Fishing in Tennessee public spots, conditions & reports
3 of 10worth the trip today
Mostly smallmouth bass and rainbow trout today. Each spot is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
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Every Tennessee spot
10 public spots, best first. Each is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
The state report
The current report names brown trout, crappie, cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, striped bass and walleye.
Licenses and rules
Rules for what people fish for here
- Smallmouth bass5 a dayTennessee statewide: no minimum length, 5 black bass a day combined. Reservoir rules: Kentucky Lake 15"; Percy Priest and Tims Ford 18"; Chickamauga no minimum but only 1 over 16"; Dale Hollow protects smallmouth from 16 to 21" and allows 2 a day.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Rainbow trout7 a dayTennessee: 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.Catch and release · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Largemouth bass5 a dayTennessee statewide: no minimum length, 5 black bass a day combined. Most big reservoirs set their own minimum: Kentucky Lake, Chickamauga, Percy Priest, Tims Ford and Dale Hollow are 15" on largemouth.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Brown trout7 a dayTennessee: 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.Catch and release · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Common carpno daily limitTennessee: nongame species, common carp included, have no creel or length limit. Silver, bighead and black carp may not be possessed or transported alive.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source
- Crappie10" minimum · 15 a dayTennessee statewide: 10" minimum, 15 crappie a day; Region 1 waters without their own rule are 30 a day with no minimum. Kentucky Lake is 10" and 20 a day; Percy Priest is 10" and 30 a day.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Striped bass15" minimum · 2 a dayTennessee: 15" minimum, 2 striped or hybrid striped bass a day combined. Cordell Hull protects striped bass from 32 to 42"; the Mississippi River allows 6 with no minimum.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Channel catfishno daily limitTennessee: no limit on catfish 34" and under; only 1 catfish over 34" may be kept a day.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Walleye16" minimum · 5 a dayTennessee: 16" minimum, 5 walleye a day. Sauger and sauger hybrids are a separate 10 a day with a 15" minimum.Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Brook trout7 a dayTennessee: 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").Open · Tennessee · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Limits differ by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water.
What’s biting in Tennessee
Species people fish for at Tennessee spots, and how many of those spots are worth the trip for them today.
Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieu1 of 5 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Chickamauga Lake, TN74
Bites in 55–78° water
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss1 of 5 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Hiwassee River, TN74
Bites in 45–68° water
CrappiePomoxis spp.1 of 4 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at J. Percy Priest Lake, TN71
Bites in 50–80° water
Striped bassMorone saxatilis1 of 3 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at J. Percy Priest Lake, TN71
Bites in 50–72° water
Largemouth bassMicropterus salmoides0 of 5 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Chickamauga Lake, TN68
Bites in 55–85° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta0 of 5 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Hiwassee River, TN66
Bites in 45–68° water
Common carpCyprinus carpio0 of 5 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Chickamauga Lake, TN68
Bites in 52–86° water
Channel catfishIctalurus punctatus0 of 3 spots worth the trip in Tennessee
Best now at Chickamauga Lake, TN68
Bites in 60–85° water
About fishing in Tennessee
Tennessee's 10 public access points span reservoirs and rivers and streams, across 10 counties. Across them, the species anglers most often target are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp, and Rainbow Trout. Each is scored live on water temperature, river flow, moon phase, barometric pressure, and weather. Always confirm current size, creel, and season limits with the Tennessee state fishery agency before keeping fish — we flag any species whose regulations we haven't yet verified.
10 public access points across 0 water bodies. Data from NOAA, NWS, USGS, and Tennessee TWRA.