Old Hickory Lake Vacation Rentals

Why Rent On Old Hickory Lake

Old Hickory Lake stretches 97 river miles across north-central Tennessee on the Cumberland River, from the Old Hickory Lock and Dam in Hendersonville northeast to the Cordell Hull Lock and Dam near Carthage. The reservoir covers 22,500 acres across five counties — Davidson, Sumner, Wilson, Trousdale, and Smith — held at a stable pool elevation of 445 feet by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Named for Andrew Jackson, whose home, The Hermitage, sits near the lake’s southern shore, Old Hickory sits 25 miles from downtown Nashville and distinguishes itself within Middle Tennessee’s roster of Cumberland River impoundments through a striped bass programme the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has built into one of the Southeast’s most compelling trophy fisheries, with fish regularly exceeding 50 pounds.

On the water

The USACE manages Old Hickory with exceptional public infrastructure: 41 boat ramp sites, 11 marinas, eight fishing piers, and three campgrounds — Shutes Branch, Cages Bend, and Cedar Creek — distributed across the five-county shoreline. The striped bass fishery is the headline draw, with prime action near the Cordell Hull Dam end during the May spawning run. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is productive through spring across the lake’s creek arms, particularly Little Cedar Creek, Spring Creek, Barton Creek, and Drakes Creek. White bass, crappie, sauger, and catfish fill out the season at 40 maintained TWRA fish attractor sites. Swimming beaches at Old Hickory Beach, Cedar Creek, Laguardo, and Lock 3 Park offer sandy shorelines with summer lifeguard coverage. Check current TWRA regulations at tn.gov/twra before fishing; striped bass carry separate season and size restrictions.

What to do near Old Hickory Lake

The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s plantation estate, is among the finest preserved presidential homes in the country, with a renovated visitor centre that honestly addresses the plantation’s history of enslaved labour. Rock Castle State Historic Site in Hendersonville — the oldest stone house in Tennessee — is a short drive up the northern shore. Bledsoe Creek State Park sits directly on the Sumner County shoreline with camping and wildlife trails in a wooded creek-corridor setting. Nashville, 30 minutes west, puts the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Johnny Cash Museum within easy day-trip range.

When to go and where to stay

May through early July is the finest combined window: excellent bass and striped bass fishing, warm water for swimming, and long Tennessee evenings. The striped bass spawning concentration near Cordell Hull Dam peaks in May and represents some of the most accessible trophy freshwater fishing in the South. Midweek visits from mid-June through August offer the full amenity range with considerably lighter crowds. Fall, September through November, is excellent for largemouth and white bass as vegetation recedes and fish concentrate near creek mouths. The lake’s stable water level makes year-round access reliable. Lakehouse rentals across Hendersonville, Gallatin, Lebanon, and Carthage range from modest two-bedroom cottages to expansive properties with private docks and Cumberland River views. Browse Lake.com for cabin and lakehouse listings around Old Hickory Lake.