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Middle Tennessee · County seat Lafayette

Fishing in Macon County, Tennessee

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

Find fishing spotsEvery public waterFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

What it looks like

Macon County water

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

Center 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 domainDuck River, TennesseeDuck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0Tims 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

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Macon County

Getting a boat on the water in Macon County

None. No marina, no ramp, no outfitter verified in the county.

Two different trips

Visiting Macon County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Macon County

Lafayette’s town square. The county fair. Red Boiling Springs mineral-spring hotels, just over the line to the east. Most visitor traffic here is passing through toward Dale Hollow or Cordell Hull.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Macon County water

Creel and length limits in Macon County

Nothing water-specific. Statewide creel and length limits apply throughout.

Statewide limits: 5 black bass, 15 crappie at 10 inches, 2 stripers at 15 inches, 7 trout.

Questions people actually ask

Macon County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Macon County?

None verified. Bridge crossings on SR-10, SR-52 and SR-56 offer public right-of-way at the creeks, which is what a local would actually use, but nothing developed.

How many public boat ramps are in Macon County?

TWRA’s statewide access database lists no maintained boat launch inside Macon County. Thin, say so. Cordell Hull Reservoir (Smith/Jackson counties, the state-record striped bass water at 65 lb 6 oz) is about 30–35 minutes south via SR-56 to Carthage or Granville. Old Hickory Lake at Gallatin is about 45 minutes southwest. D

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

What are the creel limits in Macon County?

Nothing water-specific. Statewide creel and length limits apply throughout Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Macon County?

No tackle or bait shop verified in Macon County. Walmart, Lafayette, for licences and basic tackle. Nearest larger selection: Academy Sports in Hendersonville or Cookeville, roughly an hour either way.. There is a fuller list on the Macon County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Macon County?

None verified. Treat any “hidden spot” claim for Macon County with suspicion, the creeks are almost entirely private.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to Macon County

Thin, say so. Cordell Hull Reservoir (Smith/Jackson counties, the state-record striped bass water at 65 lb 6 oz) is about 30–35 minutes south via SR-56 to Carthage or Granville. Old Hickory Lake at Gallatin is about 45 minutes southwest. Dale Hollow Lake is about an hour east.

The Cumberland River at Carthage, about 30 minutes. For a family lake, Bledsoe Creek State Park on Old Hickory is about 50 minutes.

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

Conditions

Macon County trout stocking

TroutTrout stocking in Macon CountyTWRA stocks Lafayette City Park, Salt Lick Creek. Dates are on the stocking schedule.Open →

The $33 combination hunt and fish license does not cover trout. That needs the $21 supplemental.

About this list

Where the Macon County access list comes from

The 0 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 Macon 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 CarthageCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near GallatinOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near LebanonOld Hickory Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CelinaDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →

Statewide limits: 5 black bass, 15 crappie at 10 inches, 2 stripers at 15 inches, 7 trout.

Keep looking

Counties next to Macon

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

Next county overTrousdale CountyOld Hickory Lake, Goose CreekSee the spots →Next county overSmith CountyCordell Hull Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →Next county overJackson CountyCordell Hull Lake, Roaring RiverSee the spots →Next county overWilson CountyOld Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →Next county overSumner CountyOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Macon 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 Macon County right now: Macon County conditions.