95 Counties · 1,002 Public Access Points · 78 Lakes and RiversTennessee state record fish

Boat Launch · Jackson County

Salt Lick Park, Cordell Hull Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, canoe / kayak landing, restrooms. 10 miles from Carthage.

With a guide

Guides and charters near Salt Lick Park

Captains who run Nashville lakes and the Cumberland, 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

What to bring

Tackle for Salt Lick 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

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

How to get there

Getting to Salt Lick Park

Salt Lick Park is a public boat launch on Cordell Hull Lake in Jackson County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

TWRA holds no written directions for Salt Lick 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.

Salt Lick Park is 10 miles north-east of Carthage, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Smith’s Bend Boat Ramp, a few hundred yards to the north-east on the same water. For bait, Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is about 5 miles away.

Coordinates 36.32270, -85.78520

Aerial view of Salt Lick Park
Salt Lick Park from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Salt Lick Park

Pay to enter: launch fee charged 4 out of 5 Facilities 4 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 Salt Lick Park. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Canoe and kayak

A landing shallow enough to carry a paddle craft in and out.

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.

Not recorded here: fishing pier, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Salt Lick Park

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

One of the younger reservoirs in Tennessee and one of the few in the state with a self-sustaining, naturally reproducing sauger population. Winter drawdown is only about five feet, so the shoreline cover stays usable year-round, and spring electrofishing surveys consistently turn up largemouth over five pounds.

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Salt Lick Park

What you can keep from Cordell Hull Lake at Salt Lick Park. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Cordell Hull 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 minimumCordell Hull Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumCordell Hull Lake rule
Striped bass2 striped/hybrid combined32–42 in protected slot, one over 42 inCordell Hull Lake rule
Spotted bass5 black bass combinedNo minimumStatewide
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo 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.

10 public boat launches in Jackson County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

Salt Lick Park water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Salt Lick Park

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

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Common questions

Questions about Salt Lick Park

Can you launch a boat at Salt Lick Park?

Yes. TWRA records Salt Lick Park as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. There is a launch fee here, so bring money.

Do you need a fishing licence at Salt Lick 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 Salt Lick Park?

Cordell Hull Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, 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 Salt Lick Park?

Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 5 miles from Salt Lick Park. Granville Marina in Gainesboro is next, about 7 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Salt Lick Park?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Salt Lick Park?

Salt Lick Park is listed under the US Army Corps of Engineers 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.

Keep going

Fishing around Salt Lick 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 Cordell Hull Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.