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  4. Sunfish fishing in Tennessee

Sunfish fishing in Tennessee

Tennessee provides strong freshwater fishing opportunities for sunfish. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the state offer reliable action for anglers.

Best baits and lures for Sunfish in Tennessee

According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Sunfish.

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Biggest Sunfish catches

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Latest Sunfish fishing reports in Tennessee

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Bluegill

Tellico Reservoir (Tennessee River)

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Bluegill

WC Johnson Park Ponds

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Bluegill

Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River)

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Redear sunfish

Pine Creek Number One Lake

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Bluegill

Tellico River

length · weight

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Bluegill

Melton Hill Lake (Clinch River)

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Bluegill

Melton Hill Lake (Clinch River)

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Bluegill

Melton Hill Lake (Clinch River)

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Bluegill

West Fork Red River

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Bluegill

Jack Dickert Memorial Pond

9 in · 6 oz

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Regulations for Sunfish in Tennessee

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.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Bluegill as of May 16th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Bluegill

Seasons

Open
Purchase your Tennessee fishing license on the Go Outdoors Tennessee website.

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.

Lepomis macrochirus

Regulations for

35°49′50.2″N 85°58′39.5″W
Regulations in the map
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FAQ

Anglers in Tennessee commonly catch several Sunfish species, including Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Green sunfish, Redear sunfish, and Redbreast sunfish, according to reports from Fishbrain members.

These species can be found in many lakes, rivers and streams throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
Sunfish are caught in lakes, rivers and streams throughout Tennessee. Popular fishing waters reported by Fishbrain members include Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River), J. Percy Priest Reservoir (Stones River), and Chickamauga Lake (Tennessee River).

The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Sunfish have recently been caught.