Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Ed Carter, Executive Director

Region II Fishing Opportunities

The TWRA fisheries crew has built several piers during the last few years to give anglers more bank access. These piers are at a small lake near Percy Priest Lake in Smyrna. The name of the park is Sharps Spring. It is also stocked with catfish. The agency is willing to apply labor and help build piers on public lakes if local cities are willing to share cost projects.

Contact TWRA's Region II Office at (615) 781-6624 and ask for Todd St. John.

Middle Tennessee Bank Access Points

Middle Tennessee anglers have more choices than they may realize to fish around excellent structures that attract many of our favorite game fish such as bass, crappie, and bluegill.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, with the approval and help of the U.S. Corps of Engineers and others, has built fishing piers and platforms on Old Hickory and Percy Priest lakes specifically for bank anglers.

The piers are larger than the platforms, but both span the water and get anglers close to structure build around them by TWRA.

Percy Priest

Cook Recreation Area: This site has one pier, and two fishing platforms that extend over the water. Also fish attractors around bank. Off of Stewarts Ferry Pike.

Stewarts Creek: This site has one pier, numerous small platforms at edge of water, lots of bank access, and a lot of structure within easy casting distance. Off Weakley Road in Smyrna.

Viverett Creek: This site has 1 pier, several platforms, and very good bank access. Just off of Stewarts Ferry Pike, not far from Cook Recreation Area.

Bank Fishing: Percy Priest has lots more good bank fishing. Seven Points Recreation Area, Pooles Knob Receration Area, Bryant's Grove Recreation Area, and Percy Priest Dam offers easy access.

Sharp Springs Natural Area (near Priest Lake): This site has three ponds (catch and release only). Two ponds have 1 fiishing platform, the other has two. Sharp Springs in just off Jefferson Pike, near Weakley Road, in Smyrna.

Old Hickory

Rockland Recreation Area: Site has 1 pier and good bank access. In Hendersonville near Old Hickory Dam andCorps of Engineers Resource Office.

Sanders Ferry Park: This site has 1 pier and good bank access. In Hendersonville on Drakes creek near the End of Sanders Ferry Road.

Bledsoe Creek State Park: This site has 2 piers. Also, fish attractor around bank. Just off Highway 25 on Ziegler Ford Road in Gallatin.

Shutes Branch Recration Area: This site has two piers near each other, but on each side of the road . Near Mt. Juliet off of Andrew Jackson Parkway.

Station Camp Creek: 1 pier. Located in Gallatin near end of Lock 4 Road.

Stakebeds On Percy Priest Lake

Crappie Anglers should definitely give Percy Priest stake beds a try this winter. Located all over the lake, these stake beds are marked by PVC pipe with a TWRA logo at the top. Stakebeds face away from the bank and toward river or creek channels. Most of them are 10 by 10 in size and have bout 100 stakes each. They are driven into the lake bottom. While they are designed for crappie, many other fish also inhabit them in search for shelter or food.