Paris · Henry County

Fishing Near Paris, Tennessee

Kentucky Lake, Garrett Lake. Every public launch and pier within about 30 minutes of Paris, and where to buy what you forgot on the way.

Find fishing spots74 public access points within 35 miles Find gear & bait14 bait and tackle shops within 40 miles

Closest first

Every public access within reach of Paris

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

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

Kentucky Lake

What to bring

What to bring fishing near Paris

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 Paris

The water within reach of Paris is Kentucky Lake, Garrett Lake, Ky. Reservoir.

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

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

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

No boat

Bank fishing near Paris

9 public fishing piers within reach of Paris. No boat needed for any of them.

Shoreline access in Henry County

Paris Landing State Park, fishing pier plus extensive public shoreline and the Hwy 79 causeway area, the county’s primary no-boat option; Springville Pumphouse fishing pier (TWRA); Pleasant View Resort fishing pier; Mansard Island pier; Buchanan Resort pier; Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge shorelines at Britton Ford and Swamp Creek, subject to refuge hours and seasonal closures.

What is in there

Fish and limits around Paris

Water around Paris holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, sauger and catfish.

Kentucky Lake, crappie 20 per day at a 10 in minimum (double the statewide crappie creel); black bass 5 per day with a 15 in minimum; white bass 15 per day; catfish unlimited under 34 in with only one over. A reciprocal fishing agreement exists between Tennessee and Kentucky waters on Kentucky Lake. Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge units carry their own seasonal closures and hours.

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

Paris fishing weather and wind forecast

Thu, Oct 1 night

66°F

Partly Cloudy

Wind S 5 mph

0% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1

90°F

Mostly Sunny

Wind S 5 to 15 mph

1% chance of rain

Thu, Oct 1 night

70°F

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind S 5 to 10 mph

38% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2

77°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind WNW 5 mph

89% chance of rain

Fri, Oct 2 night

61°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind NNE 5 to 10 mph

88% chance of rain

Sat, Oct 3

72°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind NE 10 mph

33% chance of rain

National Weather Service forecast, updated 12:16 AM, Thu, Oct 1.

Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8

Sunrise6:55 AMCDT

Sunset6:28 PMCDT

First light6:29 AMLast light 6:54 PM

Daylight11 hr 33 minSunrise to sunset

MoonWaning crescent8% lit. New moon in 3 days

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

Questions people ask

Fishing near Paris: common questions

Where is the closest place to fish to Paris?

Springville Pumphouse on Kentucky Lake, about 10 miles from Paris in Henry County. It is a boat launch with a fishing pier.

How many fishing spots are near Paris?

There are 40 public access points within about 30 miles of Paris, 35 of them boat launches, across 3 named waters.

Can I fish near Paris without a boat?

Yes. Springville Pumphouse on Kentucky Lake has a fishing pier and is about 10 miles from Paris. There are 9 piers within range in total.

Do I need a license to fish near Paris?

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 Paris?

Kentucky Lake carries the most public access within reach of Paris, followed by Garrett Lake. Which one fishes best depends entirely on the season and what you are after.

Where can I buy bait near Paris?

Cypress Bay Marina & Resort, 110 Cypress Resort Loop, Buchanan, 731-232-8221, bait, ice, snacks and lake supplies on site. The Paris gear page has the rest, plus rental and licenses.

What fish can you catch near Paris?

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

Towns near here

Towns near Paris

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

29 miles from Paris · Weakley CountyFishing near MartinReelfoot Lake, South Fork of the Obion RiverSee the spots →30 miles from Paris · Stewart CountyFishing near DoverLake Barkley, Kentucky LakeSee the spots →42 miles from Paris · Obion CountyFishing near Union CityReelfoot Lake, Gooch Unit E LakeSee the spots →55 miles from Paris · Madison CountyFishing near JacksonHatchie River, Pine LakeSee the spots →55 miles from Paris · Dickson CountyFishing near DicksonHarpeth River, Cheatham LakeSee the spots →

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

Wider net

Henry County beyond Paris

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

Fishing in Henry County

With a guide

Fishing near Paris with a guide

Local captains who run the water near Paris 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 Paris 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