LOCAL LAKES & MARINAS
Center Hill Lake
877-864-8666
The 18,220-acre lake features 255 miles of shoreline. The lake was created by the construction of a dam across the Caney Fork River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was completed in 1948. A number of marinas and boat ramps provide easy access to the water.
MARINAS on Center Hill:
Cookeville Boat Dock
13800 Cookeville Boat Dock Road, Baxter
Rentals: 931-858-4008
Slip rentals, deck and pontoon boat rentals, fuel, grocery items, launch/ramp, restaurant.
Edgar Evins Marina
1630 Edgar Evins Park Road, Silver Point
Rentals: 888-858-5695
Slip rentals, pontoon and houseboat rentals, fuel, grocery items, launch/ramp, restaurant. Campsites.
Hidden Harbor Marina
2700 Holmes Creek Road, Smithville
Rentals: 615-597-8800
Slip rentals, fishing, deck, pontoon and houseboat rentals, bait and tackle shop, grocery, short-order grill. Cabins and campsites.
Horseshoe Bend Marina
6040 Webb’s Camp Road, Walling
Rentals: 615-597-8800
Slip rentals, Jon boats, fishing and ski boats, pontoon and houseboat rentals. Primitive and RV campsites. Fuel, launch/ramp.
Hurricane Marina
864 Floating Mill Road, Silver Point
Rentals: 931-858-2221
Slip rentals, pontoon boat rentals, a store and a restaurant. Primitive and RV campsites. Fuel, launch/ramp.
Sligo Marina
350 Sligo Road, Smithville
Rentals: 615-597-4807
Slip rentals, pontoon boat rentals, a ship store, restaurant, fuel, launch/ramp. Cabin rentals available.
Dale Hollow Lake
888-406-4704
The 620-mile lake controlled by the U.S. Army of Corps Engineers has numerous marinas, including several that offer houseboat rentals: East Port Marina (eastport.info); Eagle Cove Resort (eaglecoveresort.net); Mitchell Creek Marina (mitchellcreekmarina.com); Star Point Resort (starpointresort.com); and Sunset Marina & Resort (sunsetmarina.com). Dale Hollow Lake is partly in Tennessee, partly in Kentucky. Depending upon where you are on the lake, you will need a valid fishing license.
Old Hickory Lake
Old Hickory was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1952. Pontoons/ wake boards through sweetwaterpontoonrentals.com.
Percy Priest Lake
For information, call marinas
Percy Priest Lake is a 42-mile long, 14,000- acre Corps-of-Engineers lake created by the J. Percy Priest Dam which was completed in 1968. The lake was named in honor of Congressman J. Percy Priest. It’s a 15-minute drive from Downtown Nashville. To fish, you must have a valid Tennessee fishing license. Fish species include striped bass, large and small-mouth bass, catfish, bluegill and trout.
MARINAS on Percy Priest:
Elm Hill Marina
3361 Bell Road, Nashville
Office: 615-889-5363
Rentals: 615-739-9100
Nashville’s largest boat rental fleet includes fishing boats, bass boats and pontoon party boats (several different kinds available, all with gas grills and swim ladders). Amenities include a fuel dock, boat registration renewal, video security, propane exchange, slip rentals, live bait, overnight slips, launch ramp and fishing licenses. Rentals include all required safety gear and water skis, wakeboards and inner tubes are also available to rent. Boats are available at daily and hourly rates. See website for prices. Advance reservations are recommended.
Fate Sanders Marina
3157 Weakly Lane, Smyrna
Office: 615-459-6219
On Percy Priest Lake between Nashville and Murfreesboro, Fate Sanders offers pontoon boats and fishing boats for rent, starting at $175 a day. The marina also has covered slips with extended roof height for all types of boats, a tackle shop and Fate Sanders Restaurant on the water, offering breakfast at 6 a.m. and views of the sunset at evening.
Nashville Shores Marina
4001 Bell Road, Nashville
Office: 615-883-0413
Boat slips. Pontoon boat rentals through Nashville Boat Rentals (nashvilleboatrentals.com). Jet ski rentals through Music City Water Sports (musiccitywatersports.com).
TIMS FORD LAKE
Information: 931-962-1183
The 10,000-acre lake offers boat rentals and marinas including Holiday Landing (holidaylanding.com), Tims Ford Marina (timsfordmarina.com) and Lakeview Boat Dock (lakeviewboatdock.com).
CANOEING
Canoe the Caney
800-579-7893
17055 Smithville Hwy., Silver Point
Canoe Music City
615-952-4211
1203 Hwy. 70 S., Kingston Springs
Foggy Bottom Canoe Rental
615-952-4062
1270 Hwy. 70, Kingston Springs
Tip-a-Canoe
800-550-5810
1279 Hwy. 70, Kingston Springs
WATERCRAFT RENTALS
Jbeez Watercraft
Jet ski, pontoon, paddle boat rentals, delivered to you at the lake of your choice: Center Hill, Dale Hollow, Percy Priest or Old Hickory. Reserve online.
Music City Water Sports
4001 Bell Road, Hermitage
Jet skis, kayaks, canoes, SUP (stand-up paddling) boards for Percy Priest Lake adventures.
Nashville Boat Rentals
Independent pontoon boat rentals for Percy Priest Lake.
Nashville Paddle Company
SUP instruction and rentals.
Paddle Dog Adventures
Hourly canoe, kayak, paddle boat and SUP board rentals on Westhaven Lake along with fun on the Harpeth and West Harpeth Rivers.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE’S LAKE BEACHES
Lake Swim Areas: $3 – $4 per vehicle
Percy Priest Lake:
Anderson Road Recreation Area
410 Anderson Road, Nashville
615-361-1980
Cook Day Use Area
12230 Old Hickory Blvd., Hermitage
615-889-1975
Seven Points Day Use
1810 Stewarts Ferry Pike, Hermitage
615-889-5198
Old Hickory Lake:
Cedar Creek
9264 Saundersville Road, Mt. Juliet
615-754-4947
Laguardo
7609 Hwy. 109 North, Lebanon
615-449-6544
Old Hickory Beach
876 Burnett Road, Old Hickory
615-847-8091
Center Hill Lake:
Longbranch Recreation Area
478 Lancaster Road, Lancaster
615-548-8002
Dale Hollow Lake:
Obey River Park
100 Obey Park Road, Monroe
931-864-6388
RAFT THE OCOEE
Whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River (in east Tennessee) gives thrill seekers ages 12 and older the chance to experience class III and IV rapids on the Middle Ocoee. The Upper/Middle Ocoee adds the featured 1996 Olympic canoe and kayak course. Get hooked up with one of these outfitters (prices vary):
Adventures Unlimited (adventuresunlimited.net), Cascade Outdoors (cascadeoutdoors.com), High Country Adventures (hcrivers.com), Ocoee Adventure Center (ocoeeadventurecenter.com) or Quest Expeditions (questexpeditions.com).
NASHVILLE BOAT CLUB
Serious about wanting to boat but don’t want to buy one? Consider joining the Nashville Boat Club. Members pay an initial one-time fee starting at $1,395, then monthly dues starting at $238. Dues include unlimited boat usage, guaranteed reservations and complimentary use of club water toys. Choose a membership for Percy Priest Lake, Old Hickory Lake or Center Hill Lake. Learn more at nashvilleboatclub.net.
WAKEFEST TENNESSEE 2019
Wakefest 2019 takes place July 20 – 21 on Old Hickory Lake. Started in 2005 to promote the sport of wakeboarding, this is a boat-access only wakeboarding tournament hosted by TNT Watersports and Pates Ford Marina at 6323 Jefferson Road in Smithville. This year’s event includes a pro division tournament. To see the schedule and to learn more, visit wakefesttn.com.
