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Fishing Site · Blount County

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge, Little River

Canoe / kayak landing. 6 miles from Maryville.

Get driving directionsAll Blount County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Captains who run Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Capt. Billy Clabough · Knoxville / Kingston

Tennessee River Valley Fishing Guide Service

Catfish, striper, smallmouth, drumCall 865-690-5144tnrvg.com

Capt. Chadwick Ferrell · Knoxville

Fish On! Guided Tours

Striper, catfish, bass, trout, musky, sauger, crappieCall 865-455-0412fishontours.com

Capt. Brycen Roberts · Knoxville

Tennessee River Monsters

Stripers, catfish, largemouthCall 865-207-8741tennesseerivermonsters.com

All 4 guides on Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill

What to bring

Tackle for Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Fish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge is a public access point on Little River in Blount County, Tennessee, run by the county.

US 321 to Tuckaleechee Pike

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge is 6.5 miles east of Maryville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Peery’s Mill, 1.6 miles to the south-east on the same water. For bait, Little River Outfitters in Townsend is about 9 miles away.

Coordinates 35.76634, -83.85593

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Maryville
Aerial view of Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge
Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Free to launch 2 out of 5 Facilities 2 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Canoe and kayak

A landing shallow enough to carry a paddle craft in and out.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

Not recorded here: boat ramp, fishing pier, restrooms, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Little River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

smallmouth bass

The upper river through Townsend is a stocked trout stream and one of East Tennessee’s best-known wade fisheries; below Perry’s Mill Dam it turns into a smallmouth float.

Everything on Little RiverFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

What you can keep from Little River at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge. TWRA sets 1 rule just for Little River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 inRockford Dam upstream to the Great Smoky Mountains NP boundary

From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.

Statewide limits and licenses

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

What it looks like

Little River around Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

What the water at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Little River, TennesseeLittle RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainChilhowee Lake, TennesseeChilhowee LakeOpen the Chilhowee Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Little River, TennesseeLittle RiverOpen the Little River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 2.5Fort Loudoun Lake, TennesseeFort Loudoun LakeOpen the Fort Loudoun Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Chilhowee Lake, TennesseeChilhowee LakeOpen the Chilhowee Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Little River access near Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

The closest other public access points on Little River, measured straight line from Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAPeery’s Mill1.6 miles south-east4501 E Lamar Alexander Hwy, Walland, TNcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.74860, -83.83713Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CountyWalland Roadside Picnic Area5.0 miles south-eastOn US 321 near Wallandcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.70226, -83.81478Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CityRoadside Picnic Area7.2 miles south-eastcanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.67980, -83.78341
All 4 access points on Little River

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge, including Fort Loudoun Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Little River or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVARockford AccessFort Loudoun Lake · 7.4 miles north-west4401 Co-op Rd, Rockford, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.84840, -83.94210Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAStock CreekFort Loudoun Lake · 8.8 miles north-west5033 Old Knoxville Hwy, Rockford, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.87160, -83.94380Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaWillow Point MarinaFort Loudoun Lake · 8.9 miles north-westDirections and detail →35.87340, -83.94360Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAGeorge’s CreekFort Loudoun Lake · 9.9 miles north-west2332 Topside Rd, Louisville, TN1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.83961, -84.00710Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesAttention · TVAXTFL-10 (Parcel 2)Fort Loudoun Lake · 11 miles north-westJ Kiser Way, Louisville, TNDirections and detail →35.83898, -84.02227Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaLouisville Landing MarinaFort Loudoun Lake · 11 miles westDirections and detail →35.82260, -84.03820

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

The closest shops to Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge that this site has checked. Little River Outfitters in Townsend is nearest, about 9 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Townsend · about 9 milesLittle River OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Louisville · about 10 milesDunmore Bait & TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Knoxville · about 14 milesSmitty’s Bait and TackleLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Blount County

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Common questions

Questions about Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Can you launch a boat at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

No trailered ramp is recorded at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge. It is listed as a canoe and kayak landing, so a paddle craft you can carry is fine.

Do you need a fishing licence at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

Little River holds smallmouth bass. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

Little River Outfitters in Townsend is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 9 miles from Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge. Dunmore Bait & Tackle in Louisville is next, about 10 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

No restroom is recorded here. Most TWRA ramps have none, so plan for that on a long day.

Who runs Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge?

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge is listed under the county in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge

Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Little River4 public access points across 1 county.See the spots →County guideFishing in Blount CountyEvery public spot in Blount County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listBlount County spot listAll 20 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near MaryvilleShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near MaryvilleEverything within about 30 miles of Maryville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Bill Bennett (Coulters) Bridge, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes Little River rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits