obscure named access on the Hickman stretch; Dixie Shouse Bridge; Mill Creek if the trout stocking holds up; Dodd Hollow on the Piney; the Wright Bend crossing on Hwy 50.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Hickman County water

Creel and length limits in Hickman County

The Duck River carries an unusual and quotable regulation, black bass 5 per day combined with NO length limits, and rock bass 20 per day. That no-minimum rule is different from almost every reservoir in the state. The river’s federally listed mussels mean no collecting.

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

Questions people actually ask

Hickman County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Hickman County?

River Park in Centerville, next to the TN Hwy 100 bridge, the county’s most usable bank spot.

How many public boat ramps are in Hickman County?

TWRA’s access database lists 1 boat launch in Hickman County. Most of them are on Duck River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Hickman County water are smallmouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill, rock bass, channel catfish and rainbow trout. 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 Hickman 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 Hickman County, because there is trout water here.

What are the creel limits in Hickman County?

The Duck River carries an unusual and quotable regulation, black bass 5 per day combined with NO length limits, and rock bass 20 per day. That no-minimum rule is different from almost every reservoir in the state The river’s federally listed mussels mean no collecting Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Hickman County?

Pinewood Canoe & Camp (river floats). There is a fuller list on the Hickman County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Hickman County?

Pluck’Em Inn at river mile 97, reached down a dead-end county road, the most obscure named access on the Hickman stretch. Dixie Shouse Bridge. Mill Creek if the trout stocking holds up.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Hickman County

Hickman has no reservoir and no lake, only rivers. Nearest big water: Kentucky Lake at Cuba Landing and New Johnsonville, roughly 45-55 minutes northwest via Hwy 13; J. Percy Priest Lake roughly 1 hour 15 minutes northeast.

Nearest TWRA agency lakes: the Williamsport Lakes (Maury County, four lakes, 164 acres total, trolling motors only, with a youth-only lake) about 35 minutes east, and Laurel Hill Lake (Lawrence County, 325 acres) about an hour south.

Hickman County water holds smallmouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill, rock bass.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Hickman County

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

RiverDuck River3 access points in Hickman County, 26 in totalSee the spots →

Conditions

Hickman County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsDuck River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsPiney River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Hickman CountyTWRA stocks Cane Creek, Mill Creek. 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 Hickman County access list comes from

The 4 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 Hickman 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 DicksonHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ColumbiaDuck River, Harpeth RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near FranklinHarpeth River, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →17 access points within 30 milesFishing near LawrenceburgDuck River, Richland CreekSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Hickman

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

Next county overPerry CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →Next county overLewis CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →Next county overMaury CountyDuck River, Bluecat LakeSee the spots →Next county overHumphreys CountyKentucky Lake, Duck RiverSee the spots →Next county overWilliamson CountyHarpeth RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Hickman 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 Hickman County right now: Hickman County conditions.