Fishing is permitted all year in TVA lakes. Best catches are generally reported in the spring and late fall. Each state sets it's own creel limits and establishes its license requirements. Fishing and hunting licenses are issued by each state and are sold at many boat docks. Principal game fish are largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, white, and striped bass, crappie, walleye, Sauger, and sunfish.
Rainbow trout are present in several of the deep tributary lakes and below some of the dams.
Fishing License goes on sale March 1 each year, the beginning of prime fishing and are valid though the last day of February. You can purchase any license, except Sportmans License, Lifetime Sportmans License and the Lifetime Senior Citizens License, from most county court clerks, sporting goods stores, hardware stores, boat docks and all Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency regional offices. You can also order your license by mail. Significant water use hazards exist above and below TVA dams where waters often rush over spillways and through gates, lock culverts, and turbines. Many of these operations are automatic and occur without warning.