Statewide
Tennessee Fishing License Prices and Rules for 2026
What a license costs, who needs one, and the trout rule that catches people out.
Where to buy one
How to get a Tennessee fishing licence
Anyone 13 and over needs one. Under 13 does not. Online is the fastest and it is the same price as buying it at a counter.
A Tennessee licence is digital or printable, nothing arrives in the post. Annual licences run 365 days from the date you buy them unless the licence says otherwise.
Resident prices
Tennessee resident fishing license prices
| License | Ages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Combination Hunt/Fish, annual | 16–64 | $33.00 |
| County of Residence Fishing, no trout | 13+ | $10.00 |
| One-Day Fishing, no trout | 13–64 | $6.00 |
| One-Day Fishing, all species | 16–64 | $11.00 |
| Junior Hunt, Fish & Trap | 13–15 | $9.00 |
| Annual Sportsman | 16–64 | $165.00 |
| Annual Trout Supplemental | Add-on | $21.00 |
| Annual Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap | 65+ | $4.00 |
| Permanent Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap | 65+ | $49.00 |
Tennessee non-resident fishing license prices
| License | Ages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fishing, no trout | 16+ | $49.00 |
| Annual Fishing, all species | 16+ | $98.00 |
| Three-Day Fishing, no trout | — | $20.00 |
| Three-Day Fishing, all species | — | $40.00 |
| Ten-Day Fishing, no trout | — | $30.00 |
| Ten-Day Fishing, all species | — | $61.00 |
Tennessee has no non-resident one-day fishing license. The three-day is the shortest visitor option, and a lot of sites get this wrong.
The one that catches people
Does a Tennessee fishing license cover trout?
Not automatically, and this is the single most misunderstood thing in Tennessee licensing.
Already includes trout: Annual Sportsman, Senior Sportsman, Lifetime Sportsman, certain disability licenses, and every non-resident all-species license including the one-day resident all-species.
Needs the $21 Annual Trout Supplemental added on: the $33 Combination Hunt/Fish annual, the County of Residence Fishing license, and the cheaper no-trout short-term licenses.
If you are booking a trip on the South Holston, the Watauga, the Clinch, the Caney Fork, the Elk or the Hiwassee, the cheap no-trout option is the wrong license. Buy the all-species version or add the supplemental.
Statewide limits
Tennessee creel and length limits
| Species | Daily creel | Minimum length |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted combined) | 5 combined | None |
| Crappie (all species) | 15 | 10 in |
| Crappie, Region 1 exception | 30 | None |
| Rock bass / redeye / shadow bass | 20 | None |
| Striped bass or hybrid, combined | 2 | 15 in |
| White bass | 15 | None |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 in |
| Sauger and sauger-walleye hybrids | 10 | 15 in |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 in |
| Trout (all species combined) | 7 (max 2 lake trout) | None |
| Catfish | Unlimited under 34 in; one over 34 in | — |
| Redear sunfish | 20 | None |
| Bluegill, warmouth, bream, yellow bass, bullheads, pickerel, northern pike, yellow perch | No limit | None |
| Skipjack herring | 100 | None |
| Paddlefish | 2 (24 Apr, 31 May only) | None |
| Alligator gar | No harvest | — |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | No harvest | — |
Also statewide: unlimited poles and lines but a maximum of three hooks per rod, where a single, double or treble each count as one hook. Culling is prohibited for paddlefish. You may not possess a fish altered so that its species or total length cannot be determined.
The two limits most often reported wrong by other sites are the two-fish, fifteen-inch striped bass limit and the one-catfish-over-34-inches rule.
Source: TWRA statewide creel and length limits, last updated 4 August 2026, checked 20 September 2026. Individual lakes and rivers carry their own exceptions, which are on each county page.
Boats
Boating rules for Tennessee anglers
Any Tennessee resident born after 1 January 1989 operating a vessel of more than 8.5 horsepower must carry the TWRA Boating Safety Education Certificate. The exception is if an adult 18 or over, born before 1 January 1989, is aboard and in control of the vessel. Non-residents under the same birth-date rule may use any NASBLA-approved certificate.
All mechanically powered vessels principally used in Tennessee must be registered, and that includes boats with only an electric trolling motor, plus all sailboats. Oar- and paddle-only craft are exempt. Registration goes through a county clerk’s office or a boat dealer, and a temporary permit covers you for up to 60 days while the permanent registration processes.
Questions
Tennessee fishing license questions
How do I get my Tennessee fishing licence?
Buy it at gooutdoorstennessee.com, in the TWRA On The Go app, or over the counter at a county clerk, a TWRA regional office, Walmart or most sporting goods and hardware stores. Online takes about three minutes and the licence is valid the moment you pay. Nothing is posted to you, it is digital or you print it.
Which Tennessee fishing licence should I get?
If you live here and fish more than about four times a year, the $33 annual combination hunt and fish licence is the one, and add the $21 trout supplemental if you ever fish a tailwater. If you only fish your home county and never want trout, the $10 county-of-residence licence covers it. Visiting for a weekend, take the $40 non-resident three-day all-species. Visiting more than twice a year, the $98 non-resident annual all-species pays for itself.
What do I need to buy a fishing licence in Tennessee?
Proof of identity and, for a resident licence, proof of Tennessee residency. Online you need a card and your details. If you have held a Tennessee licence before, the system finds you by name and date of birth, which is faster than starting fresh.
Do I need a fishing licence in Tennessee?
Yes, from your 13th birthday. Nobody 12 or under needs one. Ages 13 to 15 use the Junior licence, $9 for residents. The one day a year nobody needs one is Free Fishing Day in June.
What does a Tennessee fishing licence cost?
Resident annual combination hunt and fish, $33. Resident county-of-residence fishing, $10. Resident one-day all species, $11. Non-resident three-day all species, $40. Non-resident annual all species, $98. Residents 65 and over, $4 a year. The trout supplemental is $21 on top of whichever base licence you hold.
Do I need the trout supplemental?
Only if you are going to keep or target trout. The $33 combination licence and the county-of-residence licence do not cover trout, so the South Holston, the Watauga, the Clinch, the Caney Fork, the Elk and the Hiwassee all need the $21 supplemental or an all-species licence. Sportsman and all non-resident all-species licences already include trout.
Can a visitor buy a one-day Tennessee fishing licence?
No. Tennessee sells one-day licences to residents only. The shortest visitor option is the three-day, $20 without trout or $40 with all species. A lot of sites get this wrong.
How long does a Tennessee fishing licence last?
An annual licence runs 365 days from the day you buy it, not to the end of the calendar year, unless that licence specifically says otherwise. Short-term licences run from the start date you pick.
Do I need a licence on a guided trip?
Yes. A guide’s licence covers the guide, not the client. Everyone fishing aged 13 and over needs their own, and on trout water it needs to be all-species or trout-supplemented.
How many crappie can I keep in Tennessee?
15 a day at a 10-inch minimum statewide. Region 1 in West Tennessee allows 30 with no minimum, Pickwick allows 30 at a 9-inch minimum, Kentucky Lake and Barkley allow 20 at 10 inches, and Norris drops to 10 at 10 inches. Check the county page for the water you are fishing.
How many catfish can I keep in Tennessee?
Unlimited under 34 inches, but only one fish over 34 inches per day. That over-34 rule is the one people most often get wrong.
When is Free Fishing Day in Tennessee?
TWRA holds Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day on the first Saturday in June, followed by Free Youth Fishing Week for anglers 15 and under. No licence is required that day in Tennessee public waters, TWRA lakes and state park facilities. Private pay lakes may still charge.
Got your licence
Now go find the water
All 95 counties and 64 towns, with every public ramp, pier and bank access, and directions to each one.