Guide To Excellent Striped Bass & Hybrid Striper Fishing In Tennessee

Striped Bass Lakes

Boone Lake, Center Hill Lake, Cheatham Lake, Cherokee Lake, Chickamauga Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Dale Hollow Reservoir, Douglas Lake, Fort Loudoun Lake, Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir, J Percy Priest Lake, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Melton Hill Lake, Nickajack Lake, Norris Lake, Old Hickory Lake, Percy Priest Lake, Pickwick Lake, Reelfoot Lake, Tellico Reservoir, Tims Ford Lake and Watts Bar Lake all have quality schools of stripers.

Click the images and links above for species details.

Cordell Hull Reservoir turned out the state record striped bass.

The Stones River served up the state hybrid striped bass.

Fishing for Stripers in Tennessee

When fishing for stripers concentrate on the deeper waters in the lake. If you can locate schools of shad, stripers are often close by. When the baitfish are shallow over the deep water, you can catch stripers on crankbaits or by swimming spoons at appropriate depths. Check Tennessee fishing reports for current striper information. And for the ultimate thrill try large topwater baits if you see any surface feeding action. When the stripers are deep, jigs and jigging spoons work well. Live and cut bait will also take striped bass when they are in medium to deeper water. Fish nearby or in the river channel if it is a defined depth change. Trolling is also an excellent way to fish for stripers. Use flashy lures in bigger sizes.

While stripers are native to salt water, they naturally migrate into fresh water streams to spawn. Their eggs must remain in motion in order to hatch so the fresh water rivers and streams become the ideal spawning grounds for stripers. Landlocked stripers then populate the lakes.

Striper Fishing Video

Learn the basics for catching striped bass.

Striped bass fishing information, by state.