Coy Gaithers Bedford Lake in Tennessee
General Description
Coy Gaithers Bedford Lake can be found in Bedford County Tennessee. The lake is approximately 14 miles east of Wartrace TN and Shelbyville TN. The lake is 47 acres and has a picnic area for visitors, The fishing facilities also included a boat launching ramp, fishing pier, and fish attractors.
Largemouth Bass: 5 per day, 14–18 inch PLR. Only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested.
Bluegill/Redear: 20 per day in combination, no length limit.
Crappie (all species): 15 per day, 10 inch minimum length limit.
Blue/Channel Catfish: 5 per day in combination, 14 inch minimum length limit.
TWRA Family Fishing Lakes
Hours
The lakes are open to fishing all week. Lakes will open one‑half hour before official sunrise and close one‑half hour after official sunset, except Garrett Lake which is open 24 hours a day. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day the following lakes are closed: Gibson Co., Glenn Springs, Herb Parsons, and Lake Graham.
Permits
A daily lake permit of $6.00 (available at most lakes), in addition to the regular fishing license, is required to use these lakes. At Lake Halford, a daily or annual permit is required for anyone using the lake or facilities for any type of recreation. A lake permit is not required at Garrett and Whiteville lakes. All residents 16 through 64 years of age, and nonresidents 16 years of age or older must have a permit. Sportsman license and lifetime license holders do not need a lake permit. Resident anglers 65 years of age and older do not need a permit, but do need a fishing license. A $48.00 Annual Lake Permit may also be purchased at many of the lakes with concessionaires, and is good at all TWRA fishing lakes. For Coy Gaither-Bedford Lake, a daily lake permit should be purchased from a license agent in the surrounding area before going to the lake. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all agency lakes. Boats used for any activity other than fishing are prohibited, except for hunting on specific lakes during the regular hunting season as listed in the Tennessee Hunting Guide. Speed boating, personal water craft, water skiing, and swimming are prohibited. Houseboats, sailboats and inboard cruisers are prohibited. On Coy Gaither-Bedford, Marrowbone, VFW and Williamsport lakes, only trolling motors can be used. At Lake Halford recreational boating, personal watercraft, water-skiiing and swimming are allowed. Boats may be rented for $10.00 per day at some lakes on a seasonal basis. There is no charge for paddles.
Tackle
Only rods and reels, poles, hand-held lines, and jugs may be used. Snagging is prohibited. Trotlines and limblines are prohibited.
From April 1 through Sept. 30, jug fishing is prohibited on Saturdays, Sundays, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. On days open to jug fishing, each boat is limited to 10 jugs or blocks per day.
Fish Species
Largemouth bass - crappie - bluegill - redear sunfish - blue & channel catfish
Fishing Tips:
- Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times for bass fishing, especially with top-water lures, and some of the best bass fishing occurs in rainy weather.
- Use surface lures that make lots of noise.
