June at a glance
Tennessee fishing in June
Catfish spawn, bass move to summer structure, and the summer bass rules start on Douglas, Norris and Cherokee.
What to bring for June:
Species by species
What to fish for in Tennessee in June
Catfish
Catfish in TennesseeCatfish spawn at 75–80°F, peaking in June.
Where: Chickamauga Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, and the ledges of Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Lake and Lake Barkley, where blue cats are the most harvested catfish.
Rules: Statewide, only 1 catfish over 34″ per day. Jugs are banned on TWRA lakes on weekends and holidays from April 1 to September 30.
Source: TWRA: Chickamauga · TWRA: Cordell Hull · TWRA: Kentucky · TWRA: Pickwick · TWRA: Barkley · TWRA statewide limits
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass in TennesseeAfter the spawn, largemouth move to vegetation and structure.
Where: Cordell Hull Lake, where TWRA calls June and July great, and Dale Hollow Lake in 15–25 ft.
Rules: On Douglas Lake, only one largemouth or smallmouth over 16″ per day from June 1 to September 30.
Source: TWRA: Chickamauga · TWRA: Cordell Hull · TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Douglas
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass in TennesseePost-spawn smallmouth hold on points by deep drop-offs.
Where: Center Hill Lake.
Rules: On Norris Lake and Cherokee Lake, 1 smallmouth at an 18″ minimum from June 1 to October 15.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Norris · TWRA: Cherokee
Lake trout
June is the best month for lake trout.
Where: Dale Hollow Lake at 30–50 ft.
Source: TWRA: Dale Hollow
Hybrid striped bass
Hybrid striped bass in TennesseeHybrids are stocked in mid to late June and move to the lower lakes for summer.
Where: J. Percy Priest Lake and Tims Ford Lake.
Source: TWRA: Percy Priest · TWRA: Tims Ford
Where to go
Tennessee lakes and rivers to fish in June
Common questions
Tennessee fishing in June: questions
What is biting in Tennessee in June?
In June, Tennessee anglers mostly target catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, lake trout and hybrid striped bass. Catfish spawn, bass move to summer structure, and the summer bass rules start on Douglas, Norris and Cherokee.
Where is the best fishing in Tennessee in June?
TWRA names Chickamauga Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lake Barkley, Dale Hollow Lake among the waters for this time of year.
Where do you catch catfish in Tennessee in June?
Catfish spawn at 75–80°F, peaking in June. Chickamauga Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, and the ledges of Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Lake and Lake Barkley, where blue cats are the most harvested catfish.
Where do you catch largemouth bass in Tennessee in June?
After the spawn, largemouth move to vegetation and structure. Cordell Hull Lake, where TWRA calls June and July great, and Dale Hollow Lake in 15–25 ft.
Where do you catch smallmouth bass in Tennessee in June?
Post-spawn smallmouth hold on points by deep drop-offs. Center Hill Lake.
Where do you catch lake trout in Tennessee in June?
June is the best month for lake trout. Dale Hollow Lake at 30–50 ft.
Do any Tennessee fishing rules change in June?
Statewide, only 1 catfish over 34″ per day. Jugs are banned on TWRA lakes on weekends and holidays from April 1 to September 30. On Douglas Lake, only one largemouth or smallmouth over 16″ per day from June 1 to September 30. On Norris Lake and Cherokee Lake, 1 smallmouth at an 18″ minimum from June 1 to October 15.
Do I need a license to fish in Tennessee in June?
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.