Center Hill Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Caney Fork River, Cumberland River, and Roaring River - It's all near Cookeville TN!

Almost any fisherman worth his salt has heard of at least one of these lakes or rivers. What most people don't realize is that every one of these large bodies of wateris within 1 hour of Cookeville, TN. For the avid outdoors man, this is paradise.  We have huge marinas, small marinas, and even floating restaurants.  Fisherman can participate in large professional fishing tournaments, or sneak away to their favorite top-secret fishing hole.

I happened by the overlook at Center Hill Lake a couple of days ago, and couldn't resist taking a picture to share with everyone.  This particular overlook is only a short distance from Hurricane Marina.

Center Hill Lake is the most expensive to live near, especially if you want a view of the water.  This is the lake that many of the Nashville music stars call home (or at least have a second home here). All of the land around this lake is controlled by the Corps of Engineers, so there are no private docks.

The Caney Fork River adjoins Center Hill Lake, and is one of the few bodies of water where you can still have a private dock.

Travel north of Cookeville, and you'll come to the mighty Cumberland River in the sleepy little town of Gainesboro.  The Roaring River dumps into the Cumberland River here, so you can take your pick of fishing or kayaking spots on either river. 

From Gainesboro, you can travel west to the tiny historic community of Granville, and beautiful Cordell Hull lake.  This is the least populated lake, and it's also my personal favorite.  (And NO, I'm not telling your where my top-secret fishing hole is!!!) There's a small marina and restaurant in Granville, and it's much cheaper to keep a boat docked there.

(Just in case you didn't believe that I love to fish.)

Anyway, from Gainesboro you can also head North toward Celina TN. The drive follows the Cumberland River, and is really beautiful. You will eventually arrive at Dale Hollow Lake, which is another massive body of water. Many of my fellow fishermen prefer this lake over any of the others.  It's a bit cheaper to own a home with a view of the water here, but not by much.  The Corps of Engineers controls the shoreline of this lake also.

For more information about any of the lakes or rivers in the Upper Cumberland, you can visit the Corps of Engineers website.