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East Tennessee · County seat Huntsville

Fishing in Scott County, Tennessee

Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, New River, Clear Fork. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots5 public access pointsFind gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Scott County

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 checklistWalleye and Sauger checklistMusky checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

Scott County at a glance

Scott County boat ramps and fishing access

Scott County has 5 public fishing access points: 5 boat ramps and 1 fishing pier, on 3 lakes, rivers and creeks.

5boat ramps
1fishing pier
3lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Scott

Main fishing waters in Scott County

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

free-flowing river · 125,310-acre protected area across TN and KY · National Park Service (Big…

Big South Fork of the Cumberland River

Scott County contains the majority of the recreation area. The river is formed inside the county where Clear Fork meets New River, and it runs north through a gorge with one of the highest concentrations of natural arches in the eastern United States.

smallmouth bassrock bassmuskellungecatfish
free-flowing river · 58.7 mi · TWRA; NPS on the lower reach

New River

Rises at Frozen Head in Morgan County and enters Scott County from the south-east, crossing US-27 at the community of New River just above the park boundary. Its upper watershed drains heavily coal-mined country and has a documented pollution history, which improves markedly by the time it reaches the Big South Fork confluence.

smallmouthrock basscatfish
free-flowing river · not verified · NPS on the lower reach

Clear Fork

Comes in from the Morgan/Fentress boundary and joins the New River to create the Big South Fork; the reach above the confluence is remote and lightly fished.

smallmouthrock bassmuskellunge

What it looks like

Scott County water

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

New River, TennesseeNew RiverOpen the New 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 3.0French Broad River, TennesseeFrench Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Scott County

Fishing from the bank in Scott County

Leatherwood Ford, reached on SR-297 from Oneida, which is the main developed river access and the practical bank fishing point; Bandy Creek Visitor Center area; the O&W Bridge; Station Camp; Burnt Mill Bridge on Clear Fork; the US-27 crossing of the New River; Fishery Park in Oneida.

Getting a boat on the water in Scott County

No reservoir and no marina. The Big South Fork is a whitewater river, canoe, kayak and raft, with the Class III–IV gorge section below Leatherwood Ford. Fishing is done by wading, by bank, or from a canoe on the flatter reaches.

A Tennessee/Kentucky reciprocal agreement covers boat fishing from Leatherwood Ford downstream to Yamacraw Bridge in Kentucky, where the creel limits and regulations of the state that issued your licence apply, that is the single most practically useful regulation in this county and it applies to boat fishing specifically.

Two different trips

Visiting Scott County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Scott County

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, which drew 797,726 visitors in 2022; Bandy Creek Visitor Center and campground; the Big South Fork Scenic Railway at Stearns, Kentucky; Twin Arches; Blue Heron mining community (Kentucky side); Charit Creek Lodge, a wilderness lodge reachable only by trail; Honey Creek; the abandoned community of No Business.

Where Scott County locals actually go

The upper New River above the park boundary, which most people write off because of its mining history but which fishes for smallmouth in its lower reaches. Clear Fork above the confluence. North White Oak Creek and Station Camp Creek, tributary smallmouth water reached by trail.

Fishery Park Pond in Oneida for stocked trout in February and May, which would be a genuinely local secret if confirmed. The O&W Bridge reach, which is well downstream of the crowded Leatherwood access.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Scott County water

Creel and length limits in Scott County

Tennessee/Kentucky reciprocal licensing for boat fishing from Leatherwood Ford to Yamacraw Bridge, the creel limits and regulations of the state where the licence was issued apply. Big South Fork follows TWRA regulations on the Tennessee side and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources rules on the Kentucky side; NPS designation does not create separate fishing rules.

No Scott County-specific exception appears in TWRA’s exception list. Statewide creel and length limits otherwise apply. If the Fishery Park Pond trout stocking is confirmed, statewide trout rules apply, seven per day, no minimum length.

5 public boat launches in Scott County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Scott County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Scott County?

Leatherwood Ford, reached on SR-297 from Oneida, which is the main developed river access and the practical bank fishing point. Also bandy creek visitor center area, and the o&w bridge. Scott County has 1 public fishing pier listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Scott County?

TWRA’s access database lists 5 boat launches in Scott County. Most of them are on New River. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Scott County water are smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge and catfish. 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 Scott 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 Scott County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Scott County?

Tennessee/Kentucky reciprocal licensing for boat fishing from Leatherwood Ford to Yamacraw Bridge, the creel limits and regulations of the state where the licence was issued apply. Big South Fork follows TWRA regulations on the Tennessee side and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources rules on the Kentucky side; NPS designation does not create separate fishing rules No Scott County-specific exception appears in TWRA’s exception list Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Scott County?

No dedicated bait or tackle shop was found inside Scott County. No bait or tackle shop in Scott County verified in this pass. Oneida is the county’s largest town and its retail centre. Bandy Creek Visitor Center, (423) 286-7275, is the authoritative local contact for river conditions and regulations and is the number to publish rather than a guessed shop. Stearn

Where do locals fish in Scott County?

The upper New River above the park boundary, which most people write off because of its mining history but which fishes for smallmouth in its lower reaches. Clear Fork above the confluence. North White Oak Creek and Station Camp Creek, tributary smallmouth water reached by trail. Fishery Park Pond in Oneida for stocked trout in February and May, which would be a genuinely local secret if confirmed. The O&W Bridge reach, which is well downstream of the crowded Leatherwood access.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Scott County

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

RiverNew River3 access points in Scott CountySee the spots →

Scott County water holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, walleye.

Conditions

Scott County river levels and trout stocking

River levelsBig South Fork of the Cumberland level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsClear Fork River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →River levelsNew River level todayUSGS flow, gauge height and the seven-day trend.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Scott CountyTWRA stocks Oneida City Park 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 Scott County access list comes from

The 5 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 Scott 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 LaFolletteNorris LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near Oak RidgeFort Loudoun Lake, Watts Bar LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near HarrimanWatts Bar Lake, Emory RiverSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near KingstonWatts Bar Lake, Clinch RiverSee the spots →

1 public fishing pier in Scott County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Scott

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

Next county overMorgan CountyClear Creek, Emory RiverSee the spots →Next county overCampbell CountyNorris LakeSee the spots →Next county overAnderson CountyClinch River, Norris LakeSee the spots →Next county overFentress CountyDale Hollow LakeSee the spots →Next county overUnion CountyNorris LakeSee the spots →

Keep going

More Scott 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 Scott County right now: Scott County conditions.