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Montgomery County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Montgomery County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Montgomery County water

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:

Smallmouth Bass checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Montgomery County

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

Dover · about 27 milesSwan’s Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Dover · about 30 milesU S BassMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Waverly · about 38 milesMason’s DockLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →Waverly · about 38 milesDanville Bait Shop & GrillLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Waverly · about 38 milesCuba Landing MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Nashville · about 40 milesCumberland TransitTackle and bait for Davidson County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Nashville · about 40 milesFly SouthFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Buchanan · about 41 milesCypress Bay Marina & ResortMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Paris · about 42 milesParis Landing State Park MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →

Buy it at the ramp

Marinas and bait at the water in Montgomery County

Access points in Montgomery County that TWRA records as carrying bait, rentals or marina services. Buying where you launch is the cheapest way to avoid a wasted trip.

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaClarksville MarinaLake BarkleyDirections and detail →36.50827, -87.37124

The big stores

Chain stores near Montgomery County

You do not have to drive far for a full tackle wall. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer.

Clarksville, TennesseeAcademy 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 Montgomery County

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

Anyone 13 and over needs a license to fish Montgomery County water, and under 13 is free. If you live in Montgomery County, the $10 county-of-residence license covers you on Montgomery County water, though not for trout.

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Montgomery County

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

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Montgomery County?

Tailwater Marine & Tackle, Riverside Drive, Clarksville, full-service marine dealer. The Tackle Box, Clarksville, bass lure specialist. Nock Life Bowfishing, Clarksville, bowfishing equipment. Clarksville Marina at Liberty Park, rentals and storage. Clarksville Bowfishing Charters, guided night bowfishing. Academy Sports and multiple Walmart Supercenters in Clarksville. The Montgomery County Bass Club, affiliated with the B.A.S.S. Tennessee Federation Nation, runs a tournament almost every week for both boaters and non-boaters, which is a genuinely useful thing to put on a city page.. There is a fuller list on the Montgomery County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Montgomery County?

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

No. Montgomery County has 2 public fishing piers and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Montgomery County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Lake Barkley, TennesseeLake BarkleyOpen the Lake Barkley page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainCumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCenter 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 3.0Duck 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 3.0

8 public boat launches in Montgomery County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Montgomery County

Got what you need? The Montgomery 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.

Montgomery County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Montgomery 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