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Morgan County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Morgan County

Morgan County is short on tackle shops. Here is what is actually nearby.

What to bring

Tackle for Morgan 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 checklistMusky checklistCatfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Morgan County

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

Crossville · about 26 milesMeadow Park Lake park officeLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Jamestown · about 27 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Lenoir City · about 32 milesLane’s Landing Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Jacksboro · about 34 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →Andersonville · about 38 milesBuffalo Creek Outdoor EtcSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 39 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Louisville · about 42 milesDunmore Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 44 milesSmitty’s Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 44 milesBig Fish OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →

The big stores

Chain stores near Morgan County

The closest full tackle wall to Morgan County is the Academy in Knoxville, about 44 miles from Wartburg. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Knoxville · about 44 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Cookeville · about 45 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Kodak · about 62 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Hixson · about 67 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 Morgan County

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

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

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Morgan County

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

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Morgan County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Morgan County. No bait or tackle shop in the county verified in this pass. Nearest reliably stocked general retail is in Harriman and Oak Ridge (Roane/Anderson counties, roughly 25–40 minutes). Crossville, about 35 minutes west, is the nearest town with full sporting goods retail.

Can I buy a fishing license in Morgan County?

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

Not necessarily, though Morgan 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 Morgan County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Clear Creek, TennesseeClear CreekOpen the Clear Creek page →NPS staff / Public domainEmory River, TennesseeEmory RiverOpen the Emory River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Norris Lake, TennesseeNorris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cherokee Lake, TennesseeCherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0Watauga Lake, TennesseeWatauga LakeOpen the Watauga Lake page →Mark Larson from Atlanta, GA / CC BY-SA 2.0Clinch River, TennesseeClinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

1 public boat launches in Morgan County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Morgan County

Got what you need? The Morgan 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.

Morgan County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Morgan 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