The state of Tennessee offers year-round outdoor activities, including fishing. You can cast a line for trout in the mountain streams of the Smoky Mountains, catch a trophy largemouth bass at Reelfoot Lake or drop a hook for bluegill in a backwoods pond. State parks and private businesses offer a variety of accommodations, ranging from primitive campgrounds to lakefront resort cabins. Tennessee allows year-round game fishing in open waters throughout the state.
Geography
West Tennessee features flat farmland, giving way to rolling hills and ridges as you travel east to the center of the state. The Mississippi river runs along the western border and its tributaries and lakes dot the landscape of west Tennessee. East Tennessee features the mountain peaks and river valleys of the Smoky Mountains, along with woodland streams and lakes.
Climate
Typical Tennessee summers offer hot, humid weather, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August. You can often find cooler temperatures in the eastern regions, particularly at higher elevations. West Tennessee winters vary, with mild to cold temperatures, while eastern portions of Tennessee can experience snow and ice in higher elevations. October typically experiences the lowest precipitation and spring offers mild temperatures with moderate rainfall.
Tennessee Game Fish
You can find a variety of game fish throughout the state, including bass, trout, walleye, crappie, catfish and panfish. Bass, crappie, catfish and panfish inhabit lakes, ponds and rivers throughout the state, while trout live in the mountain streams of eastern Tennessee and select lakes, including Dale Hallow and Watauga lakes.
Fishing Licenses
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency regulates fishing and hunting activities in Tennessee. Fishing for all species of fish requires a license and trout fishing requires the purchase of an additional trout stamp. The agency begins selling licenses each year on February 18, which remain valid until the end of the following February. Fishermen can purchase licenses online at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website, over the phone or from license agents, including hardware stores, bait shops and sporting goods retailers. The agency offers a wide variety of licenses, from a combination annual fishing and hunting license to a three-day fishing-only license.
Fishing Accommodations
You can find a number of accommodation options when planning a Tennessee fishing vacation. State parks offer tent and RV campsites, along with rental cabins and villas. Cabin and villa amenities vary, depending on the park, and can include furnished kitchens, grills, cable televisions, fireplaces, air-conditioning and telephones. Resorts and real estate agencies offer rental cabins across the state, including locations such as the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee River. A number of fishing resorts in the state offer lakefront accommodations, including Piney Point Resort in Spring City and Sequoyah Landing in Vonore.
Guide Service
You can find fishing guides at the majority of major fishing venues, including Kentucky Lake, Boone Lake and Dale Hollow Lake. Professional guides can assist in finding all types of game fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass and trout. Fishing guides offer year-round services, while others work from early spring through the end of summer.
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