Fishing Smith Lake in Henry County, Tennessee

• Overview

  Smith Lake sits in Henry County, out in Tennessee. The water sits 489 feet up. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Henry County list holds plenty of bigger water. Paris sits 2.4 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Clarksville, 55 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Henry County include guardian darter, firebelly darter and bandfin darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Smith Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 78°F and January near 34°F on the long-run figures. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Smith Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Middle Fork Obion Lake Five is 5.7 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Smith Lake.