Lake Halford
Lake Halford is the largest man-made lake in West Tennessee with more than 22 miles of shoreline. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency began management of Lake Halford (formerly known as the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake) in 2022. The lake is open for fishing and recreational activities.
The agency held a public listening session in May 2022 to better understand community priorities for the lake and is maintaining the recreational activities that have been available at the lake since its creation. Lake Halford was also named a proposed location for a Bill Dance Signature Lake. With this designation, residents and visitors can expect to see additional fisheries management activities at the lake, such as fish attractor installation, as well as increased TWRA boating law enforcement presence.
Largemouth Bass: 10 fish per day, 18-inch maximum size limit. Only two (2) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested.
Bluegill/Redear: 10 fish per day, no length limit
Crappie (all species): no creel no length limit
Blue/Channel Catfish: 5 per day , 16 minimum length limit
Jug fishing is prohibited on Lake Halford.
TWRA 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 Found
You can find Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, & channel catfish at Lake Halford.
Fishing Tips:
- Plastic worms worked slowly are usually effective for bass when the water temperature is below 55 degrees.
- When water temperatures warm to above 55 degrees, try small crayfish-colored Rat-L-Traps to fish in shallow water in early mornings and late afternoons.
- Fish deeper and around cover during the midday hours.
