Middle Tennessee · County seat Lebanon

Fishing in Wilson County, Tennessee

Q: What are the creel limits in Wilson County?

- Old Hickory Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10" minimum — double the statewide 15; largemouth 14" minimum (not the usual 15"), smallmouth 18"; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15"; white bass 15/day; walleye 5/day at 16"; paddlefish 2/day with a season open 24 April–31 May; catfish unlimited under 34" with one over., J Percy Priest Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10" minimum; largemouth 15" minimum, smallmouth 18"; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15"; catfish unlimited under 34" with one over Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Old Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake, Cumberland River. Where to launch, where to fish from the bank, and where to buy what you forgot.

Find fishing spots22 public access points Find gear & baitBait shops, tackle, rentals, licences

Every public access point

Fishing access in Wilson County

22 public access points in Wilson County: 16 boat launches, 3 fishing piers, 1 designated fishing site and 5 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.

J. Percy Priest Lake 1 in Wilson County

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEVivrett Creek Recreation Area1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.14076, -86.54348

Old Hickory Lake 21 in Wilson County

What to bring

What to bring fishing in Wilson 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

Wilson County at a glance

Wilson County boat ramps and fishing access

Wilson County has 22 public fishing access points: 16 boat ramps, 3 fishing piers and 5 marinas, on 2 lakes, rivers and creeks.

16boat ramps

3fishing piers

5marinas

2lakes, rivers and creeks

The big water in Wilson

Main fishing waters in Wilson County

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

Cumberland River impoundment · 22,500 ac · US Army Corps of Engineers (1954)

Old Hickory Lake

The Cumberland forms Wilson County’s northern border with Trousdale and Sumner and that reach is Old Hickory; the Wilson side is the Cedar Creek and Hunters Point country, and TWRA rates the lake a world-class trophy striped bass fishery with regular catches over 50 lb.

largemouthsmallmouthcrappiestriped bass

USACE impoundment on the Stones River · 14,200 ac · US Army Corps of Engineers (1969)

J. Percy Priest Lake

Wilson County holds the lake’s northeastern shoulder around Mt. Juliet; summer hybrids hold at 18–19 ft in the lower reservoir and the spring white bass and crappie runs push up the tributaries.

largemouthsmallmouthcrappiehybrid striped bass

river/reservoir · northern county boundary · USACE

Cumberland River

Above Old Hickory’s full pool the river reverts to statewide stream limits, which is a distinction worth making explicit.

catfishsaugerwhite bass

Cumberland tributaries

Spring Creek and Barton’s Creek

Cedar-glade country creeks with road-crossing access.

smallmouthrock basssunfish

What it looks like

Wilson County water

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

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

J. Percy Priest LakeOpen the J. Percy Priest 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

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

Duck RiverOpen the Duck River page →SBaker43 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tims Ford LakeOpen the Tims Ford Lake page →Geobeedude / CC BY-SA 3.0

No boat, or your own boat

Bank fishing and launching in Wilson County

Fishing from the bank in Wilson County

Don Fox Community Park lake, Lebanon; Cedar Creek Recreation Area shoreline; Hunters Point; Percy Priest’s enhanced bank fishing sites at Stewart Creek (Smyrna) and Vivrette Creek are just over the Rutherford line but serve the same water; Old Hickory Corps recreation areas along the Wilson shore; Spring Creek and Barton’s Creek crossings. The Corps maintains eight fishing piers on Old Hickory and Percy Priest has 15 free public ramps, so shore options on both lakes are unusually good.

Getting a boat on the water in Wilson County

Cedar Creek Marina, 9120 Saundersville Rd, Mount Juliet, (615) 758-5174 (Old Hickory). Fate Sanders Marina, 3157 Weakley Ln, Mount Juliet, (615) 459-6219 (Percy Priest; also Hoppy’s Harbor Grill on site).

Cumberland Marine Works, 450 Cherokee Dock Rd, Lebanon, (615) 675-7901. Ricks Marina & Repair, 1746 Sparta Pike, Lebanon, (615) 444-8885. Aqua Sport Marine, 6971 Eastgate Blvd, Lebanon, (615) 444-2628.

Neither lake has a blanket horsepower limit; Corps no-wake zones apply at ramps, marinas and dams.

Two different trips

Visiting Wilson County versus fishing it like a local

Where visitors get pointed in Wilson County

Cedars of Lebanon State Park; Lebanon’s town square and the Wilson County Fair (the state’s largest); Fiddlers Grove Historical Village; Long Hunter State Park on Percy Priest, just across the Davidson line; Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area; Don Fox Community Park; the Nashville Superspeedway at Gladeville.

Where Wilson County locals actually go

Don Fox Community Park’s winter trout stocking in Lebanon; the back of Cedar Creek above the marina; Hunters Point points at winter pool; Spring Creek for smallmouth; the Old Hickory shoreline inside Old Hickory WMA; the Percy Priest arm north of Fate Sanders that most Nashville boats run past.

Rules and record fish

Limits and records for Wilson County water

Creel and length limits in Wilson County

– Old Hickory Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum, double the statewide 15; largemouth 14″ minimum (not the usual 15″), smallmouth 18″; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″; white bass 15/day; walleye 5/day at 16″; paddlefish 2/day with a season open 24 April–31 May; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., J. Percy Priest Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum; largemouth 15″ minimum, smallmouth 18″; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., Reservoir full pool elevation is the boundary between reservoir and tributary-stream rules, so Cedar Creek, Spring Creek and Barton’s Creek above full pool revert to statewide limits., Statewide trout rules apply at Don Fox Community Park: 7/day, no minimum length.

RECORDS (both lakes span several counties and TWRA assigns no county):, Old Hickory Reservoir: walleye 25 lb, Mabry Harper, 3 August 1960; silver carp 37 lb 0.4 oz, Brian Townsend, 8 May 2021; American eel 8 lb 14 oz, Jason Wilson, 27 July 2019; golden redhorse 3 lb 3.2 oz, Tyler Gerstein, 28 March 2025; Nile tilapia 7 lb 6.6 oz, Gary L. Phelps, 27 November 2017., J. Percy Priest Reservoir: bigmouth buffalo 62 lb, Jeff Wilkins, 1 April 2010; smallmouth buffalo 62 lb 7 oz, Jerry W.

Young, 28 April 2001., Stones River (feeds Percy Priest, mostly in Rutherford and Davidson): Cherokee/hybrid bass 23 lb 3 oz, Ray Pelfrey, 17 April 1998; rock bass 2 lb 8 oz, Bill Sanford, 1958.

16 public boat launches in Wilson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people actually ask

Wilson County fishing questions

Where can I fish from the bank in Wilson County?

Don Fox Community Park lake, Lebanon. Also cedar creek recreation area shoreline, and hunters point. Wilson County has 3 public fishing piers listed in TWRA’s access database.

How many public boat ramps are in Wilson County?

TWRA’s access database lists 16 boat launches in Wilson County, plus 5 marinas. Most of them are on Old Hickory Lake. Every one is listed further up this page with its owner and lane count.

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

The main species across Wilson County water are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish, rock bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, white bass 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 Wilson 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 Wilson County, but it is worth knowing before you drive to a tailwater elsewhere in the state.

What are the creel limits in Wilson County?

– Old Hickory Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum, double the statewide 15; largemouth 14″ minimum (not the usual 15″), smallmouth 18″; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″; white bass 15/day; walleye 5/day at 16″; paddlefish 2/day with a season open 24 April–31 May; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., J Percy Priest Reservoir: crappie 30/day at a 10″ minimum; largemouth 15″ minimum, smallmouth 18″; striped/hybrid 2/day at 15″; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over Always check the current TWRA guide before you keep anything, because water-specific exceptions change.

Where can I buy bait and tackle in Wilson County?

– Academy Sports + Outdoors, 549 Pleasant Grove Rd, Mt Juliet, (615) 758-1060., Dick’s Sporting Goods, 401 S Mount Juliet Rd, Mount Juliet, (615) 773-6160., Fate Sanders Marina, 3157 Weakley Ln, Mount Juliet, (615) 459-6219 (marina store)., Cedar Creek Marina, 9120 Saundersville Rd, Mount Juliet, (615) 758-5174 (marina store)., Go All Out-fitters, 171 S Lovers Ln, Lebanon, (615) 351-0427., Hibbett Sports, 621 S Cumberland St, Lebanon, (615) 444-0422., Nashville Marine, 9077 Lebanon Rd, Mount Juliet, (615) 288-4076., No dedicated live-bait shop was verified inside Wilson County. There is a fuller list on the Wilson County gear page, including anywhere renting boats or kayaks and the nearest big-box store.

Where do locals fish in Wilson County?

Don Fox Community Park’s winter trout stocking in Lebanon. the back of Cedar Creek above the marina. Hunters Point points at winter pool.

The water itself

Lakes and rivers in Wilson County

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

LakeOld Hickory Lake21 access points in Wilson County, 54 in totalSee the spots →LakeJ. Percy Priest Lake1 access point in Wilson County, 32 in totalSee the spots →RiverCumberland River13 in totalSee the spots →

Wilson County water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish.

Conditions

Wilson County lake levels and trout stocking

Lake conditionsOld Hickory Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the Old Hickory Dam generation schedule.Open →Lake conditionsPercy Priest Lake level todayTVA’s current reading and the J. Percy Priest Dam generation schedule.Open →TroutTrout stocking in Wilson CountyTWRA stocks Don Fox Park Community Park. 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 Wilson County access list comes from

The 22 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 Wilson 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 Mount JulietOld Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →24 access points within 30 milesFishing near LebanonOld Hickory Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →

3 public fishing piers in Wilson County, no boat needed.

Keep looking

Counties next to Wilson

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

Next county overSumner CountyOld Hickory LakeSee the spots →Next county overDavidson CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →Next county overTrousdale CountyOld Hickory Lake, Goose CreekSee the spots →Next county overRutherford CountyJ. Percy Priest Lake, West Fork Stones RiverSee the spots →Next county overMacon Countypublic waterSee the spots →

Keep going

More Wilson 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 Wilson County right now: Wilson County conditions.