October at a glance
Tennessee fishing in October
Fall feed. Bass chase shad into the creeks, crappie come back shallow, and delayed harvest trout season opens.
What to bring for October:
Species by species
What to fish for in Tennessee in October
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass in TennesseeFall largemouth push into the backs of creeks after shad.
Where: Watts Bar Lake, Dale Hollow Lake and the grass flats of Nickajack Lake.
Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Nickajack
Crappie
Crappie in TennesseeCrappie come back shallow in October. Fish attractors produce from October to May in 6–12 ft.
Where: Center Hill Lake, Great Falls Lake, Old Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake and Tims Ford Lake.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Great Falls · TWRA: Old Hickory · TWRA: Percy Priest · TWRA: Tims Ford
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass in TennesseeSmallmouth move to long tapering points near the dam.
Where: Center Hill Lake.
Rules: On Norris Lake and Cherokee Lake the limit goes to 5 fish at a 15″ minimum from October 16.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Norris · TWRA: Cherokee
Trout
Trout in TennesseeDelayed harvest waters go catch and release. Brown trout spawn in October and November.
Where: The Hiwassee, Tellico River, Doe River and Paint Creek.
Rules: Catch and release from October 1 to February 28 on those four waters.
Source: TWRA trout regulations · TWRA trout
Where to go
Tennessee lakes and rivers to fish in October
Common questions
Tennessee fishing in October: questions
What is biting in Tennessee in October?
In October, Tennessee anglers mostly target largemouth bass, crappie, smallmouth bass and trout. Fall feed. Bass chase shad into the creeks, crappie come back shallow, and delayed harvest trout season opens.
Where is the best fishing in Tennessee in October?
TWRA names Watts Bar Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Nickajack Lake, Center Hill Lake, Old Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake among the waters for this time of year.
Where do you catch largemouth bass in Tennessee in October?
Fall largemouth push into the backs of creeks after shad. Watts Bar Lake, Dale Hollow Lake and the grass flats of Nickajack Lake.
Where do you catch crappie in Tennessee in October?
Crappie come back shallow in October. Fish attractors produce from October to May in 6–12 ft. Center Hill Lake, Great Falls Lake, Old Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake and Tims Ford Lake.
Where do you catch smallmouth bass in Tennessee in October?
Smallmouth move to long tapering points near the dam. Center Hill Lake.
Where do you catch trout in Tennessee in October?
Delayed harvest waters go catch and release. Brown trout spawn in October and November. The Hiwassee, Tellico River, Doe River and Paint Creek.
Do any Tennessee fishing rules change in October?
On Norris Lake and Cherokee Lake the limit goes to 5 fish at a 15″ minimum from October 16. Catch and release from October 1 to February 28 on those four waters.
Do I need a license to fish in Tennessee in October?
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.