Fishing Regulations
The following is intended as a quick reference only and while every attempt is made at accuracy, it is not guaranteed to be up-to-date or without misprints. Please consult the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency by contacting your regional office, or pick up a copy of the agency's Fishing Guide, available wherever fishing licenses are sold, for complete fishing regulations.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
• Stocking of any fish into public waters is strictly prohibited.
• Explosives, chemicals and electrical shocking devices are forbidden. Their use carries heavy penalties.
• All boaters and pasengers must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket within areas designated and marked as hazardous below any dam or lock.
• Crossbows are prohibited.
It is illegal to take any fish or turtle that is endangered, threatened or listed as in need of management.
• It is illegal to sell or offer to sell fish or turtles without a commercial fishing license.
• UMBRELLA RIGS: Umbrella rigs are defined as an array of more than three artificial lures or baits used by a single rod and reel combination. If the hook is size six or larger, only one lure or bait may have a hook and that hook must be a single hook.
• SINGLE HOOKS: A hook with only one point.
• BAIT: Any living or dead organism, or prepared substance designed to attract fish by taste or odor. This includes, but is not limited to, fish, fish eggs, crayfish, worms, grubs, crickets, corn, cheese, bread, pork rinds, putty or paste-type products, and flavors or scents applied to or impregnated into artificial lures.
• GIGGING: The taking of fish by means of a hand-held pole or spear with a tip consisting of a single, sharpened point or one or more sharpened barbed points.
• SPEAR GUN: Any device designed to propel a spear through water and is drawn or held by a mechanical device.
REGULATIONS FOR METHODS OTHER THAN ROD AND REEL
• TROTLINES, LIMBLINES & JUGS: Trotlines consist of a main line with drop lines to which single hooks are attached. Drop lines must not be closer than 24 inches. All nongame fish may be taken without limit, except paddle fish. There is no limit on catfish, except only one fish may exceed 34 inches.
Trotlines, limblines and jugs must be tagged or marked with the owner's name and address. Trotlines attached to the bank must be tagged on the line within five feet of the bank. Other trotlines must be tagged within five feet of either end, and floating trotlines must be marked on floats. The holder of a sport fishing license may use one or more trotlines not having a combination of more than 100 hooks. Limblines must be tagged above water level and are allowed only one hook per line. Sport anglers are limited to 25 limblines. Sport anglers are limited to 50 jugs or blocks.
Trotlines, limblines and jugs must be run at least once each day and are prohibited within 1,000 yards below any TVA or Corps of Engineers dam. Trotlines may not be set within 100 yards of the mouth of any river, creek or slough.
Exceptions:
Allen Branch Pond and Chilhowee (McKamy) Pond in Cherokee WMA: Closed to jugs and trotlines.
Bards Lake on Land Between the Lakes: Closed to trotlines and limblines. Jugs permitted from October 1 - March 21.
Beech River Watershed Development Authority: 20 jugs or blocks per boat. Trotlines prohibited.
Calderwood: Trotlines and limblines prohibited.
Danville Railroad Bridge Dikes: Trotlines prohibited within 50 yards of dikes.
Indian Boundary Lake: Closed to trotlines, jugs and limblines.
New Johnsonville Steam Plant Harbor: 10 jugs or blocks per angler. Trotlines prohibited.
Norris Reservoir: From January 1 through April 30, trotlines, limblines and jugs are prohibited between River Mile 32 (Point 15) and Hwy. 25E Brige on the Powell River arm and between River Mile 137 (Point 31) and the Hwy. 25E Bridge on the Clinch River arm.
TWRA lakes: 10 jugs or blocks per boat daily except from April 1 - September 30, jug fishing is not allowed on Saturday, Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Trotlines and limblines are prohibited. No jugging allowed on Gibson County Lake.
• SLAT BASKETS: Holders of annual sport fishing license, Sportsman License, Lifetime Sportsman License, Jr. Fishing License, Lifetime Senior Citizens License or residents 65 and over (prior to March 1, 1991) or under 13 may fish with one slat basket, provided the slat basket is marked with a metal tag, obtainable from the TWRA for an annual fee of $8. Possession or use of more than one slat basket is prohibited. A slat basket is defined as a device used for taking nongame fish only. Slat baskets may have only one outside funnel opening and must be made of wood, plastic or cane slats which are placed lengthwise and so constructed that there must be a minimum of four openings in the catching area, each being at least 1-1/2" wide and 6" long. Fish taken may not be sold.
Slat baskets may not be set within 100 yards of the mouth of any river, creek or slough.
Applications for metal tags can be obtained by writing to Administrative Services, TWRA, PO Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204. If you are applying in person and need directions to the TWRA Central Office, call 615-781-6585.
• GRABBLING, GIGGING, GRAB HOOKS, SNAGGING, TUBBING, ARCHERY, SPEAR-GUN, DIPPING AND CAST NETTING: Non-game fish, except paddlefish and catfish, may be taken without limit. Game fish may not be taken. Season open year-round in all waters, except:
A. where closed to fishing or expressly prohibited.
B. within 100 yards below dams. At Pickwick Dam, the closed area extends downstream to the first moorage cell across from ramp.
C. at John Sevier Steam Plant the discharge channel is closed.
(B and C do not apply to cast netting or dipping).
Cast nets must be no more than 10 feet in radius with a mesh size no smaller than one-quarter inch, and no larger than one inch on the square.
Gigging is prohibited in Bedford, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lweis, Marshall, Maury and Wayne counties. Snagging, grabbling, grabhooks, tubbing, archery, speargun, dipping, and cast nets are legal methods in these counties.
Gigging is closed on the East Fork of the Obey River and its tributaries from Jan. 1 - April 30.
Snagging is prohibited year-rund on the South Holston tailwater (from South Holston Dam to the headwaters of Boone Reservoir) and Center Hill Reservoir.
Grabbling, gigging, grab hooks, snagging, tubbing, archery, spear-gun and dipping is prohibited on the following waters from Jan. 1 - April 30:
* Norris Reservoir: between River Mile 32 (Point 15) and the Highway 25E Bridge on the Powell River arm and between River Mile 137 (Point 31) and the Highway 25E Bridge on the Clinch River arm.
* Elk River in Carter County: from the Hwy. 321 Bridge downstream to River Mile 3.0 (Point 11) on the Elk River arm of Watauga Reservoir.
* Doe Creek: Old Cabin Private Road downstream to Roan Creek.
* Roan Creek: Mountain Lakes Estates Bridge downstream to Doe Creek.
* Watauga River: NC state line downstream to end of Cownstown Road.
• MINNOW TRAPS AND SEINES: A legal minnow trap shall not have a mouth opening that exceeds 1-1/2 inches in diameter. A legal minnow seine is a net having mesh size no greater than three-eighths inch on the square and no longer than 10 feet.
The catching of minnows for the purpose of sale in Cannon, Lincoln, Macon, Moore, Smith, Sumner and Trousdale counties is prohibited. The possession limit on minnows is 250 per person in Lincoln and Moore counties and 150 per person in Cannon, Macon, Smith, Sumner and Trousdale counties.
It is unlawful to sell, take for sale or offer for sale, Horneyhead (Stoneroller) minnows in Carter, Unicoi, Washington, Johnson, Morgan and Sullivan counties.
• SHAD TRAWLING: Season is open year-round. All waters are open except within 1,000 yards below any dam. Only threadfin or gizzard shad may be taken. A legal trawl is one having a mesh size no larger than one inch, a hoop diameter no larger than 48 inches and a net length no longer than 72 inches. Fish taken may not be sold.
• TURTLES: Only the common snapping turtle may be taken. Snapping turtles taken by sport fishing methods may not be sold.
Snapping turtles may be taken by all legal sport fishing methods except archery, spearguns and dipping. Daily limit is five with a minimum legal length of 12 inches (length is determined by measuring the upper shell from front to back). Sport fishermen may also take snapping turtles by the use of up to three hoop nets, with minimum net size of three inches on the square in Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton and Weakley counties. Each net must be marked with the name and address of the owner. Each net must be set so that a portion of the catch area is above the water.
On Reelfoot Wildlife Management Area, all sizes and species of turtles, except box turtles or turtles listed as endangered or threatened or as "In Need of Management" may be taken year-round with a combined daily limit of five for all species by legal sport fishing methods.
No turtle may be possessed while afield which has been altered to the extent that its species and/or length cannot be determined.
STATEWIDE TROUT REGULATIONS
Daily Limit: 7
Minimum Length: None
Exceptions: Only two trout in a creel may be lake trout; minimum length for brook trout is six inches.
• SPECIAL TROUT REGULATIONS:
South Holston Reservoir: Closed to trout fishing from Dec. 1 to the last day of February.
Dale Hollow Reservoir: April 1 - Oct. 31: 7 per day (no more than 2 may be lake trout). No size limit. . . Nov. 1 - March 21: 2 per day. Minimum 22".
Caney Fork River (Center Hill Dam to Cumberland River, including tributaries): 18" minimum length limit on brown trout . . . only 2 trout in daily creel limit may be brown trout.
Clear Creek (tributary to Clinch River in Anderson County): Closed to fishing and minnow seining from Hwy. 441 upstream to the second dam, as posted from Nov. 1 - March 31.
Hiwassee River (Apalachia Powerhouse to US Forest Service's Big Bend Parking Area): 14" minimum length on brown trout . . . Only 2 trout in daily creel limit may be brown trout . . . Also, see quality trout fishing areas on this page.
Horse Creek (Greene County; that portion from the US Forest Service boundary line upstream to the junction of Squibb Creek): Daily limit is 7 except from May 1 - Sept. 30, when daily limit is 2. Fishing is limited to ages 12 and under and ages 65 and older, and physically challenged individuals.
South Holston River (That portion from South Holston Dam to Hwy. 37 Bridge at Bluff City): No trout between 16 and 22 inches may be harvested . . . Creel limit of 7 trout, any combination of species, only one trout may be over 22 inches . . . Closed to all fishing Nov. 1 - Jan. 31 in the following areas: Hickory Tree Bridge upstream to the confluence with Botton Creek, downstream point of Boy's Island upstream to the top of the first island above Webb Road Bridge.
Polk County (Big Creek, Goforth Creek, Spring Creek and their tributaries in Polk County): Closed to fishing on Fridays from March 1 - July 1 except for state and federal holidays . . . Only one single hook lure or baited single hook is permitted . . . The use of possession of lures or baits with multiple hooks is prohibited . . . Fishing permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset . . . Fishing equipment or tackle prohibited on the stream banks except during legal fishing hours.
• QUALITY TROUT FISHING AREAS: Daily limit is 2 trout; Possession limit is 2 trout; Size limit is 14" minimum. Use or possession of any bait is prohibited. Trout less than 14" in length may not be possessed within these areas. Locations of these areas are the Hiwassee River from the L&N Railroad Bridge upstream to the US Forest Service's Big Bend Parking Area, and the Watauga River from Smalling Bridge downstream to the CSX railroad bridges.
• DELAYED HARVEST AREAS: In the areas listed below, the harvest or possession of trout will be prohibited during the catch-and-release season. During the catch-and-release season, only artificial lures are permitted and the use or possession of bait is prohibited.
Pain Creek (Point Creek Campground downstream to mouth at French Broad River): Catch-and-release season is Oct. 1 through the last day of February.
Tellico River (Mouth of Turkey Creek upstream to the mouth of North River): Catch-and-release season is Oct. 1 - March 14.
In addition to these regulations, size limits and creel limits apply to several species. See the Size & Creel Limits page for more information. In addition to the trout regulations on this page, special regulations apply to Cherokee WMA and Gatlinburg.
Special regulations apply to many Tennessee reservoirs, streams and impoundments. To view those regulations, download a PDF version of the TWRA's fishing guide by clicking here.
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