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Sullivan County, Tennessee

Where to Buy or Rent Fishing Gear in Sullivan County

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

What to bring

Tackle for Sullivan 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 Sullivan County

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

Piney Flats · about 6 milesThe South Holston River CompanyTackle and bait for Sullivan County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Bristol · about 9 milesSouth Holston River Fly ShopFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Johnson City · about 9 milesFly Shop of TennesseeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Elizabethton · about 11 milesAppalachian OutpostFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Kingsport · about 13 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Mountain City · about 26 milesTNT OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →

Buy it at the ramp

Marinas and bait at the water in Sullivan County

Access points in Sullivan 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 fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaBoone Lake MarinaBoone LakeFrom State HWY 11E in Piney Flats, right onto Allison Rd, straight to Warren Rd, left on Sportsman Dog Road1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.46294, -82.35190Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDavis MarinaBoone LakeFrom Johnson City, take Blountville exit, right on Thomas Bridge Rd, right on Buffalo Rd, marina on left1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →36.49010, -82.32040Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaLakeview MarinaBoone LakeDirections and detail →36.45335, -82.41424Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaFriendship MarinaSouth Holston LakeDirections and detail →36.55325, -82.02855Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaLaurel Marina & Yacht ClubSouth Holston LakeDirections and detail →36.56399, -82.04781Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaPainter Creek MarinaSouth Holston LakeDirections and detail →36.58591, -82.04255

The big stores

Chain stores near Sullivan County

The closest full tackle wall to Sullivan County is the Bass Pro in Bristol, about 8 miles from Blountville. Distances here are straight line, so the drive is longer. The rest below are the next nearest, each with a map link.

Bristol · about 8 milesBass Pro ShopsFull outdoor superstore. Rods, reels, boats, licences and a tackle wall.Open in maps →Johnson City · about 14 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Kingsport · about 17 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Open in maps →Morristown · about 61 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 Sullivan County

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

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

All license prices and rules

Gear questions

Buying and renting gear in Sullivan County

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

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Sullivan County?

– South Holston River Fly Shop, 608 Emmett Rd, Bristol, (423) 878-2822. Full-service fly shop, wade and float guiding., The Fly Box, 500 Hickory Tree Rd, Bristol, (423) 573-5668. Guided tailwater and backcountry trips., Eastern Fly Outfitters, 6209 Bristol Hwy, Piney Flats, (423) 538-3007., The Fishin Hole, 409 Hillcrest Dr, Bluff City, (423) 391-7703 (second location: The Fishin Hole 2, 101 William J Pvt Dr, Bluff City)., Mel Brothers Tacklebox, 688 Pleasant Hill Rd, Blountville, (423) 574-2248. (Mel Brother Wholesale Bait, 3748 Highway 75, Kingsport, (423) 323-5579.), Wilson’s Bait & Tackle, 2723 Denton Valley Rd, Bristol, (276) 628-7546., Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Dr, Bristol, (423) 990-5200. There is a fuller list on the Sullivan County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Can I buy a fishing license in Sullivan County?

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

No. Sullivan County has 1 public fishing pier and bank access at several of its parks and river crossings.

What it looks like

What Sullivan County water looks like

The lakes and rivers you are buying gear for.

Holston River, TennesseeSouth Fork Holston RiverOpen the South Fork Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainSouth Holston Lake, TennesseeSouth Holston LakeOpen the South Holston Lake page →Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 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 2.0

14 public boat launches in Sullivan County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Where to fish it

Now find the water in Sullivan County

Got what you need? The Sullivan 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.

Sullivan County fishing spotsBack to the county page

Keep going

More Sullivan 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