Fishing Old Hickory Lake

A Working Fishery, Not Just a Backdrop

Old Hickory Lake produces serious fishing across multiple species, and the lake's proximity to Nashville has made it one of the most fished reservoirs in Middle Tennessee for decades. TWRA actively manages the lake with stocking programs, 18 documented fish attractor sites distributed around the lake, and 41 public boat ramp access points that provide entry to essentially every reach of the 97-mile Cumberland River arm. The lake hosts competitive tournament events including Bass Pro Shops National Fishing Championship qualifiers, which draw anglers from across the region and validate the quality of the fishery relative to other Middle Tennessee lakes.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass are the most-targeted species on Old Hickory Lake. The lake's structure — riprap banks on the dam side, flooded timber in the upper river arms, submerged creek channels, and countless private docks providing shallow cover — creates habitat for largemouth throughout the lake. Spring spawning season from March through May is the peak period, when largemouth move to sheltered coves and dock-adjacent shallow water to spawn. Bass anglers who learn the specific structure in the Hendersonville coves and the Wilson County creek channels can catch largemouth year-round, with the strongest fishing in spring and fall as water temperatures enter the most productive ranges. The stable pool at 445 feet MSL means structure consistency — the same docks, points, and channel edges hold fish year after year without the relocation that drawdown lakes force.

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass are present throughout the rockier sections of Old Hickory Lake, particularly in the main lake areas with riprap banks, rocky points, and harder substrate near the dam and the main Cumberland River channel. While Old Hickory is not typically cited as a premier smallmouth destination in Tennessee (Dale Hollow and Center Hill hold that distinction), the lake produces smallmouth for anglers who specifically target rocky structure with appropriate presentations. Finesse techniques — drop shot, tube baits, small crankbaits worked along rocky banks — are the primary smallmouth approach on this lake.

Striped Bass and White Bass

Striped bass are present in Old Hickory Lake and provide exciting fishing when actively feeding. The most productive striper periods are early spring (February through April) and fall (September through November), when fish move toward the surface chasing shad. Trolling with large swimbaits or umbrella rigs along main channel ledges in 20–40 feet of water is the typical approach. White bass are more numerous than striped bass and provide fast-action fishing when they school on the surface chasing shad — a condition most prevalent in spring and fall. Following bird activity and surface disturbance to locate feeding white bass schools is one of Old Hickory Lake's most consistently exciting fishing experiences. Casting small chrome or white spinnerbaits and blade baits into the boiling surface activity produces immediate results. White bass are excellent table fish and are the species most frequently cited by resident anglers as their everyday lake fishing target.

Crappie

Crappie fishing on Old Hickory Lake is productive year-round, with peak activity in pre-spawn (February through April) when fish concentrate around brush piles, dock pilings, and submerged structure in 5–15 feet of water. TWRA's 18 fish attractor sites around the lake — brush piles and Christmas tree structures placed in documented locations — provide predictable crappie habitat throughout the lake. Attractor GPS coordinates are available from TWRA. Minnows under a float or small tube jigs in white or chartreuse are the standard crappie approaches. Summer crappie move deeper — 20–30 feet over brush — requiring a sonar unit to locate the specific depth where fish are holding.

Catfish

Channel catfish are abundant throughout Old Hickory Lake, with blue catfish also present in smaller numbers. Cut shad, chicken liver, and commercial catfish baits fished on bottom rigs in 15–30 feet near channel edges produce channel catfish consistently. The Hendersonville area and the Wilson County creek arms are popular catfishing destinations for shore and dock anglers. Flathead catfish inhabit the deeper main channel areas and are less commonly targeted but present for dedicated flathead anglers using live bream or large live bait in the 10–20 lb range. Check TWRA current regulations for catfish at tn.gov/twra before targeting catfish — size and creel limits have been adjusted periodically as part of the statewide catfish management program.

Fishing License and Regulations

A valid Tennessee fishing license is required for all anglers 13 and older. Licenses are available online at tn.gov/twra, through the TWRA app, or at licensed retailers throughout Middle Tennessee. Annual resident licenses are more economical than single-day licenses for homeowners who will fish throughout the year. Current creel limits, size minimums, and any special regulations for Old Hickory Lake are published in the TWRA Fishing Guide, available free at tn.gov/twra and at most bait shops near the lake. Regulations are updated annually — always check the current season guide, not last year's version. For tournament fishing information and permits: contact TWRA Region 3 at 615-781-6500.

What Makes Old Hickory Different From Percy Priest for Fishing

Percy Priest Lake, 10 miles closer to downtown Nashville, is the lake most Nashville-area anglers know first. But experienced anglers who fish both consistently favor Old Hickory for serious fishing. The difference is structure and pressure. Percy Priest is smaller and bowl-shaped, with the shoreline more uniformly accessible and the fishing pressure correspondingly higher on popular spots. Old Hickory's 97-mile elongated shape creates far more structural variety — creek channel intersections, river bends, submerged timber in the upper arms, deep main-channel ledges near the dam, and dozens of smaller coves that receive far less pressure than the main-lake structure near Percy Priest's I-40 ramps. Anglers who invest the time to learn the upper Wilson County and Smith County arms of Old Hickory consistently describe fishing quality that Percy Priest simply cannot match at the same level of crowd and competition. The TWRA fish attractor sites — 18 documented locations with GPS coordinates available from TWRA — give anglers a starting framework for building local knowledge without starting from scratch on a 97-mile lake.