USA · South
Tennessee
Fishing License 2026.
Fishing License & Permit · Fishing Times · Waters & Fish Species · Cost Overview
🌙Fishing Times 2026Simple license
Best fishing times
·Tennessee35.50°, -86.60°
01
Fishing License & Permit
- License required?
- Yes
- Where to apply?
- TN Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Online, TWRA regional offices, license agents.
- Cost
- Resident annual: $34. Non-resident annual: $50 (10-day). Non-resident annual: $150. 3-day non-res: $40.81. 1-day: $6.50. Senior (65+) resident: $5 lifetime. Trout license add-on: $22 (annual resident).
- Validity
- Annual (Mar 1 – Feb 28) or 1/3/10-day
- Available online?
- Yes
Tennessee is an affordable, year-round fishing destination. Required for ages 13+. Reelfoot Lake has its own special regulations. Separate trout license ($22) required for tailwaters (Cherokee, South Holston, Caney Fork).
Buy fishing license for Tennessee online
www.tn.gov
02
Rules & Regulations
- Closed seasons
- Largemouth bass Reelfoot Lake: catch-and-release only April 1 – June 15 (spawn). Trout: year-round open on tailwaters, seasonal on high-elevation streams.
- Catch limits
- Largemouth: 5/day 15" min (state) / varies on lakes. Smallmouth: 5/day 18" min (trophy waters). Walleye: 5/day 16". Trout: 7/day combined statewide.
- Prohibited methods
- Jug fishing and trot lines allowed but regulated by zone. Bowfishing legal for non-game.
- Catch & Release
- Required during Reelfoot spring closure. Encouraged on Dale Hollow for smallmouth bass (world-record water).
Dale Hollow Lake holds the IGFA all-tackle smallmouth record (11 lb 15 oz, 1955). Tennessee River (Wheeler, Pickwick, Guntersville) is world-class for largemouth.
03
Waters & Fish Species
Top waters
- —Dale Hollow Lake (trophy smallmouth — world-record waters)
- —Reelfoot Lake (crappie capital — cypress swamp in NW TN)
- —Tims Ford Lake (smallmouth + walleye, middle TN)
- —Watauga Lake (trophy walleye, mountain lake)
- —Cherokee Lake (stripers + walleye, East TN)
- Best season
- Smallmouth: March–May + October–November. Crappie spawn on Reelfoot: March–April. Trout tailwaters: Year-round, best spring/fall.
- Freshwater
- 600,000+ acres of reservoirs + 22,000 miles of streams. Cumberland + Tennessee River systems dominate. East TN tailwaters for trout.
- Saltwater
- None.
04
Practical Information
- Equipment
- Bass Pro flagship in Sevierville. Countless tackle shops at every major lake. Fly shops in Townsend (Smokies) + Knoxville.
- Fishing guides
- $350–$500/day bass guide. $250–$450/day tailwater trout. $300–$500/day crappie guide (Reelfoot).
- Transport
- BNA (Nashville), MEM (Memphis), TYS (Knoxville). Rental car needed. I-40 + I-24 spine the state.
- Safety
- Copperhead snakes in woodlands May–Oct. Summer humidity 35°C+. Black bears in the Smokies. Flash floods on mountain streams.
05
Cost Overview
- License fees
- $6–$150 depending on duration + residency; +$22 trout add-on
- Guide prices
- $250–$500/day
- Daily budget
- Budget: $70–$100/day. Guided: $300–$500/day.