Ripshin Lake, Tennessee: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Carter County entry here is Ripshin Lake, in Tennessee. The setting is farm and woodlot on every side. With some 59 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. It is the biggest water on our Carter County list. Roan Mountain is the closest town at 3.5 miles. The big place round here is Charlotte, 98 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Ripshin Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Open biodiversity records for Carter County list brown trout, rainbow trout, fantail darter, bluegill and green sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Ripshin Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 32°F in January up to 69°F in July. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Ripshin Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Miller Lake at 1.5 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Ripshin Lake in what we hold.