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River · Greene, Unicoi and Washington

Fishing Nolichucky River, Tennessee

10 public access points across 3 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access listLicence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Nolichucky River, county by county

All 10 public access points TWRA records on Nolichucky 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.

Nolichucky River access in Greene County

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVABewleys BridgeHwy 340 to Bewleys Bridgecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.09584, -83.05105Free2 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · TVADavy Crockett Dam Canoe Accesscanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.06542, -82.86858Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRAEasterly BridgeUS 321 Bright Hope Rd to Poplar Springs Rd1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.08337, -82.99487Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · OtherHwy 321 Bridge Accesscanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.07005, -82.96708Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAJoe Johnson AccessHwy 70 to E. Allens Bridge Road to Birds Bridge Rd1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.08666, -82.82507Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TVAJones Bridge RdDirections and detail →36.11612, -82.78513Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CountyKinser BridgeHwy 11E to Greenville to Hwy. 1071 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.15461, -82.72568Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityKinser Park1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.08790, -82.85240

Nolichucky River access in Unicoi County

Free3 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFSChestoa Access AreaJones Branch RD off of Chestoa Rd in Chestoacanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.10320, -82.44752

Nolichucky River access in Washington County

Free1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USFSJackson IslandJackson Bridge Rd off of SR 107canoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.17981, -82.53363

What to bring

Tackle for Nolichucky River

Three picks from the smallmouth 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.

RodSt. Croix Bass X 7 ft medium spinning rodLight enough for a Ned rig, with enough backbone for a 5 lb fish in current.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelPflueger President 30 spinning reelSmooth drag at a fair price. Fill it with braid and a leader.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
FinesseZ-Man Finesse TRD and Ned rig jigheadsThe single most reliable smallmouth bait on Tennessee rock. Drag it slowly.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full smallmouth bass checklist (10 items)All gear checklists

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

Bluegill and Panfish checklistWalleye and Sauger checklistMusky checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Nolichucky River boat ramps and fishing access

Nolichucky River has 10 public access points: 4 boat ramps and 9 kayak launches, in Greene, Unicoi and Washington counties.

10public access points
4boat ramps
9kayak and canoe launches
3counties

River levels

Nolichucky River level and flow today

The latest USGS gauge readings on the Nolichucky River, the seven-day trend and the forecast.

Nolichucky River level

What Nolichucky River is actually like

Nolichucky River, county by county

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

Unicoi County

From the Unicoi County page

The Nolichucky Gorge between Poplar, NC and Unaka Springs is one of the most technical whitewater runs in the Southeast and drops the river into Tennessee at Erwin; the county’s fishing is the smallmouth and rock bass water from Unaka Springs downstream, and it rises and falls hard with rain because nothing upstream regulates it.

Washington County

From the Washington County page

Flows through the southern county past Embreeville and Telford toward the Greene County line; a rain-driven river with a 13–17″ smallmouth protected range.

Greene County

From the Greene County page

The Nolichucky is the defining water of Greene County, a free-flowing, rocky, genuinely wild river that produces excellent smallmouth along its banks

What it looks like

Nolichucky River in photographs

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

Nolichucky River, TennesseeNolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNolichucky River, TennesseeNolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domainNolichucky River, TennesseeNolichucky RiverOpen the Nolichucky River page →Mark Fickett / CC BY 3.0Boone Lake, TennesseeBoone LakeOpen the Boone Lake page →Tennessee Valley Authority / Public domain

What you can catch

Fish in Nolichucky River

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

smallmouth basssunfishrock basswalleyemuskellungecatfishtroutredhorse
Guides who fish Nolichucky River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Nolichucky River

TWRA sets 1 rule just for Nolichucky River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined13–17 in protected slot, one over 17 inENKA Dam upstream to the NC line, including Davy Crockett Lake. Below ENKA Dam, Douglas Lake rules apply
BluegillNo limitNo minimumStatewide
Rock bass20No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Muskellunge136 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide
Rainbow trout7 trout combinedNo minimumStatewide

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

Nolichucky River fish consumption advisory

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

From Douglas Reservoir (French Broad River) to North Carolina state line (99.21 miles) including Davy Crockett Lake.

Mercury

Precautionary advisory the entire length within Tennessee for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted). Precautionary advisory for channel catfish in the lower portion from Douglas Reservoir to the mouth of Bent Creek at river mile 14.9.*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 Nolichucky River

Nolichucky River touches 3 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

GreenevilleGreene County8 access points on Nolichucky River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →ErwinUnicoi County1 access point on Nolichucky River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →JonesboroughWashington County1 access point on Nolichucky River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

10 public access points on Nolichucky River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Nolichucky 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 →Greene CountyFishing near GreenevillePublic water within about 30 miles of Greeneville, closest first.See the spots →Washington CountyFishing near Johnson CityPublic water within about 30 miles of Johnson City, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Nolichucky River

How many public boat ramps are there on Nolichucky River?

TWRA lists 4 public boat launches on Nolichucky River, with 4 ramp lanes between them, across 3 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Nolichucky River?

Nolichucky River holds smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, walleye, muskellunge, catfish, trout 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 Nolichucky River run through?

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

Can you fish Nolichucky River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Nolichucky 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 Nolichucky 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 Nolichucky 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 Nolichucky 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 waterLicence and limits