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Fishing Site · Smith County

Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

3 miles from Carthage.

Get driving directionsAll Smith County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

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

Billy Flatt · Nashville

Nashville Fishing Charters

Stripers, hybrids, crappie, largemouth, smallmouthCall 615-812-2091nashvillefishingcharters.com

Capt. Brian and two guides · Nashville

Fish Nashville

Striper, hybrid, catfish, crappie, bass, troutCall 615-200-0618fishnashville.com

Mark Travis · Nashville area

Crappie Guide Service

White and black crappieCall 615-542-9800crappieguideservice.com

All 6 guides on Nashville lakes and the Cumberland

What to bring

Tackle for Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

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 checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access is a public access point on Old Hickory Lake in Smith County, Tennessee.

TWRA holds no written directions for Old Hickory Lake Fishing 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.

Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access is 2.6 miles north of Carthage, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Cordell Hull Dam Access Area on Cumberland River, a few hundred yards to the south-west. For bait, Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is about 8 miles away.

Coordinates 36.28966, -85.94077

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Carthage
Aerial view of Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access
Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

Fee not listed, call ahead 1 out of 5 Facilities 1 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 Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Bank and water access

TWRA lists Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access as public access without built facilities. No ramp, no pier, no restroom, park, walk in and fish.

Not recorded here: boat ramp, fishing pier, canoe and kayak, restrooms, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

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

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiestriped basswhite basswalleyesaugercatfish

The Cumberland forms Wilson County’s northern border with Trousdale and Sumner and that reach is Old Hickory; the Wilson side is the Cedar Creek and Hunters Point country, and TWRA rates the lake a world-class trophy striped bass fishery with regular catches over 50 lb.

Everything on Old Hickory LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

What you can keep from Old Hickory Lake at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Old Hickory Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined14 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Crappie3010 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in 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

12 public boat launches in Smith County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Old Hickory Lake around Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

What the water at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Cordell Hull Lake, TennesseeCordell Hull LakeOpen the Cordell Hull Lake page →United States Army Corps of Engineers image / Public domainCaney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainCumberland River, TennesseeCumberland RiverOpen the Cumberland River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainOld Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Caney Fork River, TennesseeCaney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Old Hickory Lake access near Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

The closest other public access points on Old Hickory Lake, measured straight line from Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchTaylor’s Landing14 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37233, -86.16785Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat LaunchDickerson Chapel16 miles westDirections and detail →36.30490, -86.23381Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountySecond Creek16 miles north-west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.38830, -86.20860Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHunters Point18 miles west231 to Old Hunters Point Pike, right onto Orian1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.29940, -86.26540Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAMisty Cove20 miles west1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.31960, -86.28960Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaShady Cove Marina23 miles westDirections and detail →36.37689, -86.33945
All 54 access points on Old Hickory Lake

Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access water holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access, including Cumberland River and Cordell Hull Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Old Hickory Lake or the ramp is busy.

Fee not listed3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USACECordell Hull Dam Access AreaCumberland River · a few hundred yards south-westfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.28789, -85.94260Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHorseshoe Bend RampCordell Hull Lake · 0.5 miles north1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.29630, -85.94330Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECordell Hull Dam Generator Side Boat RampCumberland River · 0.5 miles south-eastTurn off Dixon Springs Hwy onto Hwy 263 Turkey Creek Hwy. Then turn onto Corps Lane, ramp is located behind playground on the right.1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.28236, -85.93692Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECordell Hull Dam Lock Side River Boat RampCumberland River · 0.7 miles southLocated at the end of Horseshoe Bend Rd. off Hwy 70 at lock side of Cordell Hull Dam.1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →36.27948, -85.93917Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaDefeated Creek MarinaCordell Hull Lake · 2.0 miles east1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →36.30060, -85.90710Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACESouth Carthage Boat RampCumberland River · 3.2 miles south1/4 mile west of bridge on Hwy 25 W (Carthage bypass)1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →36.24317, -85.94558

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

The closest shops to Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access that this site has checked. Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is nearest, about 8 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Granville · about 8 milesWildwood Resort and MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Lancaster · about 12 milesCenter Hill MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Hartsville · about 14 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Smith County

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Common questions

Questions about Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

Can you launch a boat at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

No trailered ramp is recorded at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access. It is listed as bank or pier access rather than a launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

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 Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

Old Hickory Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 8 miles from Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access. Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is next, about 12 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

No restroom is recorded here. Most TWRA ramps have none, so plan for that on a long day.

What town is closest to Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access?

Carthage, about 3 miles away. Carthage has its own page on this site listing every access point within about 30 miles of the middle of town.

Where to next

Around Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access

Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Old Hickory Lake54 public access points across 5 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Smith CountyEvery public spot in Smith County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listSmith County spot listAll 17 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near CarthageShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near CarthageEverything within about 30 miles of Carthage, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Old Hickory Lake Fishing Access, 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 Old Hickory Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits