With a guide
Guides and charters near Old VFW Access
Captains who run Center Hill and the Caney Fork, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Gone Fishin’ Expeditions
Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, catfishCall 615-814-4832gonefishinexpeditions.com
Trout Zone Anglers
Rainbow, brown and brook trout, smallmouth, muskyCall 931-261-1884troutzoneanglers.com
StriperFun Guide Service
Center Hill and Normandy walleye, Tims Ford stripers, Caney Fork troutCall 931-403-2501striperfun.com
What to bring
Tackle for Old VFW 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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Old VFW Access
Old VFW Access is a public boat launch on Collins River in Warren County, Tennessee, run by Private Land.
TWRA holds no written directions for Old VFW 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 VFW Access is 2.8 miles north-east of McMinnville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Shellsford Access, 2.6 miles to the south-east on the same water. For bait, Outdoor Shop Inc in McMinnville is about 3 miles away.
Coordinates 35.70930, -85.73100
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Old VFW Access
Collins River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
One of the few rivers in Tennessee with a genuine musky population, TWRA stocked it from 1982 through 2006 and it now sustains itself; the oxbow at the mouth creates the peninsula that most of Rock Island State Park sits on.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Old VFW Access
What you can keep from Collins River at Old VFW Access. Collins 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 |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 in 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.
8 public boat launches in Warren County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Collins River around Old VFW Access
What the water at Old VFW Access actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Collins RiverOpen the Collins River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Barren Fork RiverOpen the Barren Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain
Collins RiverOpen the Collins River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Barren Fork RiverOpen the Barren Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domainNext one along
More Collins River access near Old VFW Access
The closest other public access points on Collins River, measured straight line from Old VFW Access. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Old VFW Access water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Old VFW Access
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Old VFW Access, including Barren Fork River, Barren Fork and Center Hill Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Collins River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Old VFW Access
The closest shops to Old VFW Access that this site has checked. Outdoor Shop Inc in McMinnville is nearest, about 3 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Old VFW Access
Old VFW Access is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.