Basic Laws

• Stocking of any fish into public waters is strictly prohibited.
  
• Explosives, chemicals and electrical shocking devices are strictly forbidden, and their use carries heavy penalties.
  
• Shooting in the water with any type of firearm to injure or take fish or turtles is prohibited.
  
• All boaters and passengers must wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket within the area designated and appropriately marked as a hazardous area below any dam and/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.
  

Reciprocal Agreements

Tennessee has several reciprocal agreements with adjacent states. These agreements have been arranged so that any fishing license from either Tennessee or the corresponding state is valid in the following waters. Creel limits and other regulations of the state where the license was issued apply.

ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI - Pickwick Lake - Applies to anyone with a valid Sport Fishing License from Tennessee, Alabama, or Mississippi. Resident anglers of the three states may fish without purchasing a nonresident license anywhere within the boundaries covered by the agreement. The reciprocal area includes all impounded water from Pickwick Dam upstream to Tennessee River Mile 224.8, at the mouth of Bear Creek, but does not include Bear Creek and does not include that portion of Yellow Creek above the Hwy. 25 Bridge.

ARKANSAS - The flowing waters of the Mississippi River, adjacent sloughs, bayous and old river runs, which are accessible by boat from the river proper, and the old river chutes forming a common boundary, excluding all wildlife management areas established by either state and the Wolf, Loosahatchie, Hatchie, Forked Deer and Obion rivers.

KENTUCKY - Dale Hollow Lake - Sportfishing licenses from either state are recognized in Wolf River, including Illwill Creek, beginning at a line crossing the Wolf River at its mouth where it joins the Obey River.
Big South Fork of the Cumberland River - Sportfishing licenses from either state are recognized from Leatherwood Ford Bridge (Hwy. 279) in Tennessee, downstream to the Hwy 92 bridge at Yamacraw, Kentucky.

MISSOURI - The flowing portion of the Mississippi River between the states of Tennessee and Missouri. Fishermen licensed in only one state may not fish in the tributaries, bayous or backwaters of the Mississippi River in the other state. Fishermen may not fish from nor attach any device or equipment to land under the jurisdiction of the state in which they are not licensed.

NORTH CAROLINA - All of Calderwood Reservoir while fishing from a boat and in that portion of Slick Rock Creek, which constitutes the boundary between the two states. (See section on Cherokee Wildlife Management Area fishing for special creel and size limits on Calderwood Reservoir and Slick Rock Creek.)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A valid fishing license obtained from the state of Tennessee or the state of North Carolina is required and honored throughout the park for all persons 13 years of age and older. A Tennessee trout license is not required. For detailed fishing information, contact Park Headquarters, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. (423) 436-1200

Fish Attractors
On many reservoirs the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, other government agencies, and local sportsmen have constructed hundreds of "fish attractors" which help put fish and anglers together. These underwater structures work by providing cover that attracts small fish, which in turn attract big fish, which attract anglers. They appeal primarily to crappie, but bass, bluegill, and catfish are also found in and around them. There's no guarantee that you will catch a fish from a fish attractor, but they are great places to start.

Be an Ethical Angler
Ethical anglers have learned to fish responsibly to protect and conserve our natural resources. They know "catch and release" methods which increase survival rates of released fish and help maintain fishing success for future generations. Ethical anglers are courteous and respect the rights of all resource users including other anglers, swimmers, boaters, and land owners. They sincerely appreciate the environment and work hard to keep it clean. They harvest fish responsibly keeping only what they can eat. Ethical anglers know and abide by fishing regulations which enhance and protect the resource and more evenly distribute harvests among fishermen.

Catch-and-Release and Selective Harvest
As fishing pressure continues to increase on Tennessee waters each year, catch and release and selective harvest will become more important to anglers of our state. Catch and release is probably understood by most avid anglers. It simply means releasing all fish that are caught.

Selective harvest is a newer concept in recreational fishing and may need to be explained. Selective harvest involves the concept of catch and release, emphasizing particularly the release of large fish that are rare in the population. However, selective harvest takes into account the need to keep occasional fish to eat. It accepts that harvesting fish, particularily smaller fish, is part of fishing, but it also recognizes that each and every angler is a steward of our state's fisheries resource and therefore responsible for the quality of the fishery he or she leaves behind. Knowing when, where, what size, and how many fish too keep is part of being a knowledgeable angler. By limiting your harvest as a result of personal commitment, you assure a higher quality recreational fishing experience for anglers now and in the future.

How to release fish :

Releasing the fish you catch works only when the fish survive to be caught again. Here are a few quidelines to keep in mind to give your fish a good chance of survival.

1. Do not play the fish to exhaustion.
2. Do not let the fish flop around on the ground or in the boat.
3. Be sure to keep fish you will release in the water at all times.
4. Before handling fish, be sure your hands are wet to avoid removing the protective slime from the fish's scales or skin. A fish's slime protects it from bacterial and fungal infections.
5. Handle them gently to avoid damage to internal organs and carefully remove hooks, preferably with forceps or pliers.
6. If hooks are deeply embedded or swallowed, cut your line.
7. When possible land fish with a lip hold.
8. When using a lip hold, do not hold the fish horizontally. This can damage jaw bones and muscles.
9. Avoid using an abrasive, knotted landing net that will damage scales and skin.
10. Gently release the fish back into the water.

As for the fish you plan to keep, place them on ice immediately. Fish kept on a stringer become stressed and often die. During this period they can acquire off flavors or spoil, particularly in late spring and summer.