Island Branch Fishing in Cheatham County, Tennessee

• Overview

  Set in Cheatham County, Tennessee, this is Island Branch. Elevation runs to 407 feet. For a base, Ashland City sits 6.7 miles out. Then Pegram, 8.8 miles, and Belle Meade, 10 miles. Nearby alternatives: Lake Chippewa 6.8 miles away, Marrowbone Lake after 7.3 miles, Bush Lake 10 miles away, Craig Lake after 13 miles and Radnor Lake 14 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Island Branch

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Flow decides everything here: read the seams before you cast. Undercut banks hold fish that the middle of the river never will. Survey and observation records for Cheatham County include stone darter, bluegill and fantail darter. The county list is broader than any single water. On Island Branch the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 78°F and January near 36°F on the long-run figures. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Island Branch runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lake Chippewa at 6.8 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Island Branch may have changed since it was mapped.