With a guide
Guides and charters near Ragland Bottom
Captains who run Center Hill Lake, 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 Ragland Bottom
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 Ragland Bottom
Ragland Bottom is a public boat launch on Center Hill Lake in DeKalb County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
TWRA holds no written directions for Ragland Bottom. 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.
Ragland Bottom is 5.4 miles east of Smithville, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Sligo Marina, 0.9 miles to the south on the same water. For bait, Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is about 13 miles away.
Coordinates 35.97930, -85.72150
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Ragland Bottom
Center Hill Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
A deep, clear highland reservoir under steep rocky ridges, it fishes like a mountain lake rather than a Middle Tennessee impoundment, with finesse presentations in deep water through winter and a strong March–April walleye run
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Ragland Bottom
What you can keep from Center Hill Lake at Ragland Bottom. TWRA sets 4 rules just for Center Hill Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 black bass combined | 15 in minimum | Center Hill Lake rule |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 black bass combined | 18 in minimum | Center Hill Lake rule |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 50 in minimum | Center Hill Lake rule |
| Paddlefish | No harvest | — | Reservoir and its tributaries closed to taking or possessing paddlefish |
| Spotted bass | 5 black bass combined | No minimum | Statewide |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 in minimum | Statewide |
| Bluegill | No limit | No minimum | Statewide |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in minimum | Statewide |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 34 in | Only one over 34 in | Statewide |
Other rules on Center Hill Lake
- Snagging prohibited year-round. Jan 1–Apr 30 single-hook, 3-rod walleye run rule on the Caney Fork from Rock Island State Park ramp to Great Falls Dam.
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.
13 public boat launches in DeKalb County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Center Hill Lake around Ragland Bottom
What the water at Ragland Bottom actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →Tyler White / Public domain
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not s / Public domain
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake 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
Center Hill LakeOpen the Center Hill Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain
Caney Fork RiverOpen the Caney Fork River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Next one along
More Center Hill Lake access near Ragland Bottom
The closest other public access points on Center Hill Lake, measured straight line from Ragland Bottom. Each one opens its own page with directions.
Ragland Bottom water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Ragland Bottom
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Ragland Bottom, including Caney Fork River and Collins River. Handy when the wind is wrong on Center Hill Lake or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Ragland Bottom
The closest shops to Ragland Bottom that this site has checked. Center Hill Marina in Lancaster is nearest, about 13 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Ragland Bottom
Ragland Bottom is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.