Sampson-Wood Lake Fishing near Oak Grove, Tennessee

• Overview

  Sampson-Wood Lake is one of the Washington County waters in Tennessee. Everything around it is mixed woodland. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest town is Oak Grove, 1.7 miles off. For a city, Knoxville is 88 miles off. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules. It rewards a look round before the first cast.

• Where to Fish on Sampson-Wood Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Public occurrence data for Washington County names snubnose darter, orangethroat darter and rainbow darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Sampson-Wood Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 74°F; by January the average is down near 34°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sampson-Wood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Boone Lake sits 3.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Sampson-Wood Lake carry more weight than any list.