What to bring
Tackle for spotted bass
Three picks from the smallmouth 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.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
The fish
Spotted bass in Tennessee
Spotted bass live in many of the deeper Tennessee River and Cumberland lakes and are often caught alongside largemouth and smallmouth. Alabama bass, a close relative, have spread into some East Tennessee lakes and rivers; the Alabama bass record came from the Ocoee River in 2024. Several lakes now let you keep spots in far bigger numbers than other bass.
How to tell a spotted bass
Looks like a largemouth, but the jaw stops at the back of the eye, the dorsal fins are joined, there is a small patch of teeth on the tongue, and rows of small dark spots run along the lower sides. Also called Kentucky bass, spots.
Where to catch them
Best spotted bass water in Tennessee
Where spotted bass fishing is strongest. Each page lists every public ramp, pier and bank access on that water, with directions.
Other lakes and rivers with spotted bass
Limits
Tennessee spotted bass limits
Statewide: 5 black bass combined a day, no minimum. These 16 lakes and rivers have their own rules, which replace the statewide limit there.
| Water | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Lake | 15 | No length limit | Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Cherokee Lake | 15 | No length limit | Spotted/Alabama bass, separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Chickamauga Lake | 5 black bass combined | No minimum, only one over 16 in | Includes Alabama bass and hybrids |
| Chilhowee LakeBlack bass (combined) | 5 | 15 in minimum | All black bass species |
| Dale Hollow LakeBlack bass (combined) | 5, only 2 may be smallmouth | — | |
| 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 |
| Melton Hill Lake | 15 | No length limit | Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Mississippi RiverBlack bass (combined) | 10 | No length limit | Includes adjacent sloughs, bayous, chutes and river runs reachable by boat from the river |
| Norris Lake | No limit | No length limit | Includes Alabama bass |
| 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 |
| South Holston Lake | No limit | No length limit | |
| Tellico LakeBlack bass (combined) | 5 | 15 in minimum | All black bass species. Reservoir rules extend up the Tellico River to Big Creek boat ramp |
| Watauga Lake | 15 | No length limit | Separate from the largemouth/smallmouth limit |
| Watts Bar LakeBlack bass (combined) | 5 | 15 in minimum | All black bass species |
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.