January at a glance
Tennessee fishing in January
Cold water. Sauger and walleye move toward the dams and up the rivers, and the winter trout program is stocking city lakes.
What to bring for January:
Species by species
What to fish for in Tennessee in January
Sauger
Sauger in TennesseeSauger gather in the tailwaters below the main river dams through the winter. Live bait works best once the water is 45°F and colder.
Where: Below Pickwick Dam on Kentucky Lake, below Cheatham Dam on Lake Barkley, below Old Hickory Dam on Cheatham Lake (best December to March), and from Hunter’s Point up to Cordell Hull Dam on Old Hickory Lake from January to March.
Source: TWRA: Kentucky · TWRA: Barkley · TWRA: Cheatham · TWRA: Old Hickory
Walleye
Walleye in TennesseeWalleye start staging for their spring runs up the rivers.
Where: The French Broad above Douglas Lake from January to April, between Point 18 and Rankin Bridge, and the John Sevier Steam Plant area of Cherokee Lake from January to May.
Rules: Single-hook walleye-run rules start January 1 on the Caney Fork (Rock Island ramp to Great Falls Dam), the Emory River (Hwy 27 to Hwy 299) and the Watauga Lake tributaries, and gigging, snagging and archery are closed there until April 30.
Source: TWRA: Douglas · TWRA: Cherokee · TWRA regulation exceptions · TWRA statewide limits
White bass
White bass in TennesseeWhite bass begin moving up the French Broad.
Where: The French Broad above Douglas Lake, January through April.
Source: TWRA: Douglas
Striped bass
Striped bass in TennesseeStripers gather in the creek embayments for the winter.
Where: The Drakes Creek and Station Camp Creek embayments of Old Hickory Lake from December on, and the Bull Run Steam Plant discharge on Melton Hill Lake in winter.
Rules: On Norris Lake the striper limit is 1 per day with a 36″ minimum from November 1 to March 31.
Source: TWRA: Old Hickory · TWRA: Melton Hill · TWRA: Norris
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass in TennesseeWinter smallmouth hold on points, ledges and steep banks in deeper water, and often suspend.
Where: Norris Lake, where TWRA says the best fishing is from November to April, and Tims Ford Lake.
Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Norris · TWRA: Tims Ford
Trout
Trout in TennesseeThe winter trout program stocks rainbows in city and park lakes from late November, and delayed harvest streams are catch and release.
Where: Over 40 winter stocking sites statewide, and the Stones River below Percy Priest Dam through January and February.
Rules: Winter program limit is 7 per day (5 at the five Community Lakes). Gatlinburg is catch and release from December 1 to March 31.
Source: TWRA winter trout program · TWRA: Cheatham · TWRA trout regulations
Where to go
Tennessee lakes and rivers to fish in January
Common questions
Tennessee fishing in January: questions
What is biting in Tennessee in January?
In January, Tennessee anglers mostly target sauger, walleye, white bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass and trout. Cold water. Sauger and walleye move toward the dams and up the rivers, and the winter trout program is stocking city lakes.
Where is the best fishing in Tennessee in January?
TWRA names Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Cheatham Lake, Old Hickory Lake, Douglas Lake, Cherokee Lake among the waters for this time of year.
Where do you catch sauger in Tennessee in January?
Sauger gather in the tailwaters below the main river dams through the winter. Live bait works best once the water is 45°F and colder. Below Pickwick Dam on Kentucky Lake, below Cheatham Dam on Lake Barkley, below Old Hickory Dam on Cheatham Lake (best December to March), and from Hunter’s Point up to Cordell Hull Dam on Old Hickory Lake from January to March.
Where do you catch walleye in Tennessee in January?
Walleye start staging for their spring runs up the rivers. The French Broad above Douglas Lake from January to April, between Point 18 and Rankin Bridge, and the John Sevier Steam Plant area of Cherokee Lake from January to May.
Where do you catch white bass in Tennessee in January?
White bass begin moving up the French Broad. The French Broad above Douglas Lake, January through April.
Where do you catch striped bass in Tennessee in January?
Stripers gather in the creek embayments for the winter. The Drakes Creek and Station Camp Creek embayments of Old Hickory Lake from December on, and the Bull Run Steam Plant discharge on Melton Hill Lake in winter.
Do any Tennessee fishing rules change in January?
Single-hook walleye-run rules start January 1 on the Caney Fork (Rock Island ramp to Great Falls Dam), the Emory River (Hwy 27 to Hwy 299) and the Watauga Lake tributaries, and gigging, snagging and archery are closed there until April 30. On Norris Lake the striper limit is 1 per day with a 36″ minimum from November 1 to March 31. Winter program limit is 7 per day (5 at the five Community Lakes). Gatlinburg is catch and release from December 1 to March 31.
Do I need a license to fish in Tennessee in January?
Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing license all year, and a trout license is needed to fish for or keep trout unless the license already includes it.
Patterns, spawning temperatures and named waters come from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s reservoir pages, regulations and trout forecast, linked on each species. Fish follow the water temperature, not the calendar, so a warm or cold year shifts everything by a few weeks. For this week’s conditions see TWRA’s weekly fishing report.
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.