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West Tennessee · County seat Jackson

Fishing in Madison County, Tennessee

Lake Graham, South Fork Forked Deer River, Middle Fork Forked Deer River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots2 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Madison County

2 public access points in Madison County: 2 boat launches and 1 fishing pier. 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.

Lake Graham 1 in Madison County

Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAAccess Area 1Off Hurts Chapel Rd, 5 miles east of Jackson, TN2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.63111, -88.72353

Forked Deer River 1 in Madison County

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchSpring Creek WMADirections and detail →35.77713, -88.69488

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Madison 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:

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

Madison County at a glance

Madison County boat ramps and fishing access

Madison County has 2 public fishing access points: 2 boat ramps and 1 fishing pier, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

2boat ramps
1fishing pier
2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Madison

Main fishing waters in Madison County

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

TWRA agency lake / municipal reservoir · roughly 500 acres · TWRA (Region 1), water supply for…

Lake Graham

Nine miles east of Jackson off Cotton Grove Road, with restrooms, picnic areas, a boat launch, a fishing pier and maintained fish attractors, this is the county’s flagship public water and it is on TWRA’s Family Fishing Lakes list.

largemouth basscrappiebluegillredear sunfish
bottomland river · crosses the southern half of the county · TWRA

South Fork Forked Deer River

Channelization straightened the main run, but the abandoned meanders left behind as finger lakes are documented as the part locals actually fish.

channel and flathead catfishcrappielargemouthgar
bottomland river · northern county · TWRA; Middle Fork Bottoms State Park along part of it

Middle Fork Forked Deer River

Slow, silty, best fished from the cut-off bends rather than the dredged channel.

catfishcrappiesunfish

What it looks like

Madison County water

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

Forked Deer River, TennesseeForked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domainReelfoot 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 3.0
Tennessee River, Tennessee
Tennessee River, TennesseeScott Basford / CC BY-SA 3.0

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Madison County

Fishing from the bank in Madison County

Lake Graham, fishing pier, shoreline and picnic areas, the easiest bank fishing in the county. Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, South Fork Forked Deer frontage. Cypress Grove Nature Park, Jackson, boardwalk over cypress swamp; confirm whether fishing is permitted before publishing. Bridge crossings of the South and Middle Forks on US-412, US-70 and SR-18.

Getting a boat on the water in Madison County

No marina. Lake Graham has a public boat launch. The Forked Deer forks are jon-boat and kayak water rather than anything bigger, with deadfall and low bridges. No commercial paddle rental verified in the county.

Two different trips

Visiting Madison County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Madison County

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, one of the largest Woodland-period mound complexes in the United States and home to the nation’s second-tallest earthwork mound. Casey Jones Village and the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum. Cypress Grove Nature Park. Lake Graham. Jackson’s downtown and the Ballpark at Jackson.

Where Madison County locals actually go

The finger lakes and cut-off oxbows along both forks of the Forked Deer, a documented local fishery, invisible on a road map. Spring Creek Wetland PHA off Hwy 152, which almost nobody outside the county visits. South Fork Waterfowl Refuge outside the closure window.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Madison County water

Creel and length limits in Madison County

Lake Graham, one largemouth per day over 18 inches; redear 20/day; catfish 5/day combined; trout 7/day during the winter stocking period; bluegill and crappie reported with no limits, which is unusual and should be re-checked against the current TWRA proclamation before publishing. Lake Graham is a TWRA agency lake, so agency-lake rules apply on top of the state licence.

South Fork Waterfowl Refuge closes entirely from five days before the late duck season through 15 February.

2 public boat launches in Madison County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Madison County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Madison County?

Lake Graham, fishing pier, shoreline and picnic areas, the easiest bank fishing in the county. Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, South Fork Forked Deer frontage. Cypress Grove Nature Park, Jackson, boardwalk over cypress swamp. Also confirm whether fishing is permitted before publishing. bridge crossings of the south and middle forks on us-412, us-70 and sr-18. Madison County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Madison County?

TWRA’s access database lists 2 boat launches in Madison County. Most of them are on Forked Deer River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Madison County water are largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, catfish and gar. 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 Madison 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 Madison County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Madison County?

Lake Graham, one largemouth per day over 18 inches; redear 20/day; catfish 5/day combined; trout 7/day during the winter stocking period; bluegill and crappie reported with no limits, which is unusual and should be re-checked against the current TWRA proclamation before publishing. Lake Graham is a TWRA agency lake, so agency-lake rules apply on top of the state licence South Fork Waterfowl Refuge closes entirely from five days before the late duck season through 15 February Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Madison County?

No independent tackle shop verified in Madison County this session. Jackson is the regional retail hub: Academy Sports and Walmart Supercenters carry licences, bait and tackle, and Jackson is where anglers from Chester, Henderson, Crockett and Haywood counties come to buy. Bass Pro Shops, Memphis, roughly 1 hr 20 min west. Do not name a local shop without checking it first, Jackson has had independent tackle stores come and go.. There is a fuller list on the Madison County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Madison County?

The finger lakes and cut-off oxbows along both forks of the Forked Deer, a documented local fishery, invisible on a road map. Spring Creek Wetland PHA off Hwy 152, which almost nobody outside the county visits. South Fork Waterfowl Refuge outside the closure window.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Madison County

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

RiverForked Deer River1 access point in Madison County, 3 in totalSee the spots →RiverSouth Fork Forked Deer River1 in totalSee the spots →

Madison County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish.

Conditions

Madison County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsForked Deer River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Madison CountyTWRA stocks Lake Graham. 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 Madison County access list comes from

The 2 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 Madison County

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number you actually care about.

22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Madison

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

Next county overCrockett CountyDavy Crockett LakeSee the spots →Next county overChester CountyLake Placid, Lake LaJoieSee the spots →Next county overHenderson CountyPine Lake, Beech LakeSee the spots →Next county overGibson CountyGibson Co Lake, Gibson County LakeSee the spots →Next county overCarroll CountyMaples Creek LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Madison 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 Madison County right now: Madison County conditions.