Middle Tennessee · County seat Waverly

Fishing in Humphreys County, Tennessee

Kentucky Lake / Tennessee River, Duck River, Buffalo River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots7 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Humphreys County

7 public access points in Humphreys County: 3 boat launches, 1 fishing pier, 1 designated fishing site 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.

Kentucky Lake 5 in Humphreys County

Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaMason’s Dock10 miles north of Waverly, TN on Clydeton Rd1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.17460, -87.89250 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCuba Landing Marina1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.87543, -87.92962 Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFWSDuck River Unit Wildlife Refuge Pump Station Rd2 ramps, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.96802, -87.99374 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRANew Johnsonville1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.01781, -87.98893 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaPebble Isle MarinaDirections and detail →36.06040, -87.95335

Duck River 2 in Humphreys County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRADuck River Mile 11.5 R (Cold Branch)Paint Rock Road, Old State Route 1 and Bakerville Road intersection1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.04500, -87.85490 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAHurricane Mills1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.93182, -87.74743

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Humphreys 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

Humphreys County at a glance

Humphreys County boat ramps and fishing access

Humphreys County has 7 public fishing access points: 3 boat ramps, 1 fishing pier and 3 marinas, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

3boat ramps

1fishing pier

3marinas

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Humphreys

Main fishing waters in Humphreys County

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

reservoir · forms the county’s western boundary past New Johnsonville and Cuba Landing · TVA

Kentucky Lake

The county markets itself as the Land of Three Rivers and this is the big one, ledges, stumpfields and creek mouths, with the Duck River mouth as a major fish magnet.

crappielargemouthsmallmouthwhite bass

river · the lower 26 miles, from Watered Hollow Road down to where it enters Kentucky Lake at…

Duck River

The lower Duck below Hurricane Mills is bigger, slower water than the Hickman County stretch upstream, and it produced a Tennessee state record.

smallmouthlargemouthspotted bassrock bass

river · a Tennessee State Scenic River, entering the Duck near Hurricane Mills · TWRA

Buffalo River

The classic Middle Tennessee float river, clear, gravel-bottomed and mostly wadeable, and the reason canoe liveries exist in this county.

smallmouth bassrock basssunfishcatfish

What it looks like

Humphreys County water

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

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

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

Buffalo RiverOpen the Buffalo River page →La Citta Vita / CC BY-SA 2.0

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

The ones nobody writes about

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

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

creek · Tennessee River tributary

Whiteoak Creek

A named local creek, access is at road crossings.

smallmouthlargemouth

creek · Duck River tributary at river mile 17.1, Cedar Grove Road

Hurricane Creek

Both a creek and a named Duck River access point.

smallmouthrock basscatfish

creek/embayment · Kentucky Lake arm

Trace Creek

A named Kentucky Lake embayment on this reach.

crappielargemouthcatfish

creek/embayment · Kentucky Lake arm

Blue Creek

Named embayment, no dedicated Humphreys ramp confirmed.

crappiecatfishbass

refuge wetlands and river mouth · USFWS

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, Duck River Unit

Two ramps at Pump Station Road plus a designated fishing site; daylight hours and seasonal closures apply.

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Humphreys County

Fishing from the bank in Humphreys County

Mason’s Dock fishing pier; Johnsonville State Historic Park, which fronts Kentucky Lake and is the county’s best free shoreline and interpretive site; the Duck River Unit refuge fishing site at Pump Station Road; the Duck River bridge crossings at Link Bridge, Paint Rock Bluff and Buzzard Cove; the Buffalo River at road crossings around Hurricane Mills.

Getting a boat on the water in Humphreys County

Cuba Landing Marina, Mason’s Dock and Pebble Isle Marina all carry fuel; Cuba Landing and Mason’s Dock also sell bait, and Cuba Landing rents boats. New Johnsonville is the main free public ramp. Kentucky Lake here is broad open water.

The Buffalo River is the county’s paddling draw, Bone’s Canoe and Campground rents canoes and kayaks with drop-off service for 5-mile or 10-mile floats; Buffalo River Camping & Canoeing operates at 650 Cuba Landing Rd, Waverly. The lower Duck is jonboat and kayak water.

Two different trips

Visiting Humphreys County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Humphreys County

Johnsonville State Historic Park on Kentucky Lake; Loretta Lynn’s Ranch at Hurricane Mills on the Buffalo River; the Buffalo River float; Cuba Landing.

Where Humphreys County locals actually go

Link Bridge and Buzzard Cove Road on the lower Duck, two undeveloped accesses within a couple of river miles of each other that essentially nobody outside the county names; Paint Rock Bluff; the Duck River Unit of the Tennessee NWR at river mile 0; Whiteoak Creek; the Cold Branch ramp at Duck River mile 11.5.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Humphreys County water

Creel and length limits in Humphreys County

Kentucky Lake, crappie 20 per day at a 10 in minimum, black bass 5 per day at 15 in, white bass 15 per day. Duck River, black bass 5 per day combined with NO length limits, rock bass 20 per day; that rule applies on the free-flowing river, not in the Kentucky Lake pool. Buffalo River, statewide limits. Tennessee NWR units are daylight hours only with seasonal closures.

State record fish from Humphreys County water

Yellow bass, 2 lb 9 oz, Duck River near Waverly, John T. Chappell, 27 February 1998. TWRA writes near Waverly, TN into the record itself, and Waverly is the Humphreys county seat, so this is one of the few Tennessee records attributable to a county with confidence.

Class B: American eel, 4 lb 0.20 oz, trotline, Kentucky Reservoir (Duck River), Evan Mercer, 9 June 2018; skipjack herring, 2 lb 15 oz, commercial gear, Duck River, Billy Roberson, 14 December 2015.

3 public boat launches in Humphreys County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Humphreys County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Humphreys County?

Mason’s Dock fishing pier. Also johnsonville state historic park, which fronts kentucky lake and is the county’s best free shoreline and interpretive site, and the duck river unit refuge fishing site at pump station road. Humphreys County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Humphreys County?

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

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

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

What are the creel limits in Humphreys County?

Kentucky Lake, crappie 20 per day at a 10 in minimum, black bass 5 per day at 15 in, white bass 15 per day. Duck River, black bass 5 per day combined with NO length limits, rock bass 20 per day; that rule applies on the free-flowing river, not in the Kentucky Lake pool Buffalo River, statewide limits Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Humphreys County?

Cuba Landing Marina, bait on site, rentals, fuel. There is a fuller list on the Humphreys County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Humphreys County?

Link Bridge and Buzzard Cove Road on the lower Duck, two undeveloped accesses within a couple of river miles of each other that essentially nobody outside the county names. Paint Rock Bluff. the Duck River Unit of the Tennessee NWR at river mile 0.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Humphreys County

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

LakeKentucky Lake5 access points in Humphreys County, 86 in totalSee the spots →RiverDuck River2 access points in Humphreys County, 26 in totalSee the spots →RiverBuffalo River3 in totalSee the spots →

Humphreys County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Conditions

Humphreys County lake levels, river levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsKentucky Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Kentucky Dam generation schedule.Open →River levelsDuck River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Humphreys CountyTWRA stocks Hurricane 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 Humphreys County access list comes from

The 7 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 Humphreys 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 ParisKentucky Lake, Garrett LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near DoverLake Barkley, Kentucky LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ClarksvilleLake Barkley, Red RiverSee the spots →

1 public fishing pier in Humphreys County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Humphreys

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

Next county overBenton CountyKentucky Lake, Ky. ReservoirSee the spots →Next county overPerry CountyBuffalo RiverSee the spots →Next county overCarroll CountyMaples Creek LakeSee the spots →Next county overHouston CountyKentucky Lake / Tennessee River, Cumberland River / Lake BarkleySee the spots →Next county overHenry CountyKentucky LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Humphreys 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 Humphreys County right now: Humphreys County conditions.