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West Tennessee · County seat Selmer

Fishing in McNairy County, Tennessee

McNairy 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

The big water in McNairy

Main fishing waters in McNairy County

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

state park lake at Big Hill Pond State Park · roughly 165 acres · Tennessee State Parks

Travis McNatt Lake

Important and current: the lake is CLOSED as of this writing for major infrastructure work, and will reopen as part of the multi-agency Bill Dance Signature Lakes programme with a rebuilt east-side bridge, a wider boat ramp, a new fishing pier and a kayak courtesy dock, spillway repairs, improved bank fishing areas, invasive vegetation removal, habitat installation and a restocked fishery..

largemouth basscrappiebluegillcatfish
free-flowing bottomland river, 238 mi total · clips the southwestern corner of the county…

Hatchie River (upper)

The Hatchie jogs briefly into McNairy after entering Tennessee near Pocahontas before turning north toward Bolivar; it is the only major West Tennessee river never impounded or channelized.

flathead and channel catfishlargemouthcrappiebowfin

What it looks like

McNairy County water

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

Hatchie River, Tennessee
Hatchie River, Tennesseenoaa.gov / Public domain
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

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in McNairy County

Fishing from the bank in McNairy County

Big Hill Pond State Park, shoreline on Big Hill Pond Lake now, and improved bank fishing areas promised on Travis McNatt when it reopens. Hatchie River bridge crossings in the southwest corner. Tuscumbia River crossings on SR-57. The park’s observation tower area is a viewpoint, not fishing access.

Getting a boat on the water in McNairy County

No marina. Big Hill Pond State Park currently allows small paddling boats on Big Hill Pond Lake; Travis McNatt’s ramp is closed until the rebuild finishes. No commercial paddle rental or outfitter verified in the county. Pickwick Lake, the nearest big-boat water, is in Hardin County to the east.

Two different trips

Visiting McNairy County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in McNairy County

Big Hill Pond State Park, 4,300 acres of timberland and hardwood bottomland, the observation tower, the Dismal Swamp boardwalk (closed for reconstruction) and Travis McNatt Lake. The campground is also currently closed for renovations.

Selmer and the Buford Pusser Home and Museum in Adamsville. Shiloh National Military Park is just over the Hardin County line.

Where McNairy County locals actually go

Big Hill Pond Lake as distinct from Travis McNatt, most people do not realise the park has two waters, and right now the smaller one is the only one open. The Tuscumbia River crossings south of Selmer.

The Hatchie’s brief McNairy stretch, which is effectively unfished because everyone associates the river with Hardeman and Haywood counties.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for McNairy County water

Creel and length limits in McNairy County

No water-specific creel or length exception found for the county. The operative note is the closure itself: Travis McNatt Lake is closed to fishing and boating, and the Big Hill Pond campground and Dismal Swamp boardwalk are also closed.

Any page for this county should lead with current status rather than describing the lake as if it were open. Standard statewide limits apply on the Hatchie.

McNairy County water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish.

Questions people actually ask

McNairy County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in McNairy County?

Big Hill Pond State Park, shoreline on Big Hill Pond Lake now, and improved bank fishing areas promised on Travis McNatt when it reopens. Hatchie River bridge crossings in the southwest corner. Tuscumbia River crossings on SR-57. The park’s observation tower area is a viewpoint, not fishing access.

How many public boat ramps are in McNairy County?

TWRA’s statewide access database lists no maintained boat launch inside McNairy County. With Travis McNatt closed, this county is effectively thin right now. Closest real water: Pickwick Lake (Hardin County) about 40 minutes east via Hwy 57/Hwy 128; Chickasaw State Park lake (Chester County) about 40 minutes north; Whiteville

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

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

What are the creel limits in McNairy County?

No water-specific creel or length exception found for the county. The operative note is the closure itself: Travis McNatt Lake is closed to fishing and boating, and the Big Hill Pond campground and Dismal Swamp boardwalk are also closed Any page for this county should lead with current status rather than describing the lake as if it were open Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in McNairy County?

No tackle or bait shop verified in McNairy County. Walmart Supercenter, Selmer, for licences and basic tackle. Nearest larger selection: Corinth, Mississippi (~20 min south) and Jackson, Tennessee (~50 min north, Academy Sports). Pickwick Landing marinas in Hardin County (~40 min east) for marina-store tackle.. There is a fuller list on the McNairy County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in McNairy County?

Big Hill Pond Lake as distinct from Travis McNatt, most people do not realise the park has two waters, and right now the smaller one is the only one open. The Tuscumbia River crossings south of Selmer. The Hatchie’s brief McNairy stretch, which is effectively unfished because everyone associates the river with Hardeman and Haywood counties.

If the county comes up short

The nearest real fishing to McNairy County

With Travis McNatt closed, this county is effectively thin right now. Closest real water: Pickwick Lake (Hardin County) about 40 minutes east via Hwy 57/Hwy 128; Chickasaw State Park lake (Chester County) about 40 minutes north; Whiteville Lake, a 158-acre TWRA agency lake in Hardeman County, about 45 minutes northwest; the Tennessee River at Savannah about 45 minutes east.

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

Find it yourself

Putting eyes on McNairy County water

There is no TWRA access point in McNairy County, so there is no ramp to send you to. What there is, is water. These open on a map so you can look for the bridges, pull-offs and park shoreline that people actually fish.

McNairy County waterTravis McNatt LakeTWRA lists no developed public access on this water inside McNairy County. Open it on a map to find the road crossings and the shoreline that is genuinely public.Open in maps →McNairy County waterHatchie River (upper)TWRA lists no developed public access on this water inside McNairy County. Open it on a map to find the road crossings and the shoreline that is genuinely public.Open in maps →

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

About this list

Where the McNairy 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 McNairy 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 SavannahKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →22 access points within 30 milesFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →17 access points within 30 milesFishing near BrownsvilleHatchie River, Forked Deer RiverSee the spots →9 access points within 30 milesFishing near ColliervilleWolf River, Mississippi RiverSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to McNairy

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

Next county overChester CountyLake Placid, Lake LaJoieSee the spots →Next county overHardin CountyKentucky Lake, Pickwick LakeSee the spots →Next county overHardeman CountyHatchie River, Whiteville LakeSee the spots →Next county overHenderson CountyPine Lake, Beech LakeSee the spots →Next county overWayne CountyKentucky LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More McNairy 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 McNairy County right now: McNairy County conditions.