What to bring
Tackle for Easterly 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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Easterly Bridge
Easterly Bridge is a public boat launch on Nolichucky River in Greene County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
US 321 Bright Hope Rd to Poplar Springs Rd
Easterly Bridge is 11 miles south-west of Greeneville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Hwy 321 Bridge Access, 1.8 miles to the south-east on the same water. For bait, Cherokee Boat Dock in Morristown is about 20 miles away.
Coordinates 36.08337, -82.99487
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Easterly Bridge
Nolichucky River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
The Nolichucky Gorge between Poplar, NC and Unaka Springs is one of the most technical whitewater runs in the Southeast and drops the river into Tennessee at Erwin; the county’s fishing is the smallmouth and rock bass water from Unaka Springs downstream, and it rises and falls hard with rain because nothing upstream regulates it.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Easterly Bridge
What you can keep from Nolichucky River at Easterly Bridge. TWRA sets 1 rule just for Nolichucky River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | 13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 in | ENKA Dam upstream to the NC line, including Davy Crockett Lake. Below ENKA Dam, Douglas Lake rules apply |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Rock bass | 20 | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
| Rainbow trout | 7 trout combined | No minimum | Statewide |
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.
5 public boat launches in Greene County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Nolichucky River around Easterly Bridge
What the water at Easterly Bridge actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Mark Fickett / CC BY 3.0
Nolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →J.P. Lawrence / University of Mississippi) (CC BY 4.0Next one along
More Nolichucky River access near Easterly Bridge
The closest other public access points on Nolichucky River, measured straight line from Easterly Bridge. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Easterly Bridge water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Easterly Bridge
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Easterly Bridge, including French Broad River and Pigeon River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Nolichucky River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Easterly Bridge
The closest shops to Easterly Bridge that this site has checked. Cherokee Boat Dock in Morristown is nearest, about 20 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Easterly Bridge
Easterly Bridge is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.