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Lake · Hamilton and Marion

Fishing Nickajack Lake, Tennessee

18 public access points across 2 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access listLicence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Nickajack Lake, county by county

All 18 public access points TWRA records on Nickajack Lake. 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.

Nickajack Lake access in Hamilton County

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaBrowns Ferry Landing MarinaDirections and detail →35.04338, -85.35237Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaErwin Marine RiverfrontDirections and detail →35.05530, -85.31701Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaHales Bar Resort & MarinaDirections and detail →35.04603, -85.53724Launch fee2.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · CityRoss’s LandingI-24 to 27 N to MLK W, end of MLK, right at light, about 3/4 mile on leftrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05680, -85.31260Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRASuck Creek1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.10950, -85.36510Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyTN River Park1 ramp, 3 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.09630, -85.25520Free3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · CountyTN River Park Pierfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.09790, -85.25310Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyTN Riverpark1 ramp, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.10233, -85.23494

Nickajack Lake access in Marion County

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAAnchor Inn Bait & TackleI-24 to HWY 41 (Memorial Bridge)1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.02820, -85.53900Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRABennett’s Lake2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.07910, -85.53680Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVAMacedonia Churchaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99140, -85.59780Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAMaple View Day Use Area1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →34.99330, -85.61270Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyMarion County Park2 ramps, 2 lanesfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.02870, -85.56320Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVANickajack Dam1 ramp, 2 lanesrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00818, -85.61916Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TDARaccoon Mountain1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.05980, -85.41680Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAShellmound0.5 mile prior to Nickajack Dam on Nickajack access road1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.00760, -85.60600Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVASullivans Boat Ramp3 ramps, 2 lanesaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.02060, -85.46050Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVATVA Seredino Ramp1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →35.03774, -85.53691

What to bring

Tackle for Nickajack Lake

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 checklistCrappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Nickajack Lake boat ramps and fishing access

Nickajack Lake has 18 public access points: 12 boat ramps, 6 fishing piers and 8 kayak launches, in Hamilton and Marion counties.

18public access points
12boat ramps
6fishing piers
8kayak and canoe launches
2counties

Lake conditions

Nickajack Lake level today

TVA’s current Nickajack Lake level, the 24-hour change, the Nickajack Dam generation schedule and the level forecast, on one page.

Nickajack Lake level

What Nickajack Lake is actually like

Nickajack Lake, county by county

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

Marion County

From the Marion County page

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.

Hamilton County

From the Hamilton County page

Held at full pool 633.5 ft year round with no meaningful winter drawdown, unusual among TVA lakes, and the lower end below the gorge is where the bass and crappie concentrate.

What it looks like

Nickajack Lake in photographs

What Nickajack Lake looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Nickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainNickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →RebelCowboySnB Marlon N Weldon / CC BY-SA 3.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNickajack Lake, TennesseeNickajack LakeOpen the Nickajack Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0Chickamauga Lake, TennesseeChickamauga LakeOpen the Chickamauga Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

What you can catch

Fish in Nickajack Lake

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

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiebluegillredear sunfishstriped basswhite basschannel catfishfreshwater drum
Guides who fish Nickajack Lake

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Nickajack Lake

TWRA sets 2 rules just for Nickajack 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 minimumNickajack Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combinedNo minimum, only one over 16 inSame rule for spotted, Alabama and hybrid bass
Crappie1510 in minimumStatewide
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Redear sunfish20No minimumStatewide
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No 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.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

Nickajack Lake fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Nickajack Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

Entirety (10,370 acres)

PCBs

Precautionary advisory for catfish.*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

October on Nickajack Lake

What’s biting on Nickajack Lake in October

Largemouth bass

Largemouth bass in Tennessee

Fall largemouth push into the backs of creeks after shad.

Where: Watts Bar Lake, Dale Hollow Lake and the grass flats of Nickajack Lake.

Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Nickajack

All of Tennessee in October

Tournaments

Upcoming tournaments on Nickajack Lake

Dec52026

Hamilton County Hookers

Dec 5, 2026 · Club (Tennessee BASS Nation)

Launch: Marion County

Event page

Nickajack Lake schedule and resultsEvery Tennessee tournament

By county

Counties on Nickajack Lake

Nickajack Lake touches 2 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

ChattanoogaHamilton County8 access points on Nickajack Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →JasperMarion County10 access points on Nickajack Lake, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

By town

Towns on Nickajack Lake

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.

Hamilton CountyFishing near ChattanoogaPublic water within about 30 miles of Chattanooga, closest first.See the spots →

18 public access points on Nickajack Lake, every one with directions.

Common questions

Questions about fishing Nickajack Lake

How many public boat ramps are there on Nickajack Lake?

TWRA lists 12 public boat launches on Nickajack Lake, with 23 ramp lanes between them, across 2 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Nickajack Lake?

Nickajack Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum. 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 Nickajack Lake run through?

Hamilton and Marion counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Nickajack Lake from the bank?

Yes. 6 of the public access points on Nickajack Lake have a built fishing pier, and most of the ramps have shoreline you can walk. A pier is the easiest option with children or without a boat.

Do you need a licence to fish Nickajack Lake?

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 Nickajack Lake 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 Nickajack Lake 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 waterLicence and limits

Before you launch, check today's level, dam release schedule and any weather alerts for Nickajack Lake: Nickajack Lake conditions.