Puckett’s Point: Center Hill Lake’s Hidden Treasure

Puckett’s Point is a named geographic point on Center Hill Lake, sitting along the Caney Fork arm of the reservoir near Eagle Creek and Long Branch—one of the quieter, more scenic stretches of the lake’s 415 miles of shoreline. The name appears on maps of Center Hill Lake and has been attached to this landscape since the reservoir was completed in 1948.

A public concrete boat launch at Puckett’s Point provides a free, no-frills access point to Center Hill Lake without the commercial activity of a marina. It is the kind of launch local boaters use when they want direct access rather than docks, rentals, fuel, and other services.

The Caney Fork arm here has the scenery that makes Center Hill Lake distinctive: narrow wooded fingers of water between Highland Rim ridgelines, clear water, rocky shoreline, quiet coves, and regular sightings of herons, osprey, and bald eagles.

From the house

About 400 yards · 5-minute walk · 1-minute drive

Access

Public concrete ramp · parking · no marina services

Before Center Hill Lake existed, the Caney Fork River valley held farms, homesteads, roads, and small communities that had worked the bottomland of Middle Tennessee for generations. The Puckett name was attached to this particular point of land before the reservoir transformed the valley.

Construction on Center Hill Dam began in 1942 and was completed in 1948. The resulting reservoir changed the Caney Fork landscape into the lake visitors know today, with forested shorelines tracing the higher ground that remained above the water.

Puckett’s Point survived that transformation as a named landmark: a place where the older Tennessee countryside meets the modern reservoir. Its persistence on maps is also a reminder that today’s recreation landscape has a human history beneath and around it.

Kayaking and paddleboarding. The ramp provides a direct put-in to the Caney Fork arm. Early morning usually offers the calmest water and the quietest experience. Conditions change quickly, so wear a properly fitted personal flotation device and keep clear of launching boats.

Fishing. Rocky points, submerged structure, and nearby coves can hold smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, and catfish. Fish from a small boat or paddle craft with the appropriate Tennessee license and current regulations.

Boat launching. This is a straightforward public ramp rather than a staffed marina. Bring what you need, assess ramp and water conditions on arrival, and avoid blocking the launch while organizing gear.

Wildlife watching. Great blue herons, kingfishers, osprey, bald eagles, and woodland birds use this stretch regularly. Dawn is often the strongest window; binoculars make the shoreline more rewarding.

Center Hill Lake has major marinas for good reason: they provide fuel, rentals, slips, food, staff, and an easy starting point for visitors who need those services. Puckett’s Point offers something different. It is a small, functional access point to a quieter arm of the lake.

That difference is part of the value of staying at The Little Lake House. The house is not merely near Center Hill Lake in the broad marketing sense. A useful public access point is close enough to become part of an early-morning routine: carry a kayak down, launch while the water is calm, and return before breakfast.

You do not need to force a full day from the place. An hour on the water, a slow look at the coves, or a few minutes watching mist lift from the ridgelines is enough to understand why it matters.