March at a glance
Tennessee fishing in March
Spring runs. White bass, walleye and crappie head shallow, and smallmouth spawn.
What to bring for March:
Species by species
What to fish for in Tennessee in March
White bass
White bass in TennesseeWhite bass spawn at 54–68°F and make their runs starting in March.
Where: Below Watts Bar Dam and up Sewee Creek on Chickamauga Lake, below Chickamauga Dam and up North and South Chickamauga creeks on Nickajack Lake, and the headwaters and forks of the Stones above J. Percy Priest Lake in March and April.
Source: TWRA: Chickamauga · TWRA: Nickajack · TWRA: Percy Priest
Walleye
Walleye in TennesseeWalleye runs peak.
Where: The Blue Hole near Rock Island State Park on Center Hill Lake in mid-March, and up the Watauga and Elk rivers from Watauga Lake as the water nears 50°F.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Watauga
Crappie
Crappie in TennesseeCrappie move shallow when the water reaches the upper 50s to low 60s, anywhere from early to late March depending on weather. White crappie spawn at 60–65°F and black crappie at 62–68°F.
Where: Watts Bar Lake, Chickamauga Lake and Great Falls Lake in March and April.
Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Chickamauga · TWRA: Great Falls
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass in TennesseeSmallmouth spawn on gravel at 59–60°F in March and April.
Where: Gravel points into the main channel on Norris Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, and Pickwick Lake, where they go shallow in March.
Source: TWRA: Norris · TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Pickwick · TWRA: Center Hill
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass in TennesseeSome largemouth start spawning late in the month. Pre-spawn fish use points leading into spawning bays.
Where: Cherokee Lake, where the highest catch is in March and April, and Douglas Lake.
Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Cherokee · TWRA: Douglas
Trout
Trout in TennesseeTailwater stocking starts.
Where: The Clinch, South Holston and Watauga tailwaters (stocked March to September), and the Caney Fork and Elk (March to December).
Rules: The Hiwassee goes to 7 per day, only 2 browns, from March 1. The Tellico-Citico permit season runs March 1 to August 15.
Source: TWRA Trout Fishing Forecast · TWRA trout regulations
Where to go
Tennessee lakes and rivers to fish in March
Common questions
Tennessee fishing in March: questions
What is biting in Tennessee in March?
In March, Tennessee anglers mostly target white bass, walleye, crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and trout. Spring runs. White bass, walleye and crappie head shallow, and smallmouth spawn.
Where is the best fishing in Tennessee in March?
TWRA names Chickamauga Lake, Nickajack Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake, Center Hill Lake, Watauga Lake, Watts Bar Lake among the waters for this time of year.
Where do you catch white bass in Tennessee in March?
White bass spawn at 54–68°F and make their runs starting in March. Below Watts Bar Dam and up Sewee Creek on Chickamauga Lake, below Chickamauga Dam and up North and South Chickamauga creeks on Nickajack Lake, and the headwaters and forks of the Stones above J. Percy Priest Lake in March and April.
Where do you catch walleye in Tennessee in March?
Walleye runs peak. The Blue Hole near Rock Island State Park on Center Hill Lake in mid-March, and up the Watauga and Elk rivers from Watauga Lake as the water nears 50°F.
Where do you catch crappie in Tennessee in March?
Crappie move shallow when the water reaches the upper 50s to low 60s, anywhere from early to late March depending on weather. White crappie spawn at 60–65°F and black crappie at 62–68°F. Watts Bar Lake, Chickamauga Lake and Great Falls Lake in March and April.
Where do you catch smallmouth bass in Tennessee in March?
Smallmouth spawn on gravel at 59–60°F in March and April. Gravel points into the main channel on Norris Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, and Pickwick Lake, where they go shallow in March.
Do any Tennessee fishing rules change in March?
The Hiwassee goes to 7 per day, only 2 browns, from March 1. The Tellico-Citico permit season runs March 1 to August 15.
Do I need a license to fish in Tennessee in March?
Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing license all year, and a trout license is needed to fish for or keep trout unless the license already includes it.
Patterns, spawning temperatures and named waters come from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s reservoir pages, regulations and trout forecast, linked on each species. Fish follow the water temperature, not the calendar, so a warm or cold year shifts everything by a few weeks. For this week’s conditions see TWRA’s weekly fishing report.
Keep going
More Tennessee 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.