Middle Tennessee · County seat Fayetteville

Fishing in Lincoln County, Tennessee

Elk River (Tims Ford tailwater), Elk River (below the trout zone, through Fayetteville). Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots6 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Lincoln County

6 public access points in Lincoln County: 3 boat launches, 2 designated fishing sites and 1 paddling access. 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.

Elk River 6 in Lincoln County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAChenault Ford1/2 mile south of US Hwy 64 east of Fayetteville at Frito Lay plant1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.14980, -86.51127 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyDickey BridgeEast of Fayettville on 64, turn on Champ Road1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.13928, -86.44828 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAStump Shoals1/2 mile north of US Hwy 64 east of Fayetteville1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.14005, -86.47564 Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CityFayetteville Old Stone BridgeWest side of intersection of US Hwy 64 bypass and Hwy 231/431 in Fayettevillecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.14074, -86.57203 Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAShiloh BridgeFrom US 64, turn on Old US 64 in Flintville, left on Fish Hatchery Road the go about 3 and 1/4 miles then bear right on Champ Road. Bridge is about 1.5 miles.canoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.13846, -86.38341 Free2 out of 5facilitiesPaddling · CityStone Bridge Park Paddle Craft Launchcanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.14482, -86.56824

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Lincoln 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 checklist Catfish checklist Trout checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Lincoln County at a glance

Lincoln County boat ramps and fishing access

Lincoln County has 6 public fishing access points: 3 boat ramps and 1 kayak launch, on 1 lake or river.

3boat ramps

1kayak launches

1lake, river or creek

The big water in Lincoln

Main fishing waters in Lincoln County

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

tailwater trout and smallmouth river · roughly 15 miles of trout water below Tims Ford Dam,…

Elk River (Tims Ford tailwater)

This is the wading tailwater, unlike most Tennessee tailwaters it is small enough to wade as the primary method, it is full of scuds, and holdover browns get large even though there is no natural reproduction.

brownrainbowbrook and cutthroat troutsmallmouth bass

warmwater river · crosses the county west toward Giles · TWRA

Elk River (below the trout zone, through Fayetteville)

Below the stocked reach the river warms and turns into a good smallmouth and catfish float, passing about a mile south of the Fayetteville courthouse under the US-231/431 bridge.

smallmouthrock basschannel and flathead catfishsunfish

What it looks like

Lincoln County water

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

Elk RiverOpen the Elk River page →dmtilley / 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

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

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Lincoln County

Fishing from the bank in Lincoln County

The Elk River at the Tims Ford dam access (upstream, Franklin County side, but the standard entry point for the whole tailwater). Farris Bridge / Farris Creek Bridge Rd, Belvidere (35.19684, -86.278551). Old Dam Ford (35.12406, -86.33227). The US-231/431 bridge area at Fayetteville. Flintville Hatchery WMA frontage.

Getting a boat on the water in Lincoln County

No marina in the county. The Elk floats well by canoe, kayak or small pontoon; the Farris Creek run is about 9 miles and a full day. The tailwater is generation-dependent, so check TVA’s Reservoir Information Line (1-800-238-2264) or the TVA Lake Info app before launching.

Tims Ford Lake’s 14 free ramps and marina are in Franklin and Moore counties, not Lincoln.

Two different trips

Visiting Lincoln County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Lincoln County

Fayetteville’s historic square. The Elk River tailwater as a fly-fishing destination. Tims Ford State Park and Lake, just over the line northeast. Flintville Hatchery.

Where Lincoln County locals actually go

Old Dam Ford, which sees far less traffic than the dam access. The lower Elk through the county for smallmouth, largely ignored by the trout crowd. Norris Creek and Cane Creek mouths where they enter the Elk.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Lincoln County water

Creel and length limits in Lincoln County

Elk River from Tims Ford Dam to the I-65 bridge, including tributaries, brown trout 20 in minimum, one per day; seven trout per day in combination. Stocked March through December. No bait restriction on this reach. Below the stocked reach, standard statewide bass and catfish rules apply.

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

Questions people actually ask

Lincoln County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Lincoln County?

How many public boat ramps are in Lincoln County?

TWRA’s access database lists 3 boat launches in Lincoln County. Most of them are on Elk River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Lincoln County water are smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, catfish and 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, because there is trout water here.

What are the creel limits in Lincoln County?

Elk River from Tims Ford Dam to the I-65 bridge, including tributaries, brown trout 20 in minimum, one per day; seven trout per day in combination. Stocked March through December No bait restriction on this reach Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Lincoln County?

No tackle shop verified in Lincoln County. Walmart Supercenter, Fayetteville, for licences and basic tackle.. There is a fuller list on the Lincoln County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Lincoln County?

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Lincoln County

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

RiverElk River6 access points in Lincoln County, 11 in totalSee the spots →

Lincoln County water holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, catfish.

Conditions

Lincoln County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsElk River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Lincoln CountyTWRA stocks Stone Bridge Park. 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 Lincoln County access list comes from

The 6 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 Lincoln 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 →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near TullahomaNormandy Lake, Tims Ford LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ShelbyvilleDuck River, Normandy LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near ColumbiaDuck River, Harpeth RiverSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Lincoln

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

Next county overMoore CountyElk River, Tims Ford LakeSee the spots →Next county overFranklin CountyTims Ford Lake, Woods ReservoirSee the spots →Next county overBedford CountyDuck River, Bedford LakeSee the spots →Next county overCoffee CountyNormandy Lake, Duck RiverSee the spots →Next county overGiles CountyRichland Creek, Elk RiverSee the spots →

Keep going

More Lincoln 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 Lincoln County right now: Lincoln County conditions.