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Lake County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Lake County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Lake 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:

Crappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Lake County

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

Tiptonville · in townBoyette’s ResortLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Tiptonville · about 2 milesReelfoot Lake Sportsman’s ResortLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Tiptonville · about 2 milesReelfoot OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Tiptonville · about 3 milesBlue Basin Cove LodgeLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Lake County

The closest full tackle wall to Lake County is the Academy in Jackson, about 63 miles from Tiptonville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Jackson · about 63 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Millington · about 76 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Memphis · about 91 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Memphis · about 91 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Lake County

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

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

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Lake County

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

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Lake County?

Reelfoot Lake Sportsman’s Resort, 100 Sportsman Resort Ln, Tiptonville TN 38079, 731-253-6581, two lakefront locations, bait shop, 16-foot and 48-foot jon boat rentals, cabins, RV camping and fishing packages. There is a fuller list on the Lake County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Lake County?

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

No. Lake County has 2 public fishing piers and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Lake County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Reelfoot 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
Tennessee River, Tennessee
Tennessee River, TennesseeScott Basford / CC BY-SA 3.0

12 public boat launches in Lake County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Lake County

Got what you need? The Lake 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.

Lake County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Lake 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