Middle Tennessee · County seat Byrdstown

Fishing in Pickett County, Tennessee

Q: Where can I fish from the bank in Pickett County?

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park at Arch Lake — the most straightforward bank fishing in the county.

Q: What are the creel limits in Pickett County?

Dale Hollow — smallmouth bass 2 per day on a 16–21 inch protected length range, permitting one under 16 inches and one over 21; black bass 5 per day combined with no more than two smallmouth; largemouth 15-inch minimum; and a hard cap of four rods and reels per angler, which is unusual in Tennessee. East Fork of the Obey River, from Compton Boat Ramp upstream to the Highway 52 bridge, 1 January–15 April: anglers restricted to one hook with a single barb, or one lure carrying a single hook with one barb, and no more than three rods, poles or reels; walleye 5 per day with a 16-inch minimum and only one over 20 inch Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Q: Where do locals fish in Pickett County?

Arch Lake at Pickett State Park — twelve acres, inside a state forest, and invisible to anyone focused on Dale Hollow. The East Fork Obey above the lake during the January–April walleye run, which locals fish hard and visitors do not know about. The Wolf River arm, which holds the lake's smallmouth rule but sees a fraction of the traffic of the main Obey channel. The tiny plateau streams inside Pickett State Forest.

Dale Hollow Lake, Obey River, Wolf River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots10 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Pickett County

10 public access points in Pickett County: 6 boat launches and 4 marinas. 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.

Dale Hollow Lake 10 in Pickett County

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Pickett 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:

Smallmouth Bass checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Pickett County at a glance

Pickett County boat ramps and fishing access

Pickett County has 10 public fishing access points: 6 boat ramps and 4 marinas, on 1 lake or river.

6boat ramps

4marinas

1lake, river or creek

The big water in Pickett

Main fishing waters in Pickett County

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

USACE reservoir · 27,700 acres, 620 mi shoreline · US Army Corps of Engineers, impounded 1943

Dale Hollow Lake

Byrdstown bills itself as the gateway to Dale Hollow, and the Pickett County shore holds a large share of the lake’s marinas and ramps; the lake is clear, deep and highland in character, and smallmouth average around three pounds.

smallmouth basslargemouthwalleyecrappie

river and reservoir arm · not verified · USACE above the dam, TWRA fishery

Obey River

The Obey arm is the main body of Dale Hollow through Pickett County; the East Fork above the lake is the walleye-run water and carries its own regulation.

walleyesmallmouthcrappie

river and lake arm · not verified · TWRA

Wolf River

Enters Dale Hollow from the east; the reach from South Ford Road Bridge downstream into the reservoir carries the lake’s smallmouth slot limit rather than river rules, which is unusual and worth stating on a page.

smallmouth basswalleye

What it looks like

Pickett County water

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

Dale Hollow LakeOpen the Dale Hollow Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Obey RiverOpen the Obey River page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Wolf RiverOpen the Wolf River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain

Old Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Pickett County

Fishing from the bank in Pickett County

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park at Arch Lake, the most straightforward bank fishing in the county; Obey River Recreation Area; the Dale Hollow dam area and tailwater; Star Point and Cove Creek shorelines; Highway 52 bridge over the East Fork Obey; South Ford Road Bridge on the Wolf River.

Getting a boat on the water in Pickett County

Dale Hollow is the boating water and the Pickett shore carries several of its marinas, Sunset Marina and East Port Marina are on this side, with Star Point, Eagle Cove, Cove Creek, Obey River Recreation Area, Gunnels Camp and Millers Mill among the launch points. Dale Hollow is notable for its clarity and its houseboat traffic.

There is no blanket horsepower restriction, but the Corps enforces no-wake zones around marinas and recreation areas. Paddling is better on the upper Obey and Wolf arms than on the open lake.

Two different trips

Visiting Pickett County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Pickett County

Dale Hollow Lake itself, marketed as part of the Twin Lakes region with Lake Cumberland; Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, a designated Dark Sky Park since 2015, with Hazard Cave and its early-June glow worm displays; Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park; the Big South Fork and Twin Arches on the eastern edge; the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery below the dam (Clay County side).

Where Pickett County locals actually go

The Wolf River arm, which holds the lake’s smallmouth rule but sees a fraction of the traffic of the main Obey channel. The tiny plateau streams inside Pickett State Forest.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Pickett County water

Creel and length limits in Pickett County

Dale Hollow, smallmouth bass 2 per day on a 16–21 inch protected length range, permitting one under 16 inches and one over 21; black bass 5 per day combined with no more than two smallmouth; largemouth 15-inch minimum; and a hard cap of four rods and reels per angler, which is unusual in Tennessee. East Fork of the Obey River, from Compton Boat Ramp upstream to the Highway 52 bridge, 1 January–15 April: anglers restricted to one hook with a single barb, or one lure carrying a single hook with one barb, and no more than three rods, poles or reels; walleye 5 per day with a 16-inch minimum and only one over 20 inches.

Wolf River from South Ford Road Bridge downstream into Dale Hollow: smallmouth 2 per day, 16–21 inch protected length range. Pickett State Park (Pickett Lake): bluegill and redear 20 per day in combination.

State record fish from Pickett County water

Class B river redhorse, 15 lb 4 oz, taken by snagging, Wolf River, Billy Joe Johnson, 6 May 2018, TWRA’s published table prints the county as “Puckett Co.”, which is a typographical error for Pickett. The world-record smallmouth bass, 11 lb 15 oz, D.L.

Hayes, 9 July 1955, is credited to Dale Hollow Reservoir and is listed as the Tennessee state record, but the fish was caught on the Kentucky side of the lake, state it that way rather than claiming it for Pickett County.

6 public boat launches in Pickett County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Pickett County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Pickett County?

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park at Arch Lake, the most straightforward bank fishing in the county.

How many public boat ramps are in Pickett County?

TWRA’s access database lists 6 boat launches in Pickett County, plus 4 marinas. Most of them are on Dale Hollow Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

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

What are the creel limits in Pickett County?

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Pickett County?

Sunset Marina and East Port Marina on the Pickett County shore of Dale Hollow both operate marina stores and are the practical tackle and fuel stops for the lake, I have their names from a ramp and dock listing that mixes public ramps with private docks and marinas without labelling them, so confirm their current status and contact details before publishing. No independent bait shop in Byrdstown verified in this pass. Nearest substantial outdoor retail is Livingston (about 25 minutes) or Cookeville (about 50 minutes). There is a fuller list on the Pickett County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Pickett County?

Arch Lake at Pickett State Park, twelve acres, inside a state forest, and invisible to anyone focused on Dale Hollow. The East Fork Obey above the lake during the January–April walleye run, which locals fish hard and visitors do not know about. The Wolf River arm, which holds the lake’s smallmouth rule but sees a fraction of the traffic of the main Obey channel. The tiny plateau streams inside Pickett State Forest.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Pickett County

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

LakeDale Hollow Lake10 access points in Pickett County, 30 in totalSee the spots →RiverObey River3 in totalSee the spots →RiverWolf River4 in totalSee the spots →

Pickett County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Conditions

Pickett County lake levels, river levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsDale Hollow Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Dale Hollow Dam generation schedule.Open →River levelsWolf River (Pickett County) level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Pickett CountyTWRA stocks Pickett Lake. 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 Pickett County access list comes from

The 10 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 Pickett 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 LivingstonDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CelinaDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near CrossvilleWatts Bar Lake, Clear CreekSee the spots →

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

Keep looking

Counties next to Pickett

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

Next county overFentress CountyDale Hollow LakeSee the spots →Next county overClay CountyDale Hollow Lake, Obey RiverSee the spots →Next county overOverton CountyDale Hollow Lake (backwaters only), Standing Stone Lake (Kelly Lake)See the spots →Next county overJackson CountyCordell Hull Lake, Roaring RiverSee the spots →Next county overPutnam CountyCenter Hill Lake, Cane Creek LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Pickett 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 water Licence and limits

Weather alerts, power outages and road closures in Pickett County right now: Pickett County conditions.