With a guide
Guides and charters near Indian Cave Park
Captains who run Cherokee and Douglas, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Skylar Hamilton Guide Service
Nathan Mountain Outdoors
Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, troutCall 423-726-0240nathanmountainoutdoors.com
StriperFun Guide Service
Cherokee Lake stripersCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com
What to bring
Tackle for Indian Cave Park
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 Indian Cave Park
Indian Cave Park is a public access point on Holston River in Grainger County, Tennessee, run by Private Land.
Turn onto Indian Cave Rd off Indian Ridge, follow about 1 mile to end.
Indian Cave Park is 6.6 miles north-west of Jefferson City, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Nance’s Ferry, 3.0 miles to the south-west on the same water. For bait, Cherokee Bait & Tackle in Jefferson City is about 7 miles away.
Coordinates 36.15928, -83.60077
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Indian Cave Park
Holston River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
This is the warm-water Holston above the lake, not the Cherokee Dam trout tailwater downstream in Jefferson County, a distinction almost every competing page gets wrong.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Indian Cave Park
What you can keep from Holston River at Indian Cave Park. TWRA sets 1 rule just for Holston 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 | I-40 bridge upstream to Cherokee Dam, and John Sevier Dam upstream to the North Fork |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Rock bass | 20 | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
| Sauger | 10 | 15 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
Other rules on Holston River
- Hwy 344 (Malinda Ferry Rd) bridge up to John Sevier Dam closed to snagging Mar 1–31 and Apr 16–May 31.
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.
21 public boat launches in Grainger County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Holston River around Indian Cave Park
What the water at Indian Cave Park actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Holston RiverOpen the Holston River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Cherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Holston RiverOpen the Holston River page →Dacoshi / CC BY-SA 3.0
Cherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →Dwight Burdette / CC BY 3.0
Norris LakeOpen the Norris Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Holston River access near Indian Cave Park
The closest other public access points on Holston River, measured straight line from Indian Cave Park. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Indian Cave Park water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Indian Cave Park
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Indian Cave Park, including Cherokee Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Holston River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Indian Cave Park
The closest shops to Indian Cave Park that this site has checked. Cherokee Bait & Tackle in Jefferson City is nearest, about 7 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Indian Cave Park
Indian Cave Park is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.