Gallatin · Sumner County

Fishing Near Gallatin, Tennessee

Q: Where can I buy bait near Gallatin?

- Poindexter Bait Shop, 1380 S Water Ave, Gallatin — (615) 452-7550. - Flippers Bait & Tackle, 200 Odoms Bend Rd, Gallatin — (615) 452-7719. - Walker's Bait and Tackle, 105 Sanders Ferry Rd, Hendersonville — (615) 568-2658. - Master Bait & Tackle, 231 New Shackle Island Rd, Hendersonville — (615) 447-3942. - The Bait Shop / Jones Bait Co, 759 W Main St, Hendersonville — (615) 822-7515 / (615) 822-0755. - All Pro Rods, Hendersonville — (615) 431-0112 (custom rods). - Hendersonville Sporting Goods, 500 W Main St, Hendersonville — (615) 822-9100. - Hook One Kayak Fishing Gear, 127 Sanders Ferry Rd, Hendersonville — (615) 824-7722. - Hibbett Sports, 690 Nashville Pike Ste A, Gallatin — (615) 452-5500. - Bass Pro Shops Service Center, 1089 W Main St, Hendersonville — (615) 264-6318. - Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 204 N Anderson Ln, Hendersonville — (615) 264-0770. Academy Sports and Dick's are 15–25 min away in Rivergate/Mt. Juliet.. The Gallatin gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

Old Hickory Lake. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of Gallatin, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Find fishing spots118 public access points within 35 miles Find gear & bait10 bait and tackle shops within 40 miles

Closest first

Every public access within reach of Gallatin

From TWRA’s own access database, with a directions link on each one. Distances are straight-line from Gallatin, so the drive is always a bit longer.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

Old Hickory Lake

What to bring

What to bring fishing near Gallatin

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

Measured from town

Where to fish near Gallatin

The water within reach of Gallatin is Old Hickory Lake.

Everything on this page is sorted by straight-line distance from Gallatin, not by which county it sits in. Several of the closest spots to Gallatin are across a county line, which is exactly the kind of thing a county-by-county list hides.

What it looks like

The water around Gallatin

Photographs of the lakes and rivers on this page. Drag or swipe for more. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

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

No boat

Bank fishing near Gallatin

7 public fishing piers within reach of Gallatin. No boat needed for any of them.

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESpecial Needs AccessOld Hickory Lake · 3 mi from Gallatin1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.35760, -86.47310 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBull Run AccessOld Hickory Lake · 3 mi from Gallatin1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.34290, -86.43340 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECedar Grove AccessOld Hickory Lake · 3 mi from Gallatin1 rampfishing pierrestroomsDirections and detail →36.34010, -86.44660 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACELock 4 AccessOld Hickory Lake · 4 mi from Gallatin1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsDirections and detail →36.33740, -86.47620 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAGallatin Steam Plant RampOld Hickory Lake · 5 mi from Gallatin1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierDirections and detail →36.32420, -86.39200 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEShutes BranchOld Hickory Lake · 12 mi from Gallatin1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.24993, -86.56799 Fee not listed2 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteLangford CoveOld Hickory Lake · 12 mi from Gallatinfishing pierDirections and detail →36.24577, -86.57012

Shoreline access in Sumner County

Bledsoe Creek State Park shoreline and campground frontage; Lock 4 Park, Gallatin (USACE); Sanders Ferry Park, Hendersonville; Cages Bend; Shutes Branch; Avondale; Old Hickory Lake dam area piers. The Corps maintains eight fishing piers on Old Hickory overall.

What is in there

Fish and limits around Gallatin

Water around Gallatin holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish.

Old Hickory Reservoir runs a 30/day crappie limit with a 10″ minimum, double the statewide 15, and largemouth at a 14″ minimum rather than the usual 15″, with smallmouth at 18″. Striped and hybrid striped bass 2/day, 15″ min. White bass 15/day, no length limit. Walleye 5/day, 16″ min. Paddlefish 2/day with a season open 24 April–31 May. Catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over. Reservoir full pool elevation is the boundary between reservoir rules and tributary-stream rules, so Station Camp and Bledsoe creeks above full pool revert to statewide limits. RECORDS (credited to Old Hickory Reservoir; the lake spans Sumner, Wilson, Davidson, Trousdale and Smith and TWRA does not assign a county):, Walleye, 25 lb, Mabry Harper, 3 August 1960, 41″ long, 29″ girth. Struck from the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 1996, reinstated in 2019; the IGFA never removed it., 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.

From TWRA’s statewide creel and length limits, last updated 4 August 2026. Water-specific exceptions change, so check the current guide before keeping a fish.

Weather

Gallatin fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

64°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind SE 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

94°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

71°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

11% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

87°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind WSW 5 to 10 mph

76% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

64°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Wind NNE 5 mph

56% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

78°F

Rain Showers Likely

Wind NE 5 to 10 mph

62% chance of rain

National Weather Service forecast, updated 6:51 PM, Wed, Sep 30.

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise6:47 AMCDT

Sunset6:21 PMCDT

First light6:22 AMLast light 6:46 PM

Daylight11 hr 33 minSunrise to sunset

MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

20 public boat launches in Sumner County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people ask

Fishing near Gallatin: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to Gallatin?

Special Needs Access on Old Hickory Lake, about 3 miles from Gallatin in Sumner County. It is a boat launch with a fishing pier.

How many fishing spots are near Gallatin?

There are 40 public access points within about 30 miles of Gallatin, 30 of them boat launches, across 1 named waters.

Can I fish near Gallatin without a boat?

Yes. Special Needs Access on Old Hickory Lake has a fishing pier and is about 3 miles from Gallatin. There are 7 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near Gallatin?

Yes, anyone 13 and over. 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 sells no non-resident one-day license. Note the $33 combination license does not cover trout, that needs the $21 supplemental.

What is the best lake near Gallatin?

Old Hickory Lake carries the most public access within reach of Gallatin. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near Gallatin?

– Poindexter Bait Shop, 1380 S Water Ave, Gallatin, (615) 452-7550., Flippers Bait & Tackle, 200 Odoms Bend Rd, Gallatin, (615) 452-7719., Walker’s Bait and Tackle, 105 Sanders Ferry Rd, Hendersonville, (615) 568-2658., Master Bait & Tackle, 231 New Shackle Island Rd, Hendersonville, (615) 447-3942., The Bait Shop / Jones Bait Co, 759 W Main St, Hendersonville, (615) 822-7515 / (615) 822-0755., All Pro Rods, Hendersonville, (615) 431-0112 (custom rods)., Hendersonville Sporting Goods, 500 W Main St, Hendersonville, (615) 822-9100., Hook One Kayak Fishing Gear, 127 Sanders Ferry Rd, Hendersonville, (615) 824-7722., Hibbett Sports, 690 Nashville Pike Ste A, Gallatin, (615) 452-5500., Bass Pro Shops Service Center, 1089 W Main St, Hendersonville, (615) 264-6318., Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 204 N Anderson Ln, Hendersonville, (615) 264-0770. Academy Sports and Dick’s are 15–25 min away in Rivergate/Mt. Juliet.. The Gallatin gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near Gallatin?

Mainly largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish.

Towns near here

Towns near Gallatin

The nearest towns to Gallatin with pages of their own. If nothing near Gallatin suits, one of these usually does.

11 miles from Gallatin · Sumner CountyFishing near HendersonvilleOld Hickory Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →14 miles from Gallatin · Wilson CountyFishing near Mount JulietOld Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest LakeSee the spots →15 miles from Gallatin · Wilson CountyFishing near LebanonOld Hickory Lake, Cumberland RiverSee the spots →24 miles from Gallatin · Davidson CountyFishing near NashvilleJ. Percy Priest Lake, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →26 miles from Gallatin · Robertson CountyFishing near SpringfieldCheatham Lake, Old Hickory LakeSee the spots →

Gallatin water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Wider net

Sumner County beyond Gallatin

Gallatin is one town in Sumner County. The county page covers every water inside the county line, including the ones nowhere near Gallatin.

Fishing in Sumner County

With a guide

Fishing near Gallatin with a guide

Local captains who run the water near Gallatin are listed on the guides page with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Tennessee guides by water

Keep going

More Gallatin 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