reelfoot lake

We are open all year long Come and enjoy the beauty of this earthquake lake

In the winter of 1811-1812, the 150-mile-long New Madrid fault line produced a series of four earthquakes so powerful that the Mississippi River was said to have flowed backward for 10-24 hours. This intensity created Reelfoot Lake, and shocks were felt as far away as Quebec. The lake's name comes from a legend about a 19th-century Chickasaw Indian chief who was called Reelfoot because he had a deformed foot. His defiance of the Great Spirit by stealing a bride from a neighboring tribe supposedly caused the earthquake that formed the lake.

SPORTSMAN'S RESORT

The resort, a family-owned and operated establishment, was purchased in 1986 by Bill and Candy Curlin. It is located at the northern end (Upper Blue Basin) of Reelfoot Lake. In 2000, they acquired Ray's Camp near Keystone Park, which they renamed Sportsman's South (Lower Blue Basin).
OSPREY FESTIVAL
Visit the lake mid-July to view ospreys during one of their most active seasons.
Billed as one of Tennessee's top arts and crafts festivals, the Reelfoot Arts and Crafts Festival was established in 1971. The first weekend in October
While you can enjoy bald eagles year-round, the best time to see the highest volume is in the winter. The park hosts the annual Eagle Festival the first weekend in February and offers guided bus tours throughout January and February to help visitors find and enjoy these birds.
Come to Reelfoot Lake and explore a weekend of historical, educational, and fun activities for the entire family. This is a Free Event

Our Boats

YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN TROLLING MOTOR AND BATTERY
  • ONE TANK OF GAS
  • PADDED SEATS WITH BACKS
  • 8 HSP. MOTOR
  • NO LIVE WELLS
  • ONE ANCHOR TO A BOAT
  • ICE FOR YOUR COOLER
  • LIFE JACKETS
  • ONE THROW CUSHION
  • ONE PADDLE
  • Boats are available at 6:30 a.m. and must be back at sunset or 7 p.m., whichever comes first

FISHING AT REELFOOT LAKE

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT REELFOOT LAKE
· WHEN DOES THE CRAPPIE BITE? WE FISH FOR CRAPPIE YEAR ROUND EXCEPT DURING HOT WEATHER. FEBRUARY IS USUALLY THE START OF THE SEASON. WE CATCH BIG BIG SLAPS OF CRAPPIE AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE USUALLY HUNGRY, AND MINNOWS ARE THE BEST BET. THE SPAWN FOR CRAPPIE COMES WITH WARMER WATER. LATELY, THE END OF APRIL AND THE FIRST OF MAY HAVE BEEN GOOD.
· WHEN DOES THE BLUEGILL BITE? WE START CATCHING BLUEGILL IN LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL AROUND TREES, AND AS THE WATER WARMS, THEY START MOVING INTO THE BANKS. MAY AND JUNE ARE EXCELLENT MONTHS. BLUEGILL SPAWN 3 OR 4 TIMES A YEAR. WE CATCH THEM STILL ON THE BEDS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. BLUEGILLS LIKE TO HIT ON WAX WORMS OR CRICKETS.
WHEN DOES LARGEMOUTH BASS HIT? WE DO GOOD ON BASS IN FEBRUARY PRE-SPAWN. THEY ARE FEEDING AND ARE AROUND STUMPS IN SHALLOW WATER. THE SPAWN COMES WITH WARMER WATER TEMPERATURES. SOME PARTS OF THE LAKE ARE SHALLOWER AND START WARMING FASTER, SO THE BASS ARE CAUGHT THERE FIRST. LATER THEY MOVE ALL AROUND THE BANKS NEXT TO LOGS AND DUCK BLINDS. SUMMER IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO FISH FOR BASS.
· WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? WE HAVE TWO RESORTS. ONE ON THE UPPER BLUE BASIN (NORTH LOCATION) LOCATED OFF OF HWY. 78. THE OTHER IS ON THE LOWER BLUE BASIN ( SOUTH LOCATION) OFF HWY. 21.
WHICH END OF THE LAKE IS THE BEST FOR FISHING? BOTH ENDS OF THE LAKE ARE EXCELLENT FOR CATCHING ALL OF THE ABOVE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE CAN BE THE WIND. AT SPORTSMAN’S RESORT, IF YOU ARE STAYING ON THE SOUTH END AND THE WIND IS TOO BAD, WE CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOU TO HAVE A BOAT ON THE NORTH END. IT IS MORE WIND PROTECTED.
· . CAN YOU GET FROM ONE END OF THE LAKE TO THE OTHER BY BOAT? WE DON’T RECOMMEND IT. THE LAKE HAS A LOT OF CHANNELS, AND YOU CAN GET LOST. IT IS A GREATER DISTANCE TO TRAVEL THAN MOST PEOPLE THINK. AT SPORTSMAN’S RESORT, WE HAVE ACCESS TO BOTH ENDS OF THE LAKE. IF YOU STAY AT ONE END AND WOULD LIKE TO FISH THE OTHER, WE CAN ARRANGE THAT FOR YOU.
WHAT IF I WANTED TO BRING MY OWN BOAT? SOME DO. BUT MOST ARE AFRAID TO WITH ALL OF THE STUMPS IN THE WATER. WE USE 6 HSP. MOTORS. YOU HAVE TO GO SLOW. YOU WILL HIT STUMPS.
· WHAT IS THE DEPTH OF THE LAKE? THE AVERAGE DEPTH IS 5 TO 7 FEET OF WATER FOUND ALL OVER THE LAKE. THE DEEPEST WATER IS ON THE LOWER BLUE. IT HAS 18 FT OF WATER. THE UPPER BLUE HAS 10 FT.
· HOW BAD ARE THE STUMPS? STUMPS CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE LAKE. THAT IS WHAT MAKES REELFOOT A FISH HEAVEN. SOME ARE DEEP, AND SOME ARE NOT. YOU WON’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE FINDING THEM.
· I HEAR THERE ARE A LOT OF SNAKES DOWN THERE. THIS LAKE IS A NATURAL FISH HATCHERY, SO WITH THAT COMES THE SNAKES. MOST ARE THE WATER SNAKES THAT FEED ON THE FISH. THEY WILL NOT BOTHER YOU. THEY LAY QUIETLY ON THE BANKS OR LOGS LIKE THE TURTLES AND ALL OF THE OTHER WILDLIFE WE HAVE ON THE LAKE. PEOPLE HAVE SEEN DEER, BEAVER, MUSKRATS, RACCOONS, EAGLES, CRANES, AND SNAKES ARE PART OF IT.
WE WANT YOU TO CATCH FISH. THAT IS WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE BACK. We WILL TRY TO TELL YOU WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO USE, AND POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OF COURSE, FISH DON’T BITE ALL OF THE TIME, BUT WE HOPE YOU HIT IT JUST RIGHT WHERE YOU CAN GO HOME AND TELL THE STORIES THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLING ABOUT REELFOOT LAKE FOR YEARS.