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Marina · Putnam County

Cookeville Boat Dock, Center Hill Lake

10 miles from Smithville.

Get driving directionsAll Putnam County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Cookeville Boat Dock

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

Smithville

Gone Fishin’ Expeditions

Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, catfishCall 615-814-4832gonefishinexpeditions.com

David Knapp · Crossville

Trout Zone Anglers

Rainbow, brown and brook trout, smallmouth, muskyCall 931-261-1884troutzoneanglers.com

Capt. Jim Durham · Multi-base TN/KY

StriperFun Guide Service

Center Hill and Normandy walleye, Tims Ford stripers, Caney Fork troutCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com

Every Tennessee guide by water

What to bring

Tackle for Cookeville Boat Dock

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 checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Cookeville Boat Dock

Cookeville Boat Dock is a public marina on Center Hill Lake in Putnam County, Tennessee.

TWRA holds no written directions for Cookeville Boat Dock. Use the coordinates below, which come straight from the state’s access record and drop you on the access point itself rather than on the nearest town.

Cookeville Boat Dock is 9.5 miles east of Smithville, the nearest town with its own page here. The county seat, Cookeville, is 14 miles to the north-east. The closest other public access is Cookeville Dock, a few hundred yards to the south on the same water. For bait, Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is about 11 miles away.

Coordinates 36.00098, -85.65218

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Smithville
Aerial view of Cookeville Boat Dock
Cookeville Boat Dock from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Cookeville Boat Dock

Fee not listed, call ahead 1 out of 5 Facilities 1 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 Cookeville Boat Dock. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Bank and water access

TWRA lists Cookeville Boat Dock as public access without built facilities. No ramp, no pier, no restroom, park, walk in and fish.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Cookeville Boat Dock

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

largemouth basssmallmouth bassspotted basscrappiebluegillwalleyecatfish

A deep, clear highland reservoir under steep rocky ridges, it fishes like a mountain lake rather than a Middle Tennessee impoundment, with finesse presentations in deep water through winter and a strong March–April walleye run

Everything on Center Hill LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Cookeville Boat Dock

What you can keep from Center Hill Lake at Cookeville Boat Dock. TWRA sets 4 rules just for Center Hill Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined15 in minimumCenter Hill Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumCenter Hill Lake rule
Muskellunge150 in minimumCenter Hill Lake rule
PaddlefishNo harvest—Reservoir and its tributaries closed to taking or possessing paddlefish
Spotted bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

Other rules on Center Hill Lake

  • Snagging prohibited year-round. Jan 1–Apr 30 single-hook, 3-rod walleye run rule on the Caney Fork from Rock Island State Park ramp to Great Falls Dam.

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

5 public boat launches in Putnam County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Center Hill Lake around Cookeville Boat Dock

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

Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCenter Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Center Hill Lake, TennesseeCenter Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Center Hill Lake access near Cookeville Boat Dock

The closest other public access points on Center Hill Lake, measured straight line from Cookeville Boat Dock. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECookeville Docka few hundred yards southFrom I-40, exit 280s-go approx. 5mi to Cookeville boat Dock Rd-turn right, follow to dock1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.00080, -85.65220Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchUnnamed boat launcha few hundred yards westDirections and detail →36.00129, -85.65328Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEJohnson Chapel0.9 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.00420, -85.66790Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECane Hollow2.8 miles north-east1 ramp, More Than 3 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.03283, -85.62161Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEPucketts’ Point3.8 miles west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.99640, -85.72010Launch fee4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACERagland Bottom4.2 miles west2 ramps, 3 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.97930, -85.72150
All 26 access points on Center Hill Lake

Cookeville Boat Dock water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Cookeville Boat Dock

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Cookeville Boat Dock, including Calf Killer River and Caney Fork River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Center Hill Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of Sparta #2Calf Killer River · 12 miles south-east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.92246, -85.46660Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityCity of SpartaCalf Killer River · 12 miles east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.94370, -85.45050Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBuffalo Valley Boat RampCaney Fork River · 12 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanefishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.10125, -85.82938Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACELong BranchCaney Fork River · 12 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.09940, -85.83104Free3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USACECenter Hill Tailwater Fishing PierCaney Fork River · 12 miles north-westfishing pierrestroomsDirections and detail →36.10337, -85.83583Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAHappy HollowCaney Fork River · 13 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.13150, -85.80710

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Cookeville Boat Dock

The closest shops to Cookeville Boat Dock that this site has checked. Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is nearest, about 11 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Sparta · about 11 milesZorro Bait CoLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Lancaster · about 14 milesCenter Hill MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Granville · about 19 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Putnam County

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Common questions

Questions about Cookeville Boat Dock

Can you launch a boat at Cookeville Boat Dock?

No trailered ramp is recorded at Cookeville Boat Dock. It is listed as bank or pier access rather than a launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Cookeville Boat Dock?

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 Cookeville Boat Dock?

Center Hill Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye and catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Cookeville Boat Dock?

Zorro Bait Co in Sparta is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 11 miles from Cookeville Boat Dock. Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is next, about 14 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Cookeville Boat Dock?

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

What town is closest to Cookeville Boat Dock?

Smithville, about 10 miles away. Smithville has its own page on this site listing every access point within about 30 miles of the middle of town.

Where to next

Around Cookeville Boat Dock

Cookeville Boat Dock is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Center Hill Lake26 public access points across 4 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Putnam CountyEvery public spot in Putnam County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listPutnam County spot listAll 6 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near CookevilleShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near SmithvilleEverything within about 30 miles of Smithville, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Cookeville Boat Dock, 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 Center Hill Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits