Tennessee
Cherokee Lake fishing guide
Cherokee Lake in Tennessee holds smallmouth bass, spotted bass, rock bass, channel catfish, bullhead catfish, bluegill, and longear sunfish. Anglers can access the lake via a single boat ramp for launching. The mix of bass species and catfish makes this a productive destination for both warm-water fishing styles.
Current conditions
As of August 12, 2026, Cherokee Lake has chance showers and thunderstorms, air around 71°F. No active USGS gage sits on this water, so this shows local weather rather than live flow or water temperature. Conditions are fair for fishing right now.
- State
- Tennessee
- Public access
- Yes
- Access points
- 1
- Species recorded
- 14
These conditions are read from our data about once a day and may not reflect the current moment. For real-time conditions, open Guidepole Fish.
Public access & launches
- Boat rampBoat launch
Regulations
- Black Bass (includes Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, Alabama, Coosa and all hybrids)
- Bag
- 5 No more than 5 Black Bass per day in any combination may be taken.
- Crappie (all species combined)
- Bag
- 15
- Size
- 10 inches
- Lake Trout
- Bag
- Only 2 trout may be Lake Trout.
- Muskellunge
- Bag
- 1
- Size
- 36 inches
- Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)
- Bag
- 20
- Rock Bass or Redeye and Shadow Bass
- Bag
- 20
- Sauger or Sauger/Walleye hybrids
- Bag
- 10
- Size
- 15 inches
- Skipjack Herring
- Bag
- 100
- Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped Bass (any combination)
- Bag
- 2
- Size
- 15 inches
- Trout (all trout species combined)
- Bag
- 7
As of 2026-08-12.Guidance, not legal advice — always confirm current rules with the state.
What’s in it
Recorded in/near this water. Occurrence-based unless a higher-confidence source is shown — see it per-species in the app.
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Cherokee Lake fishing — FAQ
Can you fish Cherokee Lake?
Yes — Cherokee Lake in Tennessee has public access (1 public access point(s)). Open the guide to see the public access, launches, and current regulations.
Do you need a license to fish Cherokee Lake?
Yes — Tennessee requires a valid fishing license for most fishing. The current official state regulations are linked on this page.
What fish are in Cherokee Lake?
Species recorded in Cherokee Lake include Smallmouth Bass, Bullhead Catfish, Rock Bass, Channel Catfish, Spotted Bass. The full list is on this page.
Where can you access Cherokee Lake?
Access points include Boat ramp. See every launch and access site on this page.
Get detailed fishing conditions for Cherokee Lake on your phone
The full access map, live conditions, and an agent you can just ask — on your iPhone.
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