Good Fishing Year-Round

Spring-March-June

Expect gravel points and bars, rip rap banks and bluffs. Fill your tackle box with jigs, big crank baits, spinner gaits, small jigs and spinning rods.

Summer-June-September

Now is the time for blue and channel catfish. For all fish, your best luck is to follow shell mounds, Indian mounds and underwater humps. Local fishermen say to use jig, big crank baits, spinner baits, Carolina Rig Lizard and live shiners to lure in the big ones.

Fall-September-December

Trophy fish abundant along the riverbanks, woods, rocks and where the bait fish are. Smallmouth bass congregate in the tailwaters of Wheeler Dam. Most anglers drift live threadfin shad (locals call them yellowtails) in the swift current for trophy smallmouths. Also fill your tackle box with top water baits, spinner baits, and live bait.

Winter-December-March

Tailwaters of Wilson and Wheeler Dams provide excellent opportunities to catch sauger we (we call them jack salmon) when they migrate upstream to spawn. Also winter is the best season for smallmouth bass fishing on the Tennessee River. Use willow leaf spinner baits in white or white/chartreuse