Old Hickory Lake

Davidson, Sumner, Wilson, Trousdale & Smith Counties, Tennessee

A Corps of Engineers lake on the Cumberland River just northeast of Nashville, stretching past Hendersonville, Gallatin and Lebanon toward Carthage. It is known for largemouth bass, a trophy striped bass fishery, and good crappie, sauger and catfish.

Air temp Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Old Hickory Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area22,500 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Spawn shallow on gentle banks in April. In summer fish the grass along the main channel, like near the Highway 109 bridge.

Striped Bass●●●●○

Trophy fish near Carthage and below Cordell Hull Dam in May, then lower-lake creeks like Drakes and Station Camp from December. Drift live skipjack or shad.

Crappie●●●○○

Shallow stumps and treetops in late March and April. TWRA fish attractors in 6 to 12 ft produce October through May.

Sauger●●●○○

January to March from Hunter's Point up to Cordell Hull Dam. Jig and minnow near the bottom in eddies below the dam.

Channel Catfish●●●○○

Cut skipjack or shad on the river channel near Spencer, Station Camp, Bledsoe and Drakes creeks. Big blues and flatheads too.

White Bass●●●○○

Spawning run in April and May from the Caney Fork up to Cordell Hull Dam. Jigs in bank eddies.

Boat launches

6 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Hunter's PointFree
Public ramp near Lebanon. No feeDirections ↗
Second CreekFree
Public ramp. No feeDirections ↗
HartsvilleFree
Public ramp on the upper lake. No feeDirections ↗
RomeFree
Public ramp on the upper lake. No feeDirections ↗
CarthageFree
Public ramp near the head of the lake. No feeDirections ↗
Cordell Hull TailwaterFree
Public ramp below Cordell Hull Dam. No feeDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Black Bass Lake-specific TWRA rule	Largemouth 14 in, Smallmouth 18 in, Spotted none	5 / day combined
Crappie All crappie species combined	10 in	30 / day
Catfish All catfish species	See Tennessee rules book ↗	No limit 34 in or less, 1 over 34 in
Striped/Hybrid Striped Bass Combined	15 in	2 / day
White Bass	See Tennessee rules book ↗	15 / day
Walleye	16 in	5 / day
Sauger	15 in	10 / day
Paddlefish Season April 24 to May 31, no culling	See Tennessee rules book ↗	2 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

No shops listed yet for this lake. Use the search link below.

Search more bait shops near Old Hickory Lake ↗

Local tips

Spring (March to May) is the best all-around window: bass spawn, crappie go shallow, white bass run and sauger and stripers are active near the dams.
TWRA keeps about 40 buoyed fish attractors. They fish best late November to early March when water is under 55 degrees.
Sauger and walleye look alike and have different limits, so check your fish before keeping it.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

More Tennessee lakes

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.