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Tennessee

45 species
🐟
Freshwater Fish
Smallmouth Bass
🦅
State Bird
Northern Mockingbird
🌸
State Flower
Iris
🦌
State Mammal
Tennessee Walking Horse

Smallmouth Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, rocky_streams, reservoirs
⭐ State fish; statewide; East TN rivers iconic

Largemouth Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 60-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs, rivers
Spring spawn peak; statewide

Spotted Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, reservoirs
Middle/West TN rivers

Striped Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, reservoirs
Spring run; major reservoirs

Hybrid Striped Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: reservoirs, large_rivers
Stocked; cool-water preference

Bluegill

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 65-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: ponds, lakes, slow_rivers
Bedding cycles; statewide

Redear Sunfish

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 68-82°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Shellcracker; spring beds

Black Crappie

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Spring spawn; fall transition

White Crappie

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Spring spawn; fall transition

Channel Catfish

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, lakes, reservoirs
Summer peak; statewide

Blue Catfish

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, mississippi_river
Trophy potential; Mississippi River strength

Flathead Catfish

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 72-88°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, large_rivers
Large river systems; trophy fish

Brook Trout

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 40-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: mountain_streams
East TN mountains; native headwaters

Rainbow Trout

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Stocked; East TN focus

Brown Trout

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Stocked; East TN

Sauger

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
🌡️ Temp: 40-60°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, tailwaters
Cool-season; tailwater focus

Walleye

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
Secondary: Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 45-68°F
🏞️ Habitat: reservoirs, large_rivers
Stocked; cool-water preference

Rock Bass

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; rocky streams

Warmouth

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; heavy cover

Chain Pickerel

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; common

Longnose Gar

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; common in rivers

Shortnose Gar

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; smaller gar

Bowfin

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Living fossil; common

American Eel

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Catadromous; Tennessee River system

Freshwater Drum

Regulated
✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
🌡️ Temp: 60-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, mississippi_river
Gaspergou; Mississippi River staple; year-round

Paddlefish

Peak: Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 50-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: mississippi_river, large_rivers
🛡️ Mississippi River icon; protected; spring spawning runs

Shovelnose Sturgeon

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: mississippi_river
🛡️ Protected; Mississippi River only

Buffalo Fish

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Multiple species group (Bigmouth/Smallmouth/Black); Mississippi River

Skipjack Herring

Non-Game
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, mississippi_river
Spring spawning runs; key baitfish anglers recognize

Gizzard Shad

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; critical baitfish; reservoirs & rivers

Threadfin Shad

Non-Game
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; baitfish; reservoirs

Common Carp

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; removal encouraged

Grass Carp

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; vegetation control

Silver Carp

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🚨 INVASIVE - Asian Carp; jumping fish; Mississippi basin threat

Bighead Carp

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🚨 INVASIVE - Asian Carp; Mississippi basin threat

Black Carp

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🚨 INVASIVE - Asian Carp; Mississippi basin; report sightings

Northern Snakehead

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🚨 INVASIVE - Watchlist; spreading basin-wide; report immediately

Round Goby

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; Mississippi tributaries; spreading

Goldfish

⚠️ Invasive
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; released pets

Bull Shark

Awareness Only
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: mississippi_river
⚠️ RARE but documented - Gulf → Mississippi River → as far north as Illinois; summer presence only; safety awareness

Minnows (group)

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes
Essential forage base

Shiners (group)

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes
Popular live bait

Darters (group)

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Benthic forage - TN has highest darter diversity in US

Suckers (group)

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Spring spawning runs

Chubs (group)

Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
River forage - diverse species

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