What to bring
Tackle for M.A. Patterson
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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to M.A. Patterson
M.A. Patterson is a public boat launch on Sequatchie River in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, run by TDOT.
From Pikeville, HWY 127 South to HWY 30, ramp is under HWY 30 Bridge
M.A. Patterson is 12 miles north-west of Dayton, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Dayton Boat Dock on Chickamauga Lake, 13 miles to the south-east. For bait, Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is about 22 miles away.
Coordinates 35.59472, -85.19540
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at M.A. Patterson
Sequatchie River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
The county’s defining water and effectively its only significant one. It rises from springs near Devilstep Hollow Cave in Bledsoe County, runs the length of the Sequatchie Valley past Dunlap, and eventually empties into the Tennessee River below Chattanooga near the Alabama line.
State Route 28 parallels it for most of its length, which makes access straightforward. Its mouth, on Guntersville Reservoir in Marion County, holds the only bowfin population TWRA has observed in any Region 3 reservoir.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at M.A. Patterson
What you can keep from Sequatchie River at M.A. Patterson. Sequatchie River has no limits of its own, so the statewide limits apply. These are the ones for the fish it holds.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Rock bass | 20 | No 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.
1 public boat launches in Bledsoe County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Sequatchie River around M.A. Patterson
What the water at M.A. Patterson actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Next one along
More Sequatchie River access near M.A. Patterson
The closest other public access points on Sequatchie River, measured straight line from M.A. Patterson. Each one opens its own page with directions.
M.A. Patterson water holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, channel catfish.
Other water close by
Other fishing near M.A. Patterson
Public access on other water within 20 miles of M.A. Patterson, including Chickamauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Sequatchie River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near M.A. Patterson
The closest shops to M.A. Patterson that this site has checked. Meadow Park Lake park office in Crossville is nearest, about 22 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around M.A. Patterson
M.A. Patterson is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.