Fishing Report For Cherokee Lake, TN

By Rick Seaman

March 5, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Cherokee Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Marinas
Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Cherokee Lake, TN

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Cherokee Lake, TN

Smallmouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

This fertile, TVA lake is well populated with scrappy smallmouth bass. These smallmouth bass forage on threadfin shad, gizzard shad, alewife and crawfish. Locals report there is so much forage for these fish, they grow fat and quickly. In Spring, mid-range crankbaits, topwater and jerkbaits are catching a lot of smallies. In Summer, they drop to around 25 or 30 feet for cooler water, staying above the thermocline. Jigs, tube baits and spoons can work well fishing points, ledges and channel drop-offs. In Winter, the fishing is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

Crappie fishing has been good in Cherokee Lake for several years, thanks to an on-going stocking program and excellent fisheries management. Anglers report catching lots of crappie around docks, laydowns and brush piles placed in the lake for cover. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Docks, brush, wood and deep vegetation are a good place to cast small crappie jigs, curly-tail jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal.

Hybrid Striped Bass

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency maintains a methodical stocking regimen to enhance fishing for Cherokee Bass, or hybrid stripers, in Cherokee Lake. Swimbaits, hair-jigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spoons, live shad or shiners, and cut bait are all effective here for hybrid stripers. Their primary diet is the schools of baitfish, and they follow these schools to stay close to food supply. In Spring, and again in Fall, concentrate upstream from the US 25 E South Bridge to the JS Steam Plant. In Summer and Winter, it's typically better in the deeper regions of the lake from the US 25 E South Bridge to the area around the dam. Use electronics and fish finders to locate both bait and wipers.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, bluegill, redear sunfish, rock bass, warmouth, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, sauger and saugeye at Cherokee Lake in Tennessee.

Cherokee Lake is a 30,000-acre impoundment with 390 miles of shoreline, in the northeast part of the state. Striped bass, walleye, sauger, saugeye, bass, crappie, catfish and sunfish all thrive in these forage infested waters. There are multiple marinas and boat launch ramps.

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

Click here for a Tennessee Fishing License.

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".