Duck River

[Phildeal12]

A buddy and I are thinking about floating the duck this weekend near Henry Horton State Park. Does anyone have any advice or know of places to put in? Is there a place at Henry Horton itself to unload and load Kayaks? Thanks!

[SalmonDaze]

A buddy and I are thinking about floating the duck this weekend near Henry Horton State Park. Does anyone have any advice or know of places to put in? Is there a place at Henry Horton itself to unload and load Kayaks? Thanks!

Google earth will give you a lot of options. I've often used it to find gems easily overlooked.

Here's your answer: https://www.google.com/maps/place/35%C2%B035'31.4%22N+86%C2%B041'21.2%22W/@35.5920653,-86.6914197,595m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d35.59206 1!4d-86.689231

[kmtipps]

There is a ramp for take in/out at the picnic area loop. It is well marked. If you are going to put in upstream you used to could put in at Hopkins Bridge but that access has now been closed and you have to go to Halls Mill. It is about 14 miles from Halls Mill down to HH State Park. If you float from the park downstream, I think you can get out around Milltown, but there may be an access before that.

[bfish]

Hopkins Mill is private.

You can also put-in behind the racetrack (also private), just don't leave a vehicle as they do lock the gate.

From Halls Mill down is too far to effectively fish.

Here is a good resource for access (TWRA boat access map): https://www.tn.gov/twra/topic/gis-boating-fishing-access

[notorious]

Me and a Tiger Muskie fought it out in Milltown... the Muskie won.:(

PS. Packing a pistola is recommended.

[kmtipps]

I worked at Henry Horton many years ago and there is a good ramp there. it has actually been improved over the last few years.

As noted the Hopkins Bridge access is on private land. For years you could pay the owner a couple of dollars and access the river there. A friend of mine that lives near there, told me that the original landowner passed away and the new landowner was allowing access under the same system and you could camp there also. Seems as though there started being a lot of problems and the sheriff was being called out regularly, so they closed all that down and no access at all now.

I have floated from Hopkins Bridge to Henry Horton a couple of times. It's a good float and good fishing. Floating from Halls Mill would be a long way to Henry Horton and a long day.

I have floated from Horton to Milltown a couple of times, but it has been about 15 years since I have done so. From what I remember, the take out above the dam is a little rough, but it could have been improved since then. I know a couple of the canoe liveries will put you in below Milltown and you can float down to them at 431.

I float the Stones River now since I live in Murfreesboro. It fishes similar to the Duck, but I think the Duck is a more scenic float.