Boat Launch · Henry County

Swamp Creek, Kentucky Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane. 12 miles from Paris.

Get driving directions All Henry County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Swamp Creek

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

Steve McCadams · Paris Landing

Steve McCadams Professional Guide Service

Crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, white bassCall 731-642-0360 stevemccadams.com

Terry Elliott · Greenfield

Elliott’s Guide Service

Crappie, bassCall 731-234-8817 elliottsguideservice.com

Multiple guides · Springville

KY Lake Crappie Fishing

Crappiekylakecrappiefishing.com

All 4 guides on Kentucky Lake

What to bring

Tackle for Swamp Creek

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 checklist Crappie checklist Bluegill and Panfish checklist Fish Finders compared Trolling Motors compared Lithium Marine Batteries compared Shallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Swamp Creek

Swamp Creek is a public boat launch on Kentucky Lake in Henry County, Tennessee, run by FWS Refuge.

HWY 79N, Oak Grove South, Elkhorn Nobles Rd, Swayne Rd, Swamp Creek Rd

Swamp Creek is 12 miles east of Paris, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Antioch, 1.2 miles to the north on the same water. For bait, Pleasant View Resort & Marina in Springville is about 3 miles away.

Coordinates 36.34700, -88.12240

Open in Google Maps See nearby spots on the map Fishing near Paris

Aerial view of Swamp Creek — Swamp Creek from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Swamp Creek

Free to launch 3 out of 5 Facilities 3 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 Swamp Creek. 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.

Courtesy dock

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

Not recorded here: 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 Swamp Creek

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass spotted bass crappie bluegill white bass sauger channel catfish

Bassmaster has called Kentucky Lake the crappie capital of America, and the Henry County reach, Paris Landing, the Big Sandy arm, Blood River and West Sandy, is the heart of that fishery. Ledge fishing over submerged ditches, creeks, islands and roadbeds in 6-14 ft is the defining technique.

Everything on Kentucky Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Swamp Creek

What you can keep from Kentucky Lake at Swamp Creek. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Kentucky 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	Same for smallmouth; spotted bass no length limit
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Kentucky Lake rule
Crappie	20	10 in minimum	Includes the dewatering areas
Spotted bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	No minimum	Statewide
Sauger	10	15 in minimum	Statewide
Channel catfish	No limit under 34 in	Only one over 34 in	Statewide

Other rules on Kentucky Lake

Dewatering areas (West Sandy, Big Sandy, Gin Creek, Camden Bottoms, Duck River Bottoms, Busseltown, Perryville, Gumdale) closed 5 days before and during late waterfowl season.

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

14 public boat launches in Henry County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Kentucky Lake around Swamp Creek

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

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domain

Kentucky LakeOpen the Kentucky Lake page →Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

Next one along

More Kentucky Lake access near Swamp Creek

The closest other public access points on Kentucky Lake, measured straight line from Swamp Creek. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFWSAntioch1.2 miles north1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →36.36417, -88.12073 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · FWS RefugeMansard Island Resort1.6 miles northHWY 79N, East Antioch Rd, follow signs1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing pierrestroomsrentalsDirections and detail →36.36975, -88.12333 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · FWS RefugeBritton Ford1.6 miles southHWY 69S, Pleasant Grove Road, Old Springville Road, Old Britton Ford1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →36.32340, -88.12240 Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFWSPort Road3.4 miles north1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →36.39291, -88.09971 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAPleasant View Resort3.5 miles southHWY 69S to Pleasant Grove Rd to Graceland Rd1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.29880, -88.14370 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASpringville Pumphouse3.6 miles southHWY 69 S, Elkhorn Rd, Old Springville Rd, Graceland Rd, follow to dead end1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing pierDirections and detail →36.29860, -88.14480

All 86 access points on Kentucky Lake

Swamp Creek water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Swamp Creek

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Swamp Creek, including Lake Barkley. Handy when the wind is wrong on Kentucky Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFWSBennett’s Creek Boat Ramp5.4 miles east1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.37542, -88.03178 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEHickman CreekLake Barkley · 18 miles north-eastHickman Creek Rd, Dover, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.49470, -87.86440 Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDover LandingLake Barkley · 19 miles north-eastBehind Court House at corner of Forrest St and W Spring1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.49001, -87.84211 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBlue CreekLake Barkley · 19 miles north-eastRiver Rd, Dover, TN1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.52600, -87.86790 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USFSGatlin PointLake Barkley · 19 miles north-eastForest Service Rd 229 USFS LBL1 ramp, 1 lanerestroomsDirections and detail →36.56340, -87.90710 Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEDyer’s CreekLake Barkley · 19 miles north-eastHWY 79, 0.80 mile North of Barkley Bridge1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.50010, -87.83120

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Swamp Creek

The closest shops to Swamp Creek that this site has checked. Pleasant View Resort & Marina in Springville is nearest, about 3 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Springville · about 3 milesPleasant View Resort & MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Paris · about 4 milesParis Landing State Park MarinaMarina store. Fuel, ice, terminal tackle and live bait when the lake is running.Directions and phone →Paris · about 4 milesBuchanan ResortLakeside operation with a dock store, bait and often boat rental.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Henry County

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Common questions

Questions about Swamp Creek

Can you launch a boat at Swamp Creek?

Yes. TWRA records Swamp Creek as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Swamp Creek?

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 Swamp Creek?

Kentucky Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass, sauger and channel catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Swamp Creek?

Pleasant View Resort & Marina in Springville is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 3 miles from Swamp Creek. Paris Landing State Park Marina in Paris is next, about 4 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Swamp Creek?

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

Who runs Swamp Creek?

Swamp Creek is listed under FWS Refuge 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 Swamp Creek

Swamp Creek is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Kentucky Lake86 public access points across 7 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Henry CountyEvery public spot in Henry County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listHenry County spot listAll 16 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near ParisShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near ParisEverything within about 30 miles of Paris, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Swamp Creek, 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 Kentucky Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits