2026 regulation year
Tennessee Striped bass / hybrid 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
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Tennessee's striped bass are landlocked TVA-reservoir fish, stocked and self-sustaining across the state's deep, cool impoundments, and fished alongside the striped bass × white bass hybrid (locally called the 'Cherokee bass'). Cherokee Lake on the Holston, Norris Lake on the Clinch and Powell, Melton Hill on the Clinch, and the Cumberland River chain near Nashville — Old Hickory, Cordell Hull, and J. Percy Priest — are the marquee striper waters, with the summer tailwater bite below the Cumberland dams drawing live-bait and trolling anglers from across the Southeast. The statewide limit is 2 fish per day counting striped bass and hybrids together, with a 15-inch minimum. The one major exception is the Mississippi River on Tennessee's western boundary, where the connected Gulf-strain population carries a liberal 6-fish daily limit and no length limit.
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Season
Open year-round Open year-round. 2 per day combined striped + hybrid striped bass with a 15-inch minimum statewide; Mississippi River 6 per day with no length limit.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 2 / day in combination (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). Mississippi River: 6 / day in combination.
- Possession
- Same as the daily creel limit
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- 15 in minimum (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). No length limit on the Mississippi River.
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line; snagging prohibited
- Striped bass and hybrid striped bass count together toward the 2-fish daily limit
- Live-bait (shad / skipjack herring) and trolling are the dominant TVA-reservoir methods
- Tennessee fishing licence required ages 13+ (resident annual $34 / non-resident all-species $99 or fish-only $50)
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Tennessee waters:
Cherokee Lake (Holston River)
2 / day combined striped + hybrid, 15 in min; premier East TN striped bass reservoir
Norris Lake (Clinch + Powell Rivers)
2 / day combined, 15 in min; trophy striped bass + walleye
Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River)
2 / day combined, 15 in min; Nashville-area striped bass
J. Percy Priest Lake (Stones River)
2 / day combined, 15 in min; Nashville-area striped bass
Mississippi River (TN western boundary)
6 / day combined striped + hybrid, no length limit; Gulf-strain population
Official source
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency publishes the authoritative 2026 Tennesseefishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.
The striped bass / hybrid rules on this page are sourced from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's official striped bass / hybrid regulation page.
Visit official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
Striped bass / hybrid closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's emergency-order feed — check it before any Tennessee trip during the active season.
Frequently asked questions
- When is striped bass / hybrid season in Tennessee?
- Tennessee keeps striped bass / hybrid open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
- What is the Tennessee bag limit for striped bass / hybrid?
- The Tennessee daily bag limit for striped bass / hybrid is 2 / day in combination (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). Mississippi River: 6 / day in combination.. The possession limit is Same as the daily creel limit. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
- What size striped bass / hybrid can you keep in Tennessee?
- The Tennessee size rule for striped bass / hybrid is 15 in minimum (striped bass + hybrid striped bass). No length limit on the Mississippi River..
- Do you need a license to fish for striped bass / hybrid in Tennessee?
- Yes. Tennessee requires a valid fishing license to fish for striped bass / hybrid, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Tennessee license — compare resident and non-resident Tennessee fees on the state regulations page below.
- Are there gear restrictions for striped bass / hybrid in Tennessee?
- Yes. In Tennessee, striped bass / hybrid fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; snagging prohibited; Striped bass and hybrid striped bass count together toward the 2-fish daily limit; Live-bait (shad / skipjack herring) and trolling are the dominant TVA-reservoir methods; Tennessee fishing licence required ages 13+ (resident annual $34 / non-resident all-species $99 or fish-only $50).
- Do specific Tennessee waters have different striped bass / hybrid rules?
- Yes. 5 named Tennessee waters carry rules that override the statewide striped bass / hybrid regulation, including Cherokee Lake, Norris Lake, Old Hickory Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.