Appreciating Tennessee’s Duck River as autumn lingers
By Tom Adkinson
November 12, 2021

Kayak at the ready. Image by Tom Adkinson

CHAPEL HILL, Tennessee – When the temperature climbs to 75 in mid-November, kayakers and anglers face temptation often too great to resist. Will this be the last warm day of the year to paddle? Will this be the last opportunity to tempt a smallmouth bass or even a more mundane bream? Will this be a day rewarded with the chatter of a belted kingfisher, the squawk of a great blue heron or the flash of a bald eagle?

In Middle Tennessee, the Duck River holds all of those potential payoffs for skipping work – and many more. Pick your choice about the length of the Duck. Various sources say 269, 270, 284 or 290 miles. All sources, however, agree that the Duck is the longest river located entirely in Tennessee and is one of the state’s most scenic waterways throughout its meandering route. It flows west from headwaters near Manchester and empties into the Tennessee River near New Johnsonville.

Last catch. Image by Tom Adkinson

Most kayakers and canoeists who enjoy the last hurrahs of autumn and revel in nature’s beauties along the Duck River know how special it is. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency notes that it is the most biologically diverse river in North America, citing its more than 50 species of freshwater mussels (prime indicators of clean water) and 151 species of fish.