With a guide
Guides and charters near Kirby Lane Access
Captains who run Nashville lakes and the Cumberland, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Nashville Fishing Charters
Stripers, hybrids, crappie, largemouth, smallmouthCall 615-812-2091nashvillefishingcharters.com
Fish Nashville
Striper, hybrid, catfish, crappie, bass, troutCall 615-200-0618fishnashville.com
Crappie Guide Service
White and black crappieCall 615-542-9800crappieguideservice.com
What to bring
Tackle for Kirby Lane Access
Three picks from the trout 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 Kirby Lane Access
Kirby Lane Access is a public access point on Caney Fork River in Smith County, Tennessee, run by Other.
TWRA holds no written directions for Kirby Lane Access. 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.
Kirby Lane Access is 8.9 miles south-east of Carthage, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Betty’s Island Boat Ramp, 1.3 miles to the east on the same water. For bait, Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is about 1 mile away.
Coordinates 36.14673, -85.86317
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Kirby Lane Access
Caney Fork River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Runs out of DeKalb County into Smith County and meets the Cumberland at Carthage. Known as a midge factory and fished with zebra midges, dry-dropper rigs in low water and terrestrials in season.
The river can rise several feet in minutes once generation begins, which is the most important safety fact about it.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Kirby Lane Access
What you can keep from Caney Fork River at Kirby Lane Access. TWRA sets 4 rules just for Caney Fork River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | 5 combined | See species limits | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River, including tributaries |
| Rainbow trout | 5 | 14–20 in protected slot, one over 20 in | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River. Same slot applies to brook and cutthroat trout |
| Brown trout | 1 | 24 in minimum | Tailwater: Center Hill Dam to the Cumberland River |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 50 in minimum | Above Center Hill Dam, including Collins, Calfkiller and Rocky rivers, Cane Creek and tributaries |
Other rules on Caney Fork River
- Walleye run rule Jan 1–Apr 30, Rock Island State Park boat ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam: one single-point hook or one lure with a single-point hook, max 3 rods or poles.
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.
12 public boat launches in Smith County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Caney Fork River around Kirby Lane Access
What the water at Kirby Lane Access actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain
Cordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domain
Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Cumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Caney Fork River access near Kirby Lane Access
The closest other public access points on Caney Fork River, measured straight line from Kirby Lane Access. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Kirby Lane Access water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Kirby Lane Access
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Kirby Lane Access, including Center Hill Lake, Cordell Hull Lake and Cumberland River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Caney Fork River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Kirby Lane Access
The closest shops to Kirby Lane Access that this site has checked. Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is nearest, about 1 mile away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Kirby Lane Access
Kirby Lane Access is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.