Lincoln County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Lincoln County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Lincoln County water

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

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Lincoln County

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

Manchester · about 33 milesThe Sportsman’s CornerSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Columbia · about 45 milesAcademy SportsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Lincoln County

The closest full tackle wall to Lincoln County is the Academy in Columbia, about 45 miles from Fayetteville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Columbia · about 45 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Murfreesboro · about 49 milesSportsman’s WarehouseChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Franklin · about 58 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Smyrna · about 58 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Lincoln County

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

Lincoln County has trout water, and no base license covers trout. The $21 annual trout supplemental is the add-on, and the Sportsman licenses and every non-resident all-species license already include it.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Lincoln County

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.

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.

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.

Can I buy a fishing license in Lincoln County?

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

Not necessarily, though Lincoln County is short on developed bank access. The fishing spots page lists every road crossing and park shoreline that is genuinely public.

What it looks like

What Lincoln County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

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

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Lincoln County

Got what you need? The Lincoln 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.

Lincoln County fishing spots Back to the county page

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