McMinnville · Warren County

Fishing Near McMinnville, Tennessee

Q: Where can I buy bait near McMinnville?

- Outdoor Shop Inc, 303 E Main St, McMinnville — (931) 473-6348. - Cotten's Marina, 1967 Rock Island Rd, Rock Island — (931) 686-2373 (marina and restaurant, on Great Falls Lake). - Soggy Otter Kayak Repair, McMinnville — (931) 314-0977. - Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 915 N Chancery St, McMinnville — (931) 473-4451. Nearest Academy/Dick's is Murfreesboro or Cookeville, roughly 45–60 min.. The McMinnville gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

Center Hill Lake, Collins River, Barren Fork River. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of McMinnville, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Find fishing spots74 public access points within 35 miles Find gear & bait6 bait and tackle shops within 40 miles

Closest first

Every public access within reach of McMinnville

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

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

Center Hill Lake

Caney Fork River

Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaCotten’s Marina12 mi from McMinnville · Warren Co.1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.80279, -85.60877

Great Falls Lake

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRATosh Reno Boat Ramp15 mi from McMinnville · Van Buren Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.79730, -85.53960

East Fork Stones River

Free1 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TDOTWoodbury Access20 mi from McMinnville · Cannon Co.On HWY 70S (St. Rt. 1) West of Woodbury with overflow parking across highway at Cannon County Arts CenterDirections and detail →35.82305, -86.08985

Calf Killer River

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta #224 mi from McMinnville · White Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.92246, -85.46660 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta25 mi from McMinnville · White Co.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94370, -85.45050

What to bring

What to bring fishing near McMinnville

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 McMinnville

The water within reach of McMinnville is Center Hill Lake, Collins River, Barren Fork River and 5 more.

Everything on this page is sorted by straight-line distance from McMinnville, not by which county it sits in. Several of the closest spots to McMinnville 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 McMinnville

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

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

Collins RiverOpen the Collins River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Barren Fork RiverOpen the Barren Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

East Fork Stones RiverOpen the East Fork Stones River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain

No boat

Bank fishing near McMinnville

2 public fishing piers within reach of McMinnville. No boat needed for any of them.

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityRiverfront ParkBarren Fork River · 1 mi from McMinnville1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.68143, -85.78200 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHurricane Bridge RampCenter Hill Lake · 24 mi from McMinnville2 ramps, More Than 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.02650, -85.75030

Shoreline access in Warren County

Rock Island State Park, Caney Fork gorge overlooks and river access, Collins River bank, the sand beach area; Barren Fork River crossings in and around McMinnville; Collins River road crossings; Rocky River crossings on the Van Buren line; Charles Creek and Upper Hills Creek crossings. The Caney Fork River Gorge below Great Falls Dam has slick limestone bedrock, swift currents and sudden TVA releases, the park posts specific safety guidance and it should be repeated on any page.

What is in there

Fish and limits around McMinnville

Water around McMinnville holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge, catfish and rainbow trout.

– Muskellunge on Great Falls Reservoir and on the Caney Fork above Center Hill Dam and all its tributaries (which includes the Collins and Rocky rivers): 1 per day, 50″ minimum. This is the headline regulation for the county., Great Falls Reservoir: black bass 5/day combined, largemouth 15″ min, smallmouth 18″ min, spotted bass no length limit; crappie 15/day at 10″ min; walleye 5/day at 16″ min; rock bass 20/day; redear 20/day; bluegill/warmouth no creel or length limit; catfish unlimited under 34″ with one over., Caney Fork River, 1 January–30 April, from the Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam: anglers are restricted to one hook with a single point, or one lure with a single hook with one point, and to no more than three rods, reels or poles per angler. This is the walleye-run rule and it is easy to get wrong., Statewide trout rules apply on Barren Fork, N Barren Fork Creek, Charles Creek, Upper Hills Creek and Rocky River: 7/day, no minimum length.

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

McMinnville fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

64°F

Mostly Clear

Wind SSE 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

92°F

Sunny

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

69°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind S 5 mph

1% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

90°F

Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph

45% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

66°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Areas Of Fog

Wind SSE 0 to 5 mph

66% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

81°F

Areas Of Fog

Wind ENE 0 to 5 mph

67% chance of rain

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

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise6:44 AMCDT

Sunset6:18 PMCDT

First light6:19 AMLast light 6:44 PM

Daylight11 hr 34 minSunrise to sunset

MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

8 public boat launches in Warren County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Questions people ask

Fishing near McMinnville: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to McMinnville?

Smooth Rapids Outfitters on Barren Fork River, right in McMinnville, Warren County. It is a paddling.

How many fishing spots are near McMinnville?

There are 40 public access points within about 30 miles of McMinnville, 23 of them boat launches, across 8 named waters.

Can I fish near McMinnville without a boat?

Yes. Riverfront Park on Barren Fork River has a fishing pier and is right in McMinnville. There are 2 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near McMinnville?

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 McMinnville?

Center Hill Lake carries the most public access within reach of McMinnville, followed by Collins River. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near McMinnville?

– Outdoor Shop Inc, 303 E Main St, McMinnville, (931) 473-6348., Cotten’s Marina, 1967 Rock Island Rd, Rock Island, (931) 686-2373 (marina and restaurant, on Great Falls Lake)., Soggy Otter Kayak Repair, McMinnville, (931) 314-0977., Nearest big box: Walmart Supercenter, 915 N Chancery St, McMinnville, (931) 473-4451. Nearest Academy/Dick’s is Murfreesboro or Cookeville, roughly 45–60 min.. The McMinnville gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near McMinnville?

Mainly largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge, catfish and rainbow trout.

Towns near here

Towns near McMinnville

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

19 miles from McMinnville · DeKalb CountyFishing near SmithvilleCenter Hill Lake, Caney Fork RiverSee the spots →24 miles from McMinnville · White CountyFishing near SpartaCenter Hill Lake, Calf Killer RiverSee the spots →33 miles from McMinnville · Coffee CountyFishing near TullahomaNormandy Lake, Tims Ford LakeSee the spots →36 miles from McMinnville · Putnam CountyFishing near CookevilleCenter Hill Lake, Cordell Hull LakeSee the spots →36 miles from McMinnville · Rutherford CountyFishing near MurfreesboroJ. Percy Priest Lake, West Fork Stones RiverSee the spots →

McMinnville water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Wider net

Warren County beyond McMinnville

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

Fishing in Warren County

With a guide

Fishing near McMinnville with a guide

Local captains who run the water near McMinnville 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 McMinnville 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