What to bring
Tackle for bluegill
Three picks from the bluegill and panfish checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
The fish
Bluegill in Tennessee
Bluegill are in almost every body of water in Tennessee, from farm ponds to the big reservoirs. There is no statewide limit, they bite readily, and they are where most Tennessee anglers start.
How to tell a bluegill
Deep, flat body with a dark flap at the end of the gill cover and a dark spot at the back of the dorsal fin. Breeding males have an orange or copper breast. Also called bream, brim, sunfish.
Where to catch them
Best bluegill water in Tennessee
Where bluegill fishing is strongest. Each page lists every public ramp, pier and bank access on that water, with directions.
Other lakes and rivers with bluegill
Limits
Tennessee bluegill limits
Statewide: No limit a day, no minimum. These 5 lakes and rivers have their own rules, which replace the statewide limit there.
| Water | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Hill Lake | 20 bluegill/redear combined | No length limit | |
| Mississippi River | 50 sunfish/bream | No length limit | |
| Norris Lake | 30 bluegill/warmouth/other sunfish | No length limit | |
| South Holston Lake | 50 | No length limit | |
| Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake | 10 bluegill/redear combined | No length limit | Herb Parsons Lake |
From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.