It’s a fishing day

Caney Fork River fishing conditions · Tennessee

Today 1 pm to tomorrow 9 pmRainbow trout

The bite peaks at 58.

Log a trip here
Right now: 53 for rainbow trout, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Rainbow trout, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 539 am
  2. 53
  3. 53
  4. 5312 pm
  5. 58
  6. 58
  7. 583 pm
  8. 58
  9. 58
  10. 586 pm
  11. 58
  12. 58
  13. 589 pm
  14. 58
  15. 58
  16. 58Tue
  17. 58
  18. 58
  19. 583 am
  20. 58
  21. 58
  22. 586 am
  23. 58
  24. 58
  25. 589 am
  26. 58
  27. 58
  28. 5812 pm
  29. 58
  30. 58
  31. 583 pm
  32. 58
  33. 58
  34. 586 pm
  35. 58
  36. 58
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Rainbow trout range 45–68°

Wind
0 mph

From the

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:54 pm

Sky
Mostly Sunny

No rain expected

Air
53°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Tennessee regulations for these waters.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

58MarginalToday 1 pm to tomorrow 9 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Rainbow trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.

Why

Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

7 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: 7 trout a day combined, no statewide minimum (only 2 may be lake trout). Tailwater rules: Clinch 14–20" protected; South Holston 16–22" protected; Watauga Quality Trout Area 14" and 2 a day; Hiwassee delayed harvest Oct 1–Feb 28; Caney Fork 5 a day with a 14–20" protected range and a 24" brown trout minimum.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Tennessee

More on rainbow trout

Brook Trout

Brook trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

58MarginalToday 1 pm to tomorrow 9 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Brook trout bite in 40–65° water, best near 52°.

Why

Holds 1–10 ft down.

Keep

7 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: 7 trout a day combined, no statewide minimum. Below Center Hill Dam the Caney Fork protects brook trout from 14 to 20" (5 trout a day, only 1 over 20").

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Tennessee

More on brook trout

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

50Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Brown trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.

Why

Brown trout feeds less actively under bright moon. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

7 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: 7 trout a day combined, no statewide minimum (only 2 may be lake trout). Tailwater rules: Clinch 14–20" protected; South Holston 16–22" protected; Watauga Quality Trout Area 14" and 2 a day; Hiwassee delayed harvest Oct 1–Feb 28; Caney Fork 5 a day with a 14–20" protected range and a 24" brown trout minimum.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Tennessee

More on brown trout

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer30.42 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:54 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow7:00 am
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Major solunarToday 11:40 am–1:40 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:30 pm–6:30 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 12:10 am–2:10 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Tennessee TWRA report, Oct 11

Names brown trout, rainbow trout, which people fish for here. It covers the whole state, so it may not describe these waters.

Read it at Tennessee TWRA

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A middle-Tennessee tailwater below Center Hill Dam — cold, fertile water that grows large stocked and holdover trout (rainbow, brown, and brook) within an hour of Nashville. Drifted and waded at low generation; a regional trophy-trout draw.

TN: 5 trout a day. Rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout from 14 to 20" must be released (only 1 over 20"); brown trout 24" minimum, 1 a day. Center Hill generation flows swing fast — check the TVA schedule before wading.

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

J. Percy Priest Lake43 mi · TennesseeBest now until tomorrow 9 pm
76Worth the trip
Dale Hollow Lake44 mi · TennesseeBest today 2 pm to tomorrow 10 pm
58Marginal
Tims Ford Lake63 mi · TennesseeBest now until tomorrow 9 pm
64Marginal
Chickamauga Lake63 mi · TennesseeBest today 2 pm–6 pm
84Worth the trip
Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater)66 mi · KentuckyBest now until tomorrow 10 pm
64Marginal
Lake Cumberland69 mi · KentuckyBest today 2 pm to tomorrow 10 pm
58Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Caney Fork River?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Caney Fork River you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Caney Fork River?

Caney Fork River is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Caney Fork River?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Caney Fork River against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Caney Fork River have?

Caney Fork River has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. TN: 5 trout a day. Rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout from 14 to 20" must be released (only 1 over 20"); brown trout 24" minimum, 1 a day. Center Hill generation flows swing fast — check the TVA schedule before wading.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Caney Fork River?

state agency regulations apply at Caney Fork River. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Caney Fork River tidal water?

No. Caney Fork River is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.