2026 regulation year
Buffalo Creek (Grainger County) 2026 — Tennessee Fishing Regulations
Tennessee statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Buffalo Creek (Grainger County) carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Tennessee's 2026 fishing rules. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
TWRA delayed-harvest area from the mill dam down to the Buffalo Springs WMA boundary — Oct 1 – Jan 31 artificial lures ONLY, no bait, all trout released during the catch-and-release season
Source: Tennessee special-water list
Official source
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency publishes the authoritative 2026 Tennessee fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's emergency-order feed — check it before any Tennessee trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Tennessee
- Bald River (Monroe County)
- Beaverdam Creek (Johnson County)
- Big Soddy Creek (Hamilton County)
- Caney Fork tailwater (below Center Hill Dam)
- Center Hill Lake (Caney Fork)
- Cherokee Lake (Holston River)
- Cherokee National Forest streams
- Chickamauga Lake (Tennessee River)
- Citico Creek (Monroe County)
- Clinch River tailwater (below Norris Dam)
- Dale Hollow Lake (TN/KY boundary)
- Doe River (Carter County)
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Buffalo Creek (Grainger County)?
- Buffalo Creek (Grainger County) carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Tennessee's statewide 2026 rules. It reads: "TWRA delayed-harvest area from the mill dam down to the Buffalo Springs WMA boundary — Oct 1 – Jan 31 artificial lures ONLY, no bait, all trout released during the catch-and-release season." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Buffalo Creek (Grainger County)?
- Yes. Buffalo Creek (Grainger County) is in Tennessee, so a valid Tennessee fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Buffalo Creek; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Tennessee rules.
- Do Buffalo Creek (Grainger County)'s special rules replace Tennessee's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Tennessee's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Buffalo Creek by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.