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By species

Tennessee Fish Species

18 fish Tennessee anglers go after: where each lives, when it bites, how to catch it and the limits that apply.

Black bass

Black bass in Tennessee

Micropterus salmoidesLargemouth bassTennessee’s most fished species, from TVA grass lakes to farm ponds.Where and how →Micropterus dolomieuSmallmouth bassClear, rocky lakes and cool rivers, and the world record from Dale Hollow.Where and how →Micropterus punctulatusSpotted bassDeep rocky lakes, often in the same water as largemouth and smallmouth.Where and how →

Crappie and sunfish

Crappie and sunfish in Tennessee

Pomoxis annularis and P. nigromaculatusCrappieKentucky Lake, Reelfoot and the spring spawn.Where and how →Lepomis macrochirusBluegillBream on beds in late spring, and the easiest fish for kids.Where and how →Lepomis microlophusRedear sunfishThe biggest of Tennessee’s sunfish, caught on the bottom.Where and how →Ambloplites rupestrisRock bassRocky rivers and creeks, often caught while fishing for smallmouth.Where and how →

Every species page lists the lakes and rivers with their own limits.

Walleye and sauger

Walleye and sauger in Tennessee

Sander vitreusWalleyeSpring spawning runs up the rivers, and deep summer fish at night.Where and how →Sander canadensisSaugerCold weather fishing below the dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland.Where and how →

Temperate bass

Temperate bass in Tennessee

Morone chrysopsWhite bassSpring runs up the tributaries and surface feeding schools in summer.Where and how →Morone saxatilisStriped bassStocked giants in Norris, Cherokee, Melton Hill and the Cumberland lakes.Where and how →Morone chrysops x M. saxatilisHybrid striped bassWhite bass crossed with striper, stocked by TWRA and hard fighting.Where and how →

Every species page lists the lakes and rivers with their own limits.

Catfish

Catfish in Tennessee

Ictalurus punctatusChannel catfishIn nearly every lake and river, and easy to catch from the bank.Where and how →Ictalurus furcatusBlue catfishThe biggest fish in Tennessee, from the big rivers and reservoirs.Where and how →Pylodictis olivarisFlathead catfishNight fishing with live bait around logjams and deep holes.Where and how →

Musky and trout

Musky and trout in Tennessee

Esox masquinongyMuskellungeNative to the Cumberland, stocked in highland lakes, and rare.Where and how →Oncorhynchus mykissRainbow troutCold tailwaters below TVA and Corps dams, and mountain streams.Where and how →Salmo truttaBrown troutThe big fish of Tennessee’s tailwaters.Where and how →

Common questions

Questions about Tennessee fish

What is the most popular fish in Tennessee?

Largemouth bass, followed by crappie. Both live in almost every lake in the state.

Where is the best fishing in Tennessee?

It depends on the fish: Dale Hollow for smallmouth, Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot for crappie, Chickamauga and Nickajack for big largemouth, Norris for stripers and the Clinch and South Holston for trout.

Do limits change from lake to lake?

Yes. The statewide limits are the default, and many lakes and rivers have their own. Each species page and each water page on this site lists the rules for that water.

Keep going

More bass, crappie and trout 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.

Guides by waterLicence and limits