Pickett County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Pickett County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Pickett 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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

Closest first

Bait and tackle shops in and near Pickett County

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

Jamestown · about 16 milesHall’s Sports and OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Gainesboro · about 30 milesGranville MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Granville · about 41 milesWildwood Resort and 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 Pickett County

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

Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · USACEEagle Cove MarinaDale Hollow LakeFrom HWY 111, West on Cordell Hull Memorial Drive (325), right on Eagle Cove Road2 ramps, 1 lanerestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →36.61790, -85.24410 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · USACEEast Port MarinaDale Hollow LakeFrom HWY 52, East Port Road2 ramps, 1 lanerestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →36.44980, -85.12370 Free4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · USACEStar Point DockDale Hollow LakeFrom HWY 111, West on Cordell Hull Memorial Drive (325) to Star Point2 ramps, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.58720, -85.24650 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · USACESunset Marina & ResortDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53300, -85.16150 Launch fee5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESunset DockDale Hollow Lake1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.53270, -85.16420

The big stores

Chain stores near Pickett County

The closest full tackle wall to Pickett County is the Academy in Cookeville, about 33 miles from Byrdstown. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Cookeville · about 33 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Mt Juliet · about 79 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Knoxville · about 81 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Murfreesboro · about 84 milesSportsman’s WarehouseChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →

Before you cast

Buying a Tennessee fishing license in Pickett County

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

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

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Pickett County

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.

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.

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.

Can I buy a fishing license in Pickett County?

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

Not necessarily, though Pickett 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 Pickett County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

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

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

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Pickett County

Got what you need? The Pickett 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.

Pickett County fishing spots Back to the county page

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