Boat Launch · Hardin County

Botel, Kentucky Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, restrooms. 11 miles from Savannah.

Get driving directions All Hardin County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Botel

Captains who run Kentucky Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Steve McCadams · Paris Landing

Steve McCadams Professional Guide Service

Crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, white bassCall 731-642-0360 stevemccadams.com

Terry Elliott · Greenfield

Elliott’s Guide Service

Crappie, bassCall 731-234-8817 elliottsguideservice.com

Multiple guides · Springville

KY Lake Crappie Fishing

Crappiekylakecrappiefishing.com

All 4 guides on Kentucky Lake

What to bring

Tackle for Botel

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

How to get there

Getting to Botel

Botel is a public boat launch on Kentucky Lake in Hardin County, Tennessee, run by Private Land.

Warf Rd below Pickwick Dam

Botel is 11 miles south of Savannah, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is TVA Ramp below Pickwick tail waters, 0.6 miles to the east on the same water. For bait, Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is about 2 miles away.

Coordinates 35.06480, -88.26970

Open in Google Maps See nearby spots on the map Fishing near Savannah

Aerial view of Botel — Botel from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Botel

Free to launch 3 out of 5 Facilities 3 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 Botel. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Open 24 hours

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

Not recorded here: fishing pier, canoe and kayak, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Botel

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass crappie bluegill white bass sauger channel catfish

Bassmaster has called Kentucky Lake the crappie capital of America, and the Henry County reach, Paris Landing, the Big Sandy arm, Blood River and West Sandy, is the heart of that fishery. Ledge fishing over submerged ditches, creeks, islands and roadbeds in 6-14 ft is the defining technique.

Everything on Kentucky Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Botel

What you can keep from Kentucky Lake at Botel. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Kentucky Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Largemouth bass	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Same for smallmouth; spotted bass no length limit
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Kentucky Lake rule
Crappie	20	10 in minimum	Includes the dewatering areas
Spotted bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	No minimum	Statewide
Sauger	10	15 in minimum	Statewide
Channel catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide

Other rules on Kentucky Lake

Dewatering areas (West Sandy, Big Sandy, Gin Creek, Camden Bottoms, Duck River Bottoms, Busseltown, Perryville, Gumdale) closed 5 days before and during late waterfowl season.

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

23 public boat launches in Hardin County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Kentucky Lake around Botel

What the water at Botel actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

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

Pickwick LakeOpen the Pickwick Lake page →Kbh3rd / CC BY-SA 3.0

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

Next one along

More Kentucky Lake access near Botel

The closest other public access points on Kentucky Lake, measured straight line from Botel. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA Ramp below Pickwick tail waters0.6 miles eastHWY 128 South, Right on Wharf Rd. before crossing Pickwick Dam1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsDirections and detail →35.06620, -88.25990 Free1 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAKentucky Lake Dam, south shore0.7 miles eastDirections and detail →35.06250, -88.25693 Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAKentucky Lake Dam, north shore1.0 miles eastaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.07048, -88.25263 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandRock Pile2.7 miles north-westRock Pile Lane1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.09530, -88.30090 Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandPerkins Bluff10 miles northErnest Lane from Riverside Lane, Crump, TN1 ramp, >3 lanesDirections and detail →35.21140, -88.31240 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandRiver Heights11 miles northApproximately 1 mile South of HWY 64 in Crump on Riverside Lane1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.21480, -88.31040

All 86 access points on Kentucky Lake

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

Other water close by

Other fishing near Botel

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Botel, including Pickwick Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Kentucky Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECPicwick Landing State Park Ramp #2Pickwick Lake · 2.0 miles south-eastState Park Lane, right on Marina Drive, then left1 ramp, 3 lanesrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →35.05227, -88.23725 Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECPickwick State Park Ramp #1Pickwick Lake · 2.2 miles eastPickwick State Park, State Park Road1 ramp, More Than 3 lanesfishing pierrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05700, -88.23240 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaPickwick Landing State Park MarinaPickwick Lake · 2.2 miles eastDirections and detail →35.05277, -88.23397 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECBruton Branch State ParkPickwick Lake · 4.4 miles eastBranun Cemetery Road, Savannah, TN1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →35.06910, -88.19110 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · Private LandWinn SpringsPickwick Lake · 4.6 miles south-eastDockside Drive, Counce, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.01440, -88.21490 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAYellow CreekPickwick Lake · 4.9 miles southHWY 57 West, South of Pickwick, Left on Magnolia Lane2 ramps, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99610, -88.25060

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Botel

The closest shops to Botel that this site has checked. Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is nearest, about 2 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Counce · about 2 milesRoberts Bait Tackle & Fish MarketLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Counce · about 2 milesSportsman’s One StopTackle and bait for Hardin County water. Call ahead out of season, winter hours are short.Directions and phone →Counce · about 2 milesThe Pickwick StoreSmall local store carrying bait, ice and the basics.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Hardin County

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Common questions

Questions about Botel

Can you launch a boat at Botel?

Yes. TWRA records Botel as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Botel?

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 Botel?

Kentucky Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass, sauger and channel catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Botel?

Roberts Bait Tackle & Fish Market in Counce is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 2 miles from Botel. Sportsman’s One Stop in Counce is next, about 2 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Botel?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Botel?

Botel is listed under Private Land 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 Botel

Botel is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Kentucky Lake86 public access points across 7 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Hardin CountyEvery public spot in Hardin County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listHardin County spot listAll 26 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near SavannahShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near SavannahEverything within about 30 miles of Savannah, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Botel, 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 Kentucky Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits