River · Cocke, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier

Fishing French Broad River, Tennessee

Q: Is French Broad River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not — Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

13 public access points across 4 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access list Licence and limits

Every access point

Public access on French Broad River, county by county

All 13 public access points TWRA records on French Broad River. Each card opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

What to bring

Tackle for French Broad River

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

The water

French Broad River boat ramps and fishing access

French Broad River has 13 public access points: 9 boat ramps and 10 kayak launches, in Cocke, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier counties.

13public access points

9boat ramps

10kayak and canoe launches

4counties

Lake conditions

French Broad River generation schedule

The flow in the French Broad River follows the release from Douglas Dam. The schedule for it is on its lake conditions page. USGS flow and gauge readings for the French Broad River are on its river level page.

Douglas Dam schedule French Broad River flow

What French Broad River is actually like

French Broad River, county by county

French Broad River does not fish the same at both ends. This is what the research for each county on it turned up.

Sevier County

From the Sevier County page

Crosses the northern part of the county and receives the Little Pigeon north of Sevierville; below Douglas Dam it is a stocked trout tailwater, and further down it becomes one of the state’s better smallmouth rivers.

Cocke County

From the Cocke County page

Above the Highway 321 bridges the French Broad is river rather than reservoir, and it is one of the better smallmouth and musky floats in East Tennessee.

Knox County

From the Knox County page

Three public accesses in Knox County plus Seven Islands State Birding Park, a genuinely good float-and-wade smallmouth river within the county line.

What it looks like

French Broad River in photographs

What French Broad River looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

French Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →Pollinator at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Douglas LakeOpen the Douglas Lake page →Dwight Burdette / CC BY 3.0

Cherokee LakeOpen the Cherokee Lake page →TVA Web Team / CC BY 2.0

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

French Broad RiverOpen the French Broad River page →U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region / Public domain

Douglas LakeOpen the Douglas Lake page →Pi.1415926535 / CC BY-SA 4.0

What you can catch

Fish in French Broad River

What French Broad River actually holds, from the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes. A licence is required for all of it.

largemouth bass smallmouth bass rock bass sauger muskellunge catfishredhorse

Guides who fish French Broad River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on French Broad River

TWRA sets 4 rules just for French Broad River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

Fish	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Smallmouth bass	5	18 in minimum	Hwy 168 to Douglas Dam
Smallmouth bass	5 black bass combined	13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 in	Hwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line
Walleye	5 walleye/sauger combined	15 in minimum	Hwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line
Sauger	5 walleye/sauger combined	No minimum, only one over 16 in	Hwy 321 bridge upstream to NC line; includes sauger/walleye hybrids
Largemouth bass	5 black bass combined	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.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

French Broad River fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for French Broad River, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

From Tennessee River to Douglas Dam. (32.1 miles)

Mercury

Precautionary advisory for Black Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted).Precautionary means: Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.

From Rankin Bridge (River mile 71.4) to Hwy 321 (River mile 77.5)

Mercury

Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.*Precautionary means: Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.

Every Tennessee fish advisory

By county

Counties on French Broad River

French Broad River touches 4 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

NewportCocke County6 access points on French Broad River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →DandridgeJefferson County1 access point on French Broad River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →KnoxvilleKnox County3 access points on French Broad River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →SeviervilleSevier County3 access points on French Broad River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

13 public access points on French Broad River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on French Broad River

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number that matters when you are deciding where to drive.

Cocke CountyFishing near NewportPublic water within about 30 miles of Newport, closest first.See the spots →Hamblen CountyFishing near MorristownPublic water within about 30 miles of Morristown, closest first.See the spots →Knox CountyFishing near KnoxvillePublic water within about 30 miles of Knoxville, closest first.See the spots →Sevier CountyFishing near SeviervillePublic water within about 30 miles of Sevierville, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing French Broad River

How many public boat ramps are there on French Broad River?

TWRA lists 9 public boat launches on French Broad River, with 8 ramp lanes between them, across 4 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in French Broad River?

French Broad River holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, sauger, muskellunge, catfish and redhorse. Which of those is actually worth chasing depends on the season, and TWRA sets size and creel limits that change, so check before you keep anything.

Which counties does French Broad River run through?

Cocke, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish French Broad River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on French Broad River. Bank fishing here means the shoreline and parking areas at the public ramps, plus road and bridge crossings where there is public right of way.

Do you need a licence to fish French Broad River?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence, and a trout supplemental on top if you plan to keep trout. Non-residents can buy a three-day or ten-day licence rather than a full year.

Is French Broad River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not, Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

Keep going

More French Broad River water, and who fishes it

Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.

Guides by water Licence and limits