What the advice means
Precautionary and do-not-eat advisories
Precautionary advisory
Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.
Do not eat
TDEC advises that the named fish, or all fish where it says so, should not be eaten from that stretch of water.
Only the named fish
An advisory covers the species and stretch named. Other fish from the same lake, and the rest of the river, are not part of it.
East Tennessee
East Tennessee fish consumption advisories
| Water | Counties | Stretch | Pollutant | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrams Creek | Blount | From Chilhowee Reservoir to Abrams Falls (14.6 miles), within Great Smokey Mountains National Park | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for smallmouth bass.* |
| Bear Creek | Roane | From East Fork Poplar Creek to Hwy 95 (River mile 2.8) | Mercury, PCBs | Fish should not be eaten. |
| Beaver Creek | Sullivan | From Boone Reservoir to Tennessee/Virginia State Line (20.0 miles) | PCBs | Do not consume Carp. |
| Boone Reservoir Boone Lake access | Sullivan, Washington | Entirety (4,400 acres) | PCBs, chlordane | Precautionary advisory for carp and catfish.* |
| Chattanooga Creek | Hamilton | From Tennessee River (Nickajack Reservoir) to Georgia state line (7.7 miles) | PCBs, chlordane | Fish should not be eaten. |
| Cherokee Reservoir Cherokee Lake access | Grainger, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson | Entirety (28,780 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) and Catfish.* |
| Chilhowee Reservoir Chilhowee Lake access | Blount, Monroe | Entirety (1,749 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for all black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted). |
| Daddy’s Creek | Cumberland, Morgan | From Obed River to Interstate 40 (River mile 20). | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for smallmouth bass.* |
| Dale Hollow Reservoir Dale Hollow Lake access | Clay, Pickett | Entire reservoir within Tennessee (27, 700 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for walleye and black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted.)* |
| East Fork Poplar Creek | Anderson, Roane | From Poplar Creek embayment(Watts Bar Reservoir) to New Hope Pond (River mile 15.0) | Mercury, PCBs | Fish should not be eaten. |
| Emory River Emory River access | Roane, Morgan | From Highway 27 (River mile 12.4) to Obed River (River mile 28.4) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for all fish.* |
| Fort Loudoun Reservoir Fort Loudoun Lake access | Loudon, Blount, Knox | Entirety (14,600 acres) | PCBs, Mercury (Upper portion only) | Commercial fishing for catfish prohibited by TWRA. All size catfish and largemouth bass over two pounds, should not be eaten. Precautionary advisory for any sized largemouth bass from Highway 129 to the confluence of Holston and French Broad Rivers (534 acres).* |
| Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir | Sullivan | Entirety (872 acres). | PCBs | Precautionary Advisory for Catfish.* |
| French Broad River French Broad River access | Knox, Sevier | From Tennessee River to Douglas Dam. (32.1 miles) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for Black Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted). |
| French Broad River French Broad River access | Cocke | From Rankin Bridge (River mile 71.4) to Hwy 321 (River mile 77.5) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Hiwassee River Hiwassee River access | Meigs, McMinn, Bradley | From Highway 58 (River mile 7.4) to railroad bridge just upstream of U. S. Highway 11 (River mile 18.9) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Holston River Holston River access | Hawkins, Sullivan | From John Sevier retention weir (River mile 106.2) to the confluence of North Fork Holston River and South Fork Holston River (River mile 142.3) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for all fish.* |
| Little River Little River access | Blount | From Tennessee River (Ft Loudoun Reservoir) to “The Sinks” (River mile 41.5) | Mercury PCBs | Do not consume largemouth bass in Little River embayment of Fort Loudoun Lake (to confluence with Roddy Branch in Rockwood, River mile 5.5) due to PCBs. Precautionary advisory* for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) from Hwy 129 (river mile 2.6) to “The Sinks” (River Mile 41.5) due to Mercury. |
| Melton Hill Reservoir Melton Hill Lake access | Knox, Anderson | Entirety (5,690 acres) | PCBs | Catfish should not be eaten. |
| Mitchell Branch | Roane | From Poplar Creek to origin (East Tennessee Technology Park, ORNL property). (1.0 miles) | Mercury, PCBs | Precautionary advisory all species.* |
| Nickajack Reservoir Nickajack Lake access | Hamilton, Marion | Entirety (10,370 acres) | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for catfish.* |
| Nolichucky River Nolichucky River access | Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Unicoi, Washington | From Douglas Reservoir (French Broad River) to North Carolina state line (99.21 miles) including Davy Crockett Lake. | Mercury | Precautionary advisory the entire length within Tennessee for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted). Precautionary advisory for channel catfish in the lower portion from Douglas Reservoir to the mouth of Bent Creek at river mile 14.9.* |
| Norris Reservoir Norris Lake access | Campbell, Anderson, Union, Claiborne, Grainger | Clinch River Arm from Powell River to Indian Creek (River mile 148.2) (15,213 Acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, and sauger.* |
| North Fork Holston River | Sullivan, Hawkins | From Holston River to Virginia state line (6.2 miles) – | Mercury | Do not eat the fish. Advisory goes to TN/VA line. |
| Parksville Reservoir (Ocoee #1) Parksville Lake access | Polk | Entirety (1,907 acres) | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for catfish.* |
| Pigeon River Pigeon River access | Cocke | From French Broad River to Vinson Island at Interstate 40 (River mile 12.4) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for smallmouth bass and channel catfish.* |
| Poplar Creek Embayment of Watts Bar Reservoir | Roane | From Clinch River (Watts Bar Reservoir) to East Fork Poplar Creek (River mile 5.5) | Mercury, PCBs | Fish should not be eaten. |
| Sequatchie River Sequatchie River access | Marion | From Guntersville Reservoir (Tennessee River) to Highway 283 (River mile 22.1) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| South Holston Reservoir South Holston Lake access | Sullivan | Entire reservoir within Tennessee (7,206 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Tellico Reservoir Tellico Lake access | Loudon, Monroe | Entirety (16,500 acres) | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for catfish.* |
| Watauga Reservoir Watauga Lake access | Carter, Johnson | Entirety (6,427 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass and channel catfish.* |
| Watts Bar Reservoir Watts Bar Lake access | Anderson, Roane | From Clinch River confluence with Tennessee River (Watts Bar Reservoir) to Melton Hill Dam (1,000 acres) including Emory River Embayment. | PCBs | Striped bass should not be eaten. Precautionary advisory for catfish and sauger |
| Watts Bar Reservoir Watts Bar Lake access | Loudon, Meigs, Rhea, Roane | From Watts Bar Dam to Fort Loudoun Dam (Tennessee River portion, 38,000 acres). | PCBs | Catfish, striped bass and hybrid (striped-white) bass should not be eaten. Precautionary advisory for white bass, sauger, carp, smallmouth buffalo and largemouth bass.* |
An asterisk in TDEC’s advice marks a precautionary advisory, explained at the top of the page.
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee fish consumption advisories
| Water | Counties | Stretch | Pollutant | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Creek | Wayne | From Tennessee River to origin (16.7 miles) | Mercury | Do not eat the fish. Avoid contact with sediment between Leatherwood Branch and Smith Branch. |
| Buffalo River Buffalo River access | Humphreys, Perry | From Duck River to Highway 438 ( 31.6 miles) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for smallmouth bass.* |
| Center Hill Reservoir Center Hill Lake access | DeKalb, Putnam | Entire reservoir (23,051 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for any size black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted.) and walleye over 19 inches.* |
| Cheatham Reservoir Cheatham Lake access | Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson | Entire reservoir (7450 acres) Cumberland River from Cheatham Dam to Old Hickory Dam. | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) from Briley Parkway bridge crossing in Pennington Bend (Cumberland River Mile 200) downstream to Briley Parkway (Andrew B. Gibson Bridge) in Cockrell Bend (Cumberland River Mile 182).* Precautionary advisory for Catfish entire reservoir. |
| Duck River Duck River access | Humphreys, Hickman | From Cold Bramch (River mile 11.5) to Interstate 40 (River mile 31.8) | Mercury, PCB | Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) for mercury. Precautionary advisory for Catfish for PCB..* |
| East Fork Stones River East Fork Stones River access | Rutherford | From West Fork Stones River to Betty Ford Road (15.4 miles) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for all bass species. |
| Fall Creek Falls Lake | Van Buren | Entirety (351 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass. |
| Normandy Reservoir Normandy Lake access | Bedford, Coffee | Entirety (3,260 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted).* |
| Standing Stone State Park Lake (Lake Kelly) | Overton | Entirety (855 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass |
| Woods Reservoir Woods Reservoir access | Franklin | Entirety (3,908 acres) | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for catfish. |
An asterisk in TDEC’s advice marks a precautionary advisory, explained at the top of the page.
TDEC’s advisories cover eating fish, not catching them.
West Tennessee
West Tennessee fish consumption advisories
| Water | Counties | Stretch | Pollutant | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Reservoir | Henderson | Entirety (877 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Big Sandy River and Embayment | Henry, Benton, Carroll, Henderson | From Kentucky Reservoir (Tennessee River) to origin (including embayment). (River mile 0.0 to 59.0) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for all bass species.* |
| Cypress Creek (tributary to Wolf River) | Shelby | From Wolf River to origin (7.7 miles) | Chlordane, Dieldrin, Endrin, PCBs. | Do not eat the fish. |
| Davy Crockett Lake (Humboldt Lake) | Crockett | Entirety (87 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass. |
| Gibson County Lake | Gibson | Entirety (560 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass. |
| Hatchie River Hatchie River access | Hardeman | From Highway 100 (river mile 126.9) to Hwy 64 (River Mile 147.9). | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for black bass.* |
| Herb Parsons Lake Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake access | Fayette | Entirety (177 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Lake Lajoie | Hardeman | Chickasaw State Park (54 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for large mouth bass.* |
| Lake Placid | Chester | Chickasaw State Park (54 acres) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for large mouth bass.* |
| Loosahatchie River | Shelby | From Mississippi River to Hwy 14, Austin Peay Highway (River mile 0.0 to17.0) | Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Mercury | Do not eat the fish. |
| McKellar Lake | Shelby | Entirety (1,573 acres ) | Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Dioxin, PCBs. Mercury | Do not eat the fish. |
| Mississippi River Mississippi River access | Shelby | From Mississippi state line to just downstream of Meeman-Shelby State Park (31 miles) including Wolf River Harbor/Lagoon. | Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Dioxin, PCBs. Mercury | Do not eat any fish except silver carp and bighead carp. Commercial fishing prohibited by TWRA for all species excluding silver carp and bighead carp. |
| Nonconnah Creek | Shelby | From McKellar Lake to Horn Lake Road (River mile 0.0 to 1.8) | Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Dioxin, PCBs | Do not eat the fish. Advisory ends at Horn Lake Road bridge. |
| North Fork Forked Deer River | Dyer, Gibson | From Middle Fork Forked Deer River (River mile 17.6) to State Highway 188 (River mile 23.6) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass.* |
| Pickwick Reservoir Pickwick Lake access | Hardin, Lauderdale | Entire reservoir portion in Tennessee (5800 acres) Tennessee River from Pickwick dam to Tennessee and Alabama state line | PCBs | Precautionary advisory for catfish* |
| Springville Bottom (West Sandy Creek dewatering area) | Henry | Entirety (36,850 acres), Impounded area upstream of West Sandy Dike) | Mercury | Precautionary advisory for black bass and crappie.* |
| Wolf River Wolf River access | Shelby | From Mississippi River to Germantown Road (River mile 0.0, 18.9) | Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Dioxin, PCBs Mercury | Do not eat the fish. |
An asterisk in TDEC’s advice marks a precautionary advisory, explained at the top of the page.
Swimming and wading
Tennessee water contact advisories
TDEC also posts stretches where bacteria or other contaminants make swimming and wading unsafe. Most are urban creeks.
| Water | County | Stretch | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek | Anderson | From Clinch River to Rocky Top STP. (3.3 miles) | Rocky Top STP. |
| Trace Creek | Clay | From Old Gamaliel Road bridge to Max Bean Road bridge (2.9 miles) | Unpermitted concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) |
| Wilson Branch | Clay | From confluence with Trace Creek to origin (2.1 miles). | Unpermitted concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) |
| Little Duck River | Coffee | From Duck River to Old Stone Fort State Park boundary (2.3 miles) | Manchester collection system issues. |
| Browns Creek | Davidson | From Cheatham Reservoir (Cumberland River) to confluence of West Fork Browns Creek and Middle Fork Browns Creek (4.3 miles) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Cumberland River | Davidson | Bordeaux Bridge (River mile 185.7) to Woodland Street Bridge (River mile 190.6) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Dry Creek | Davidson | From Cheatham Reservoir (Cumberland River) to the second bend of the creek (River mile 0.0 to 0.1) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Gibson Creek | Davidson | From Cheatham Reservoir (Cumberland River) to Neeley’s Branch (River mile 0.0 to 0.2) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| McCrory Creek | Davidson | From Stones River to unnamed tributary (River mile 0.0 to 0.2) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Richland Creek | Davidson | From Cheatham Reservoir (Cumberland River) to West Park (River mile 0.0 to 2.2) | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Tributary to McCrory Creek | Davidson | From McCrory Creek (at river mile 0.2) to 0.1 miles upstream. (River mile 0.0 to 0.1 | Metro Nashville collection system overflows and urban runoff. |
| Turkey Creek | Hamblen | From Cherokee Reservoir to Henry Street (River mile 0.0 to 5.3) | Morristown urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| Chattanooga Creek | Hamilton | From Nickajack Reservoir (Tennessee River) to GA line (7.7 miles) | Chattanooga collection system issues. |
| Citico Creek unnamed tributary | Hamilton | From Citico Creek to origin, (including any unnamed tributaries) (1.2 miles) | Chattanooga urban runoff and collection system issues. (Tributary runs through Carver Recreational Complex. |
| Stringers Branch | Hamilton | From Nickajack Reservoir (Tennessee River) to Ormand Drive (River mile 0.0 to 5.4) | Chattanooga collection system issues. |
| East Fork of Third Creek | Knox | From Third Creek to Middlebrook Pike (River mile 0.0 to 0.8) | Knoxville urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| First Creek | Knox | From Neyland Drive to Topeka Street near I-640 (Mile 0.2 to 4.0) | Knoxville urban runoff and collection system issues |
| Goose Creek | Knox | From Fort Loudoun Reservoir (Tennessee River) to origin (including any unnamed tributaries) (4.0 miles) | Knoxville urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| Second Creek | Knox | From Fort Loudoun Reservoir (Tennessee River) to origin (including any unnamed tributaries) (2.9 miles) | Knoxville urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| Third Creek | Knox | From Fort Loudoun Reservoir to East Fork (River mile 0.0 to 1.4), | Knoxville urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| East Fork Poplar Creek | Roane, Anderson | From Poplar Creek embayment to New Hope Pond (15.0 miles) | Oak Ridge urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| Dudley Creek | Sevier | From West Prong Little Pigeon River to origin, including any unnamed tributaries. (5.7 miles) | Improper connections to storm sewers, collection system issues, and failing septic tanks. |
| Cypress Creek (tributary to Wolf River) | Shelby | From Wolf River to origin (7.7 miles) | Memphis urban runoff and collection system issues. |
| Beaver Creek (Bristol) | Sullivan | From Boone Lake to Virginia Line (20.0 miles) | Bristol urban runoff and nonpoint sources in Virginia. |
| Sinking Creek | Washington | From Watauga River to Catbird Creek (River mile 0.0 to 2.8) | Urban runoff and livestock. |
| Beech Creek | Wayne | From Leatherwood Branch to Smith Branch | Source appears to be old chlor-alkali cells from Muscle Shoals that were used as bridges which have been removed. |
Common questions
Tennessee fish advisory questions
Who issues fish consumption advisories in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The list is also printed in TWRA’s fishing regulations, and signs go up at the main public access points.
Can I still fish a lake with an advisory?
Yes. An advisory is about eating the fish named. Catch and release is not affected, and the rest of the fish in that water are not part of it.
What does a precautionary advisory mean?
Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.
What causes the advisories?
Mostly mercury and PCBs, plus chlordane, dioxin and other older chemicals that stay in the sediment and build up in fish.
From the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Posted Streams, Rivers and Reservoirs in Tennessee (August 2026). Tennessee Fishing Spots is not affiliated with TDEC.
Keep going
More Tennessee water, and who fishes it
Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.