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Boat Launch · Marion County

Marion County Park, Nickajack Lake

2 ramps, 2 lanes, fishing pier, restrooms. 14 miles from Chattanooga.

Get driving directionsAll Marion County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Marion County Park

Captains who run Nickajack Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Capt. Paul Johnson · Chattanooga

Paul Johnson Guide Service

Largemouth, spotted, smallmouthCall 423-598-9083pauljohnsonguideservice.com

Steve Kite and Chris Coleman · Chattanooga

Chattanooga Fishing Guides

BassCall 423-240-5389chattanoogafishingguides.com

Richard Simms and six guides · Chattanooga

Scenic City Fishing Charters

Trophy catfish, walleye, crappie, bass, striper, saugersceniccityfishing.com

All 4 guides on Chickamauga and Nickajack

What to bring

Tackle for Marion County Park

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.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Smallmouth Bass checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Marion County Park

Marion County Park is a public boat launch on Nickajack Lake in Marion County, Tennessee, run by the county.

TWRA holds no written directions for Marion County Park. 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.

Marion County Park is 14 miles west of Chattanooga, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Anchor Inn Bait & Tackle, 1.4 miles to the east on the same water. For bait, The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is about 14 miles away.

Coordinates 35.02870, -85.56320

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Chattanooga
Aerial view of Marion County Park
Marion County Park from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Marion County Park

Free to launch 5 out of 5 Facilities 5 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Marion County Park. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 2 lanes.

Fishing pier

A built pier, so you can fish deep water without a boat.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

Not recorded here: canoe and kayak, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Marion County Park

Nickajack Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiebluegillredear sunfishstriped basswhite basschannel catfishfreshwater drum

Held at full pool 633.5 ft year-round with no meaningful winter drawdown, which is genuinely distinctive among TVA lakes; the upper two-thirds is riverine with riprap both banks, and the black bass and crappie fishing concentrates in the coves at the lower end through the Tennessee River Gorge.

Everything on Nickajack LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Marion County Park

What you can keep from Nickajack Lake at Marion County Park. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Nickajack Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined15 in minimumNickajack Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimum, only one over 16 inSame rule for spotted, Alabama and hybrid bass
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Redear sunfish20No minimumStatewide
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

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.

Statewide limits and licenses

11 public boat launches in Marion County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Nickajack Lake around Marion County Park

What the water at Marion County Park actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →RebelCowboySnB Marlon N Weldon / CC BY-SA 3.0Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0

Next one along

More Nickajack Lake access near Marion County Park

The closest other public access points on Nickajack Lake, measured straight line from Marion County Park. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAAnchor Inn Bait & Tackle1.4 miles eastI-24 to HWY 41 (Memorial Bridge)1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.02820, -85.53900Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA Seredino Ramp1.6 miles north-east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.03774, -85.53691Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaHales Bar Resort & Marina1.9 miles north-eastDirections and detail →35.04603, -85.53724Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAShellmound2.8 miles south-west0.5 mile prior to Nickajack Dam on Nickajack access road1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00760, -85.60600Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAMacedonia Church3.2 miles south-westaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99140, -85.59780Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVANickajack Dam3.4 miles south-west1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00818, -85.61916
All 18 access points on Nickajack Lake

Marion County Park water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Marion County Park

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Marion County Park, including Guntersville Lake, Grundy Lake #4 and Chickamauga Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Nickajack Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVABlue Bridge RampGuntersville Lake · 7.2 miles west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →35.01603, -85.69135Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityJC Ramp in South PittsburgGuntersville Lake · 7.5 miles westSouth Pittsburg, TN at Blue Bridge near HWY 72 and HWY 156 intersection1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.01570, -85.69540Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECGrundy Lakes #4Grundy Lake #4 · 19 miles north-westHWY 41 south towards Jasper, left on Grundy Lakes Rd, 1st left past the same, parthing lot near bathroom1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingtrolling motors onlyDirections and detail →35.27084, -85.71312Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaChickamauga MarinaChickamauga Lake · 20 miles eastDirections and detail →35.09439, -85.21877

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Marion County Park

The closest shops to Marion County Park that this site has checked. The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is nearest, about 14 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Chattanooga · about 14 milesThe Hatch OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 14 milesLake Chickamauga Tackle & OutdoorsSporting goods. Rods, reels, line and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 20 milesJack’s Bait & Tackle ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Marion County

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Common questions

Questions about Marion County Park

Can you launch a boat at Marion County Park?

Yes. TWRA records Marion County Park as having a boat ramp. It has 2 lanes. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Marion County Park?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Marion County Park?

Nickajack Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Marion County Park?

The Hatch Outfitters in Chattanooga is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 14 miles from Marion County Park. Lake Chickamauga Tackle & Outdoors in Chattanooga is next, about 14 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Marion County Park?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Marion County Park?

Marion County Park is listed under the county in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Marion County Park

Marion County Park is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Nickajack Lake18 public access points across 2 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Marion CountyEvery public spot in Marion County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listMarion County spot listAll 12 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near JasperShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near ChattanoogaEverything within about 30 miles of Chattanooga, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Marion County Park, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes Nickajack Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits