December at a glance
Tennessee fishing in December
Sauger stack below the dams, stripers gather in the embayments, and Gatlinburg goes catch and release.
What to bring for December:
Species by species
What to fish for in Tennessee in December
Sauger
Sauger in TennesseeSauger gather below the dams from December to March.
Where: Below Pickwick Dam on Kentucky Lake and below Cheatham Dam on Lake Barkley.
Source: TWRA: Kentucky · TWRA: Barkley
Striped bass
Striped bass in TennesseeStripers gather in the creek embayments from December.
Where: Drakes Creek and Station Camp Creek on Old Hickory Lake.
Source: TWRA: Old Hickory
Musky
Musky in TennesseeWinter musky.
Where: Dale Hollow Lake from December to March, and the Bull Run Steam Plant discharge cove on Melton Hill Lake.
Rules: Melton Hill limit is 1 musky per day at 50″.
Source: TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Melton Hill
Trout
Trout in TennesseeWinter stocking continues.
Where: Below Priest Dam on the Stones River, from the first Friday of December.
Rules: Gatlinburg and Acorn Lake are catch and release from December 1 to March 31.
Source: TWRA: Cheatham · TWRA trout regulations
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass in TennesseeLargemouth use fish attractors when the water is below 55°F.
Where: Old Hickory Lake from late November to early March, and J. Percy Priest Lake and Normandy Lake from late November to April in 6–15 ft.
Source: TWRA: Old Hickory · TWRA: Percy Priest · TWRA: Normandy
Where to go
Tennessee lakes and rivers to fish in December
Common questions
Tennessee fishing in December: questions
What is biting in Tennessee in December?
In December, Tennessee anglers mostly target sauger, striped bass, musky, trout and largemouth bass. Sauger stack below the dams, stripers gather in the embayments, and Gatlinburg goes catch and release.
Where is the best fishing in Tennessee in December?
TWRA names Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Old Hickory Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Melton Hill Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake among the waters for this time of year.
Where do you catch sauger in Tennessee in December?
Sauger gather below the dams from December to March. Below Pickwick Dam on Kentucky Lake and below Cheatham Dam on Lake Barkley.
Where do you catch striped bass in Tennessee in December?
Stripers gather in the creek embayments from December. Drakes Creek and Station Camp Creek on Old Hickory Lake.
Where do you catch musky in Tennessee in December?
Winter musky. Dale Hollow Lake from December to March, and the Bull Run Steam Plant discharge cove on Melton Hill Lake.
Where do you catch trout in Tennessee in December?
Winter stocking continues. Below Priest Dam on the Stones River, from the first Friday of December.
Do any Tennessee fishing rules change in December?
Melton Hill limit is 1 musky per day at 50″. Gatlinburg and Acorn Lake are catch and release from December 1 to March 31.
Do I need a license to fish in Tennessee in December?
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.