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Center Hill tailwater. Middle Tennessee’s trout factory. The river tops out around 12 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 512 acres wrapped in 53 miles of bank. An index of 16.7 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 11.5 mi long by 3.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. Smith County claims this one. If the bite dies, Center Hill Lake is 15 mi to the southeast.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 12 ft. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 9.4) — current seam, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.4) (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.4) (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.4) (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 9.4) (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 12 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 9.4), a prime-rated current seam around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 9.4) (7 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 12 features, led in depth by Dam tailrace at roughly 10 ft.
Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Caney Fork River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Caney Fork River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, walleye, brown trout on Caney Fork River.
Current seam (mile 9.4) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Caney Fork River is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Center Hill Lake 15 mi · Cordell Hull Lake 15 mi · Old Hickory Lake 35 mi · Mill Creek Lake 36 mi, KY · J. Percy Priest Lake 37 mi · Dale Hollow Lake 42 mi, KY/TN · Bedford County Lake 51 mi · Barren River Lake 51 mi, KY · Normandy Lake 52 mi · West Fork Drakes Creek Reservoir 53 mi, KY · Marrowbone Lake 58 mi · Jesse W. Thornton Lake 60 mi, KY
See how Caney Fork River stacks up: best walleye lakes in Tennessee · best rainbow trout lakes in Tennessee · best brown trout lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.