Statewide Limits and Regulations
The following are the creel and size limits that apply statewide. Several waters have exceptions to these limits. Refer to the pages listed in red at the bottom of this page to see exceptions to the statewide regulations. If you are fishing a location that does not have exceptions listed in this guide, then the statewide limits apply.
|
Species |
Creel Limit |
Minimum Length Limit |
|
Black Bass |
5 |
none |
|
Crappie (all species combined) |
15 |
10 inches |
|
Region 1 Crappie Exception: unless otherwise noted for specific waters. |
30 |
none |
|
Rock Bass or Redeye |
20 |
none |
|
Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped Bass |
2 |
15 inches |
|
White Bass |
15 |
none |
|
Muskellunge |
1 |
36 inches |
|
Sauger or Sauger/Walleye hybrids |
10 |
15 inches |
|
Walleye |
5 |
16 inches |
|
Trout (all trout species combined) |
7 |
none |
|
Lake Trout |
Only 2 trout may be lake trout. |
— |
|
Brook Trout |
— |
6 inches |
|
Redear Sunfish or Shellcracker |
20 |
none |
|
Yellow Bass, Bluegill, Bream, Bullheads, Pickerel, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and nongame species |
no limit |
none |
|
Catfish: Only one catfish over 34 inches may be harvested per day. No harvest limit on catfish less than 34 inches. |
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|
Paddlefish: Paddlefish may be harvested from April 24 through May 31. Daily creel limit is 2 fish per day with no size limit. Culling is prohibited. For exceptions on Center Hill and Cherokee reservoirs, see Reservoir Regulations—Region 3 and Reservoir Regulations—Region 4. |
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|
Sturgeon (Shovelnose, Pallid, Lake, and Hybrids): No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately. |
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Exceptions to the statewide limits and other regulations:
- Reservoirs (Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4)
- TWRA Fishing Lakes
- Small Impoundments
- State Park Lakes
- Streams and Rivers
- Trout Fisheries
TWRA’s goal is to manage each species of fish with statewide creel and length limits where possible. However, many waters, because of their unique characteristics, require individual creel and length limits. These regulations improve fishing for all anglers.
Minimum Length Limits restrict the harvest of fish below a specified minimum length. For example, a 15-inch minimum length limit allows the angler to keep fish 15 inches or greater. Fish less than 15 inches cannot be harvested. In waters where length restrictions are in place, anglers may not be able to harvest quite as many fish, but they will enjoy catching more fish—as many as two to three times more.
Slot Limits or Protected Length Ranges (PLRs) allow anglers to harvest fish above and below a specified length range. For example, a 14–18″ PLR protects fish in the 14- to 18-inch length group. Anglers may harvest fish that measure less than 14 inches and they may harvest fish that measure over 18 inches. For a protected length range to be effective, anglers must harvest fish below the protected range.
Possession Limits: The total possession limit is twice the daily creel limit. You may not have more than the daily creel limit with you while afield. It is unlawful to have, while afield, any fish which has been altered so that its species and/or total body length cannot be determined.
Pole or Rod Limit: There is no limit on the number of poles, except at Center Hill and Dale Hollow Reservoirs (see Reservoir Regulations—Region 3).
Banned In Tennessee
It is unlawful to possess or transport live specimens of the following animals:
- Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
- Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
- Black carp (Hypophthalmichthys piceus)
- Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis)
- New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum)
- Round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)
- Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus)
- Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua)
- Snakeheads (all members of the Family Channidae)
- Swamp eels (all members of the Family Synbranchidae)
- Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)
Regulations in red are new this year.
Purple text indicates an important note.
