Top fish species at Lake Watauga
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Lake Watauga fishing reports
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Fishing regulations at Lake Watauga, TN
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Tennessee can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Regulations for top species
Bluegill
Gigging
Harvest by gigging prohibited.
Snagging
Harvest of this species by snagging (snatch hooking) is prohibited.
Spears
Harvest of this species by "spearing" is prohibited. Spearing includes the catching or taking of a fish by bow hunting, gigging, spearfishing, or by any device used to capture a fish by piercing the body.
Bow Fishing
Harvest of this species by bow fishing is prohibited.
TN Hook Restriction
Anglers in Tennessee are restricted to a maximum of 3 hooks per rod, pole, or hand-held line. Single, double, or treble hooks each count as one hook. The statewide hook restriction does not apply when using a sabiki rig or piscatore rig to take shad or herring.
No minimum size limit. No bag limit.
Several waters have exceptions to these statewide limits. Refer to TWRA for a full list of exceptions to statewide limits.
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