With a guide
Guides and charters near Highway 61 Bridge
Captains who run Clinch River, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Mel’s Striper Guide Service
Striped bassCall 865-661-7806melsstriperguideservice.com
StriperFun Guide Service
Charters on 13 TN waters: Norris, Cherokee, Dale Hollow, Percy Priest, Tims Ford, Center Hill and Normandy lakes; the Cumberland, Clinch, Powell, Holston, Obey and Caney Fork riversCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com
East Tennessee Guide Service
Norris LakeCall 865-310-5521tnfishingguide.com
What to bring
Tackle for Highway 61 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 Highway 61 Bridge
Highway 61 Bridge is a public boat launch on Clinch River in Anderson County, Tennessee, run by the county.
I-75 to SR 61
Highway 61 Bridge is 12 miles north-east of Oak Ridge, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Lewellyn Island Access, 0.7 miles to the north-west on the same water. For bait, Buffalo Creek Outdoor Etc in Andersonville is about 7 miles away.
Coordinates 36.12355, -84.11375
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Highway 61 Bridge
Clinch River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Enters the county from the north and joins the Tennessee just downstream of Kingston; the Roane reach is reservoir-influenced rather than the cold trophy-brown tailwater, which is upstream in Anderson County below Norris Dam.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Highway 61 Bridge
What you can keep from Clinch River at Highway 61 Bridge. TWRA sets 5 rules just for Clinch River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | 7 | 14–20 in protected slot, one over 20 in | Tailwater: Norris Dam downstream to Hwy 61 bridge (Clinton), including tributaries |
| Striped bass | 2 striped/hybrid combined | 32–42 in protected slot, one over 42 in | Melton Hill rule, applies on the Clinch upstream to the Hwy 61 bridge in Clinton. Hybrids 15 in minimum |
| Walleye | 5 walleye/sauger combined | 15 in minimum | Norris Reservoir upstream to Grissom Island |
| Sauger | 5 walleye/sauger combined | 15 in minimum | Norris Reservoir upstream to Grissom Island |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | 13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 in | Hwy 25E bridge upstream to the Virginia line |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Rock bass | 20 | No minimum | Statewide |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | 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.
9 public boat launches in Anderson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Clinch River around Highway 61 Bridge
What the water at Highway 61 Bridge actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Melton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain
Clinch RiverOpen the Clinch River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Melton Hill LakeOpen the Melton Hill Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNext one along
More Clinch River access near Highway 61 Bridge
The closest other public access points on Clinch River, measured straight line from Highway 61 Bridge. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Highway 61 Bridge water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Highway 61 Bridge
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Highway 61 Bridge, including Melton Hill Lake/Clinch River, Melton Hill Lake and Norris Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Clinch River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Highway 61 Bridge
The closest shops to Highway 61 Bridge that this site has checked. Buffalo Creek Outdoor Etc in Andersonville is nearest, about 7 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Highway 61 Bridge
Highway 61 Bridge is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.