Fish species · Micropterus salmoides

Largemouth Bass Fishing in Tennessee

Tennessee’s most fished species, from TVA grass lakes to farm ponds.

What to bring

Tackle for largemouth bass

Three picks from the largemouth bass checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list

Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

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The fish

Largemouth bass in Tennessee

Largemouth bass live in almost every lake, river backwater and pond in Tennessee, and they are the fish most anglers here are after. The biggest come from the grassy TVA lakes on the Tennessee River: the current state record, 15 lb 7.5 oz, came out of Nickajack in February 2026, beating a Chickamauga fish.

How to tell a largemouth bass

Green to bronze back with a dark, broken stripe along the side. The upper jaw reaches past the back of the eye, and the two parts of the dorsal fin are almost separated by a deep notch. Those two details tell it apart from a spotted bass. Also called bigmouth, green bass.

15 lb 7.5 ozstate record, Nickajack Reservoir, 2026

59lakes and rivers on this site

832public access points on them

Through the year

When to catch largemouth bass in Tennessee

What largemouth bass are doing in each season, and where that puts them.

Season

Spring

Pre-spawn fish move up in February and March as water climbs into the 50s. The spawn runs from April into May in protected, shallow pockets once the water holds in the 60s.

Season

Summer

On the big Tennessee River lakes the better fish move out to ledges and channel drops. Mornings, evenings and night fishing are best; shallow fish stay in grass, docks and shade.

Season

Fall

Bass follow shad into the backs of creeks as the water cools from late September into November. Fast moving baits over shallow flats catch numbers.

Season

Winter

Slow and deep, on bluff ends and channel swings. Late winter is trophy season on Chickamauga and Nickajack, when the heaviest fish of the year are caught.

How to catch them

How to catch largemouth bass

The baits and methods that catch the most largemouth bass in Tennessee water.

Method

Soft plastics

Texas rigged worms and creature baits around wood, docks and grass. The one rig that catches bass in every season.

Method

Bladed jigs and spinnerbaits

In stained water and over grass, especially in spring and fall.

Method

Deep crankbaits

For summer ledge fish on Kentucky Lake, Pickwick and Chickamauga.

Method

Topwater

Walking baits, poppers and frogs early and late from May through October.

Method

Jerkbaits

Suspending jerkbaits in cold, clear water from December into March.

Where to catch them

Best largemouth bass water in Tennessee

Where largemouth bass fishing is strongest. Each page lists every public ramp, pier and bank access on that water, with directions.

51 public access pointsChickamauga LakeGrass flats and big fish. The source of several of the state’s heaviest bass.See the spots →18 public access pointsNickajack LakeWhere the current state record came from, in February 2026.See the spots →86 public access pointsKentucky LakeThe classic summer ledge lake, with a 15 in minimum.See the spots →8 public access pointsPickwick LakeLargemouth and smallmouth in the same water, 15 in minimum on all black bass.See the spots →54 public access pointsOld Hickory LakeThe best largemouth water close to Nashville.See the spots →17 public access pointsReelfoot LakeShallow cypress and lily pad fishing unlike anywhere else in the state.See the spots →

Other lakes and rivers with largemouth bass

Limits

Tennessee largemouth bass limits

Statewide: 5 black bass combined a day, no minimum. These 30 lakes and rivers have their own rules, which replace the statewide limit there.

Water	Daily limit	Length	Where or when
Boone Lake	5 combined with smallmouth	15 in minimum
Center Hill Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Cheatham Lake	5 black bass combined	14 in minimum	Includes the Stones River up to J. Percy Priest Dam
Cherokee Lake	5 combined with smallmouth	15 in minimum	Reservoir rules run from Cherokee Dam upstream to John Sevier Dam
Chickamauga Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Chilhowee LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Cordell Hull Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Dale Hollow LakeBlack bass (combined)	5, only 2 may be smallmouth	—
Dale Hollow Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Douglas LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	No length limit Oct 1–May 31; Jun 1–Sep 30 only one largemouth or smallmouth over 16 in	Spotted bass: no length limit year-round. Reservoir rules extend up to ENKA Dam (Nolichucky) and the Hwy 321 bridges on the Pigeon and French Broad
Fort Loudoun LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Guntersville Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Tennessee section
J. Percy Priest Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Kentucky Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum	Same for smallmouth; spotted bass no length limit
Lake Barkley	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Laurel Hill Lake	5	13–18 in protected slot, one over 18 in
Melton Hill Lake	5 combined with smallmouth	14 in minimum
Mississippi RiverBlack bass (combined)	10	No length limit	Includes adjacent sloughs, bayous, chutes and river runs reachable by boat from the river
Nickajack Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Normandy Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Norris Lake	5 combined with smallmouth	14 in minimum	Reservoir rules run to the Hwy 25E bridge (Clinch arm) and Gap Creek (Powell arm)
Old Hickory Lake	5 black bass combined	14 in minimum
Parksville Lake	5	15 in minimum
Parksville LakeBlack bass (combined)	—	—	No live transport of any black bass away from the lake
Pickwick LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Reelfoot Lake	5 largemouth/spotted combined	15 in minimum
Stones River	5 black bass combined	14 in minimum	Confluence with the Cumberland up to J. Percy Priest Dam: Cheatham Lake rules apply
Tellico LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species. Reservoir rules extend up the Tellico River to Big Creek boat ramp
Tims Ford Lake	5 black bass combined	15 in minimum
Watauga Lake	5 combined with smallmouth	12 in minimum
Watts Bar LakeBlack bass (combined)	5	15 in minimum	All black bass species
Wolf River, Herb Parsons Lake	10	16–20 in protected slot, one over 20 in	Herb Parsons Lake, now proclaimed Herb Parsons Refuge and Bill Dance Lake State Fishing Area

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.

Licenses and statewide limits State record fish

Common questions

Questions about largemouth bass fishing in Tennessee

What is the largemouth bass limit in Tennessee?

Statewide, 5 black bass combined a day. 30 lakes and rivers have their own largemouth bass rules, including Boone Lake, Center Hill Lake, Cheatham Lake. The table on this page lists every one.

What is the Tennessee state record largemouth bass?

15 lb 7.5 oz, caught by Darren Nunley on Nickajack Reservoir on 28 Feb 2026.

When is the best time to catch largemouth bass in Tennessee?

Summer. On the big Tennessee River lakes the better fish move out to ledges and channel drops. Mornings, evenings and night fishing are best; shallow fish stay in grass, docks and shade.

Where is the best largemouth bass fishing in Tennessee?

Chickamauga Lake, Nickajack Lake, Kentucky Lake and Pickwick Lake are among the best. Each has its own page on this site with every public ramp and pier.

What bait works best for largemouth bass?

Soft plastics: texas rigged worms and creature baits around wood, docks and grass. The one rig that catches bass in every season. Bladed jigs and spinnerbaits: in stained water and over grass, especially in spring and fall. Deep crankbaits: for summer ledge fish on Kentucky Lake, Pickwick and Chickamauga.

Other fish

Beyond largemouth bass: other Tennessee fish

Smallmouth bass Spotted bass Crappie Bluegill Redear sunfish Rock bass Walleye Sauger White bass Striped bass Hybrid striped bass Channel catfish Blue catfish Flathead catfish Muskellunge Rainbow trout Brown trout

All Tennessee fish species

Keep going

More largemouth bass 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 water Licence and limits