Brown's Creek Lake. Ten miles south of I-40 in Natchez Trace State Park. From I-40: Take exit 116. Follow State Road 114 south to Brown's Creek Lake Road. With the many acres of scenic woodlands, the park also includes four lakes, a swimming beach, a 20-unit resort inn and restaurant complex, cabins, group lodge, facilities for fishing and boating, camping areas, picnicking sites, playgrounds, a ball field, a regulation pistol firing range, picturesque hiking trails, a wrangler camp, 250 miles of horse riding trails, a park store, and archery range.

The oldest of the Family Fishing Lakes, having been built in the 1930s, Browns Creek Lake was drained, renovated and restocked during the 1990s, and its fishery is in very good condition. The catfish seem to thrive there, Rizzuto said, which may be in part due to populations of gizzard shad and yellow bass, which provide additional forage for the catfish.

Browns Creek Lake, at 167 acres, is average sized for the Family Fishing Lakes program. It is located within Natchez Trace State Park, about 20 miles east of Jackson. The upper half of the lake, which is loaded with stumps, often produces very good catfish action. Farther down the lake, boating anglers should try putting baits around the ends of abundant blowdowns. Good bank access is available near the boat-launching area, from the top of the riprap dam and from an L-shaped fishing pier. Boat rentals are also available. Bait and tackle, however, are not available on site, so anglers should be sure to arrive well supplied.

Administration of this area is shared by the TN Division of State Parks, the TN Division of Forestry, and the TN Wildlife Resources Agency. The area provides not only recreation, but managed hunting as well. Wildersville, TN (731) 423-5725