Fishing Report For Center Hill Lake, TN

AKA: Center Hill Reservoir

By Rick Seaman

January 21, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Center Hill Lake Fishing Video
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Fishing Report Center Hill Lake, TN

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Center Hill Lake, TN

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

There is a 15-inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass at Center Hill Lake, and locals are reporting improvement in the quality of the bass fishery. Mid-range crankbaits, like the Rapala DT-6, and spinnerbaits two are a good ways to cover lots of water during Spring and Fall, as well as Summer mornings. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reports that bass are being caught in Summer, both day and night, in the 10 to 20-foot range. In this deeper water, drop-shot rigs, jigs and plastic worms work well. Around schools of bait in Fall, spoons are very effective.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Crappie fishing is good year round, with the concentration of fish in the up-river sections of the lake. A dedicated stocking program has increased the catch rate, according to reports. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Brush, wood and deep brush piles are a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Locals report good success using fish finders to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

Walleye

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Very Good

A great stocking program, and an ideal walleye habitat, are improving the walleye fishing considerably. Walleye spawn here in late March, primarily in the Caney Fork River arm of the lake, near Rock Island State Park. Afterwards they work their way back to the main lake area. Reportedly, many of the walleye caught here easily exceed 3 pounds, with an average of over 2 1/2 pounds. Deep-diving crankbaits, like the Bandit, are a great for trolling.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill, longear sunfish, warmouth, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, muskie and paddlefish at Center Hill Lake in Tennessee.

Center Hill Lake is an 18,000-acre lake with over 400 miles of shoreline. There are fishing docks, fish-cleaning stations, and multiple boat ramps. The lake is a maze of points, channels, ledges and islands which makes for excellent fishing. Crappie, bass, and walleye fishing are excellent, plus the catfish, trout, sunfish and striped bass fishing deserves high honors too.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Marinas

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".