Tennessee Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Tennessee charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Striped Bass23 charters · March to May and October to December | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: peak |
 Trout22 charters · March to June and October to December | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: peak |
 Crappie18 charters · March to May and October to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Catfish9 charters · May to July | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Largemouth Bass7 charters · March to May and October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Smallmouth Bass7 charters · March to June and October to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Muskie4 charters · March to April and October to December | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Tennessee fishing, month by month
- January
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- February
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- March
- Striped Bass, Trout, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie
- April
- Striped Bass, Trout, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie
- June
- Trout, Catfish, Smallmouth Bass
- July
- Catfish
- August
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- September
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- October
- Striped Bass, Trout, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie
- November
- Striped Bass, Trout, Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie
- December
- Striped Bass, Trout, Muskie
Before you book
- Trout: Tailwater trout fish all year, but dam releases decide whether you wade or drift. Check the generation schedule.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Tennessee charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Mid-South, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Tennessee's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.