Waterbody · Tennessee
Tims Ford Lake Fishing Regulations 2026
Tims Ford Lake fishing regulations in 2026: top targets are smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass. 252 current rules across 4 species from TWRA.
Rules (252)
TWRA regulates 252 rules across 4 species at this water.
Largemouth Bass
Acorn LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
no minimum length limit
Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness Wma Ponds
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 16"
only one (1) fish 16 inches or longer may be harvested
Browns Creek Lake
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 18"
- Slot max
- 25"
only one fish longer than 25 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 25 inches may be harvested PLR
Carroll LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Coy Gaither-Bedford Lake
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 14"
- Slot max
- 18"
only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested PLR
Davy Crockett LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Max size
- 18"
No limit — no creel only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested per day.
Davy Crockett Lake (Crockett Co.)Open
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Fall Creek Falls Lake
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 16"
Only one (1) fish longer than 16 inches may be harvested Only one (1) fish longer than 16 inches may be harvested.
Garrett LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Gibson County Lake
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 18"
- Slot max
- 24"
only one fish longer than 24 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 24 inches may be harvested PLR
Glenn Springs LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Herb Parsons Lake
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 16"
- Slot max
- 20"
only one fish longer than 20 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 20 inches may be harvested PLR
Indian Boundary Lake
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 16"
only one (1) fish 16 inches or longer may be harvested
Lake GrahamOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Lake Halford
- Daily bag
- 2 fish/day
- Possession
- 2 fish
- Max size
- 18"
only two fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only two (2) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Lake Kefauver
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 16"
only one (1) fish 16 inches or longer may be harvested
Laurel Hill Lake
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 18"
only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested PLR
Maples Creek LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Marrowbone LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
no length limit.
Pin Oak Lake
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
- Slot min
- 18"
- Slot max
- 25"
only one (1) fish longer than 25 inches may be harvested
Poplar Tree Lake
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 18"
only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Travis McNatt LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Min size
- 16"
No creel limit, only one (1) fish longer than 16 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 16 inches may be harvested
Whiteville LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Possession
- 1 fish
no creel limit only one fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested only one (1) fish longer than 18 inches may be harvested
Woodhaven Lake
- Daily bag
- 10 fish/day
- Slot min
- 18"
- Slot max
- 25"
only one (1) fish longer than 25 inches may be harvested
Smallmouth Bass
Clinch River
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
13–17 inch PLR, only one (1) greater than 17 inches
Clinch River: Hwy. 25e Upstream To State Line
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) greater than 17 inches
Dale Hollow
- Daily bag
- 1 fish
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 16"
- Slot max
- 21"
One (1) fish may be under 16 inches and one (1) may be over 21 inches. Includes Wolf River upstream to South Ford Road bridge. Includes Wolf River upstream to South Ford Road bridge.
French Broad River
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
13–17 inch PLR, only one (1) greater than 17 inches
French Broad River (From Hwy 321 Bridge At Newport Upstream To Nc State Line)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) greater than 17 inches
French Broad River (Hwy. 168 To Douglas Dam)
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Holston River
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
13–17 inch PLR for Smallmouth Bass, only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
Holston River (I-40 Bridge Upstream To Cherokee Dam And John Sevier Dam Upstream To North Fork Holston River)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
John Sevier
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth bass over 17 inches per day PLR
John Sevier Reservoir
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
13–17 inch PLR, only one (1) Smallmouth bass over 17 inches per day.
Little Pigeon River (From Mouth Upstream To The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Boundary, Including The West Prong And East Fork Of The Little Pigeon River)
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Min size
- 20"
Little River
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
13–17 inch PLR for Smallmouth Bass, only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
Little River (Rockford Dam Upstream To Great Smoky Mountains National Park Boundary)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
Nolichucky River
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
over 17 inches
Nolichucky River (Enka Dam Upstream To State Line, Includes Davy Crockett Lake)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
North Fork Holston River
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
over 17 inches
North Fork Holston River (Confluence With South Fork Holston River Upstream To State Line)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
Pigeon River (From Hwy 321 Bridge At Newport Upstream To Nc State Line)
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Min size
- 20"
Powell River
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
over 17 inches
Powell River (Gap Creek Confluence Upstream To State Line)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
South Fork Holston River
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
over 17 inches
South Fork Holston River (Confluence With North Fork Holston River Upstream To Fort Patrick Henry Dam)
- Slot min
- 13"
- Slot max
- 17"
only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
South Holston Reservoir
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Min size
- 15"
Oct. 16–May 31
Wolf River (South Ford Road Bridge Downstream To Dale Hollow Reservoir)
- Daily bag
- 2 fish/day
- Slot min
- 16"
- Slot max
- 21"
one under 16 inches and one over 21 inches
Striped Bass
Cordell Hull
- Daily bag
- 1 fish
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Slot min
- 32"
- Slot max
- 42"
Only one (1) fish may be over 42 inches.
Melton Hill
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Slot min
- 32"
- Slot max
- 42"
only one (1) fish may be over 42 inches PLR
Melton Hill Reservoir
- Slot min
- 32"
- Slot max
- 42"
32–42 inch PLR; only one (1) fish may be over 42 inches.
South Holston Reservoir
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Min size
- 36"
Nov. 1–March 31
Watts BarOut of season
- Season opens
- Nov 1
- Season closes
- Mar 31
- Min size
- 36"
Nov. 1–March 31: 36 inch minimum length limit.
All Species
Tims Ford LakeOpen
- Status
- Permitted
Bill Dance Signature Lake access points
FAQ
Who regulates fishing on Tims Ford Lake?
TWRA regulates fishing on Tims Ford Lake.
What species can I target on Tims Ford Lake?
Tims Ford Lake is best known for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass. Other species are present and tracked in the rule tables below.
Where should I verify these rules?
These rules summarize TWRA's published content. Always confirm with the official source before keeping a catch.
Reference only. Regulations change mid-season. Always verify with the official source before keeping a catch.