Fishing Site · Hamilton County

TN River Park Pier, Nickajack Lake

Fishing pier, restrooms, accessible parking. 5 miles from Chattanooga.

Get driving directions All Hamilton County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near TN River Park Pier

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

Capt. Paul Johnson · Chattanooga

Paul Johnson Guide Service

Largemouth, spotted, smallmouthCall 423-598-9083 pauljohnsonguideservice.com

Steve Kite and Chris Coleman · Chattanooga

Chattanooga Fishing Guides

BassCall 423-240-5389 chattanoogafishingguides.com

Richard Simms and six guides · Chattanooga

Scenic City Fishing Charters

Trophy catfish, walleye, crappie, bass, striper, saugersceniccityfishing.com

All 4 guides on Chickamauga and Nickajack

What to bring

Tackle for TN River Park Pier

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 TN River Park Pier

TN River Park Pier is a public access point on Nickajack Lake in Hamilton County, Tennessee, run by the county.

TWRA holds no written directions for TN River Park Pier. 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.

TN River Park Pier is 4.8 miles north-east of Chattanooga, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is TN River Park, a few hundred yards to the south-west on the same water. For bait, Jack’s Bait & Tackle Shop in Chattanooga is about 2 miles away.

Coordinates 35.09790, -85.25310

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

Aerial view of TN River Park Pier — TN River Park Pier from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at TN River Park Pier

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 TN River Park Pier. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Fishing pier

A built pier, so you can fish deep water without a boat.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

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

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at TN River Park Pier

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

largemouth bass smallmouth bass crappie bluegill redear sunfish striped bass white bass channel catfishfreshwater drum

Held at full pool 633.5 ft year-round with no meaningful winter drawdown, which is genuinely distinctive among TVA lakes; the upper two-thirds is riverine with riprap both banks, and the black bass and crappie fishing concentrates in the coves at the lower end through the Tennessee River Gorge.

Everything on Nickajack Lake Find a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at TN River Park Pier

What you can keep from Nickajack Lake at TN River Park Pier. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Nickajack 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	Nickajack Lake rule
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	No minimum, only one over 16 in	Same rule for spotted, Alabama and hybrid bass
Crappie	15	10 in minimum	Statewide
Bluegill	No limit	No minimum	Statewide
Redear sunfish	20	No minimum	Statewide
Striped bass	2 striped and hybrid combined	15 in minimum	Statewide
White bass	15	No 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.

Statewide limits and licenses

24 public boat launches in Hamilton County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Nickajack Lake around TN River Park Pier

What the water at TN River Park Pier actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Nickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0

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

Nickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →RebelCowboySnB Marlon N Weldon / CC BY-SA 3.0

Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Nickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0

Chickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

Next one along

More Nickajack Lake access near TN River Park Pier

The closest other public access points on Nickajack Lake, measured straight line from TN River Park Pier. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyTN River Parka few hundred yards south-west1 ramp, 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.09630, -85.25520 Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyTN Riverpark1.1 miles east1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.10233, -85.23494 Launch fee2.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · CityRoss’s Landing4.4 miles south-westI-24 to 27 N to MLK W, end of MLK, right at light, about 3/4 mile on leftrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05680, -85.31260 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaErwin Marine Riverfront4.6 miles south-westDirections and detail →35.05530, -85.31701 Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASuck Creek6.3 miles west1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.10950, -85.36510 Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaBrowns Ferry Landing Marina6.7 miles south-westDirections and detail →35.04338, -85.35237

All 18 access points on Nickajack Lake

TN River Park Pier water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie.

Other water close by

Other fishing near TN River Park Pier

Public access on other water within 20 miles of TN River Park Pier, including Chickamauga Lake and North Chickamauga Creek. Handy when the wind is wrong on Nickajack Lake or the ramp is busy.

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaChickamauga MarinaChickamauga Lake · 1.9 miles eastDirections and detail →35.09439, -85.21877 Free3 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaLakeshore MarinaChickamauga Lake · 2.2 miles eastrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.10910, -85.21620 Launch fee1.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandGold Point MarinaChickamauga Lake · 2.9 miles eastDirections and detail →35.11330, -85.20400 Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesPaddling · TWRANorth Chickamauga Creek Paddle LaunchNorth Chickamauga Creek · 3.2 miles north-eastcanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.14078, -85.22928 Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDECBooker T. Washington State ParkChickamauga Lake · 4.2 miles eastHWY 58 to Champion Road1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.11060, -85.17980 Launch fee3.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · Private LandHixson MarinaChickamauga Lake · 5.3 miles north-east1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.14110, -85.17460

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near TN River Park Pier

The closest shops to TN River Park Pier that this site has checked. Jack’s Bait & Tackle Shop in Chattanooga is nearest, about 2 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Chattanooga · about 2 milesJack’s Bait & Tackle ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Hixson · about 3 milesTalkin’ Tackle Outfitter & LodgeFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →Chattanooga · about 5 milesThe Hatch OutfittersFly shop and outfitter. Flies, leader, licences and local water advice.Directions and phone →

All bait and tackle in Hamilton County

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Common questions

Questions about TN River Park Pier

Can you launch a boat at TN River Park Pier?

No trailered ramp is recorded at TN River Park Pier. It is listed as bank or pier access rather than a launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at TN River Park Pier?

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 TN River Park Pier?

Nickajack Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near TN River Park Pier?

Jack’s Bait & Tackle Shop in Chattanooga is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 2 miles from TN River Park Pier. Talkin’ Tackle Outfitter & Lodge in Hixson is next, about 3 miles away.

Is there a restroom at TN River Park Pier?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs TN River Park Pier?

TN River Park Pier is listed under the county 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 TN River Park Pier

TN River Park Pier is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Nickajack Lake18 public access points across 2 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Hamilton CountyEvery public spot in Hamilton County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listHamilton County spot listAll 44 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near ChattanoogaShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near ChattanoogaEverything within about 30 miles of Chattanooga, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around TN River Park Pier, 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 Nickajack Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits