Tennessee provides strong freshwater fishing opportunities for trout. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the state offer reliable action for anglers.
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Regulations for Trout 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 Rainbow trout as of May 17th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Rainbow trout
Seasons
Open
Bag limit
7
Aggregate
7
A supplemental trout license is generally required to fish for trout in Tennessee. Visit Go Outdoors Tennessee to view all license requirements.
No minimum size limit. Aggregate bag limit includes all trout species combined (Rainbow, Brook, Brown, Cutthroat, and Lake). Only 2 trout may be Lake Trout.
Several waters have exceptions to these statewide limits. Refer to TWRA for a full list of exceptions to statewide limits.
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.
The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Trout have recently been caught.