← Tennessee fishing maps

Best bluegill lakes in Tennessee

23 Tennessee waters hold bluegill, 5 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. Kentucky Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
2. Chickamauga Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
3. Watts Bar Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
4. Norris Lake — 210 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
5. Cherokee Lake — 160 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
6. Cordell Hull Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
7. Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
8. Tellico Lake — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
9. Douglas Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
10. Old Hickory Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Fort Loudoun Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
12. Center Hill Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
13. South Holston Lake — 240 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
14. J. Percy Priest Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
15. Watauga Lake — 265 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
16. Boone Lake — 120 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
17. Reelfoot Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
18. Nickajack Lake — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
19. Laurel Hill Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
20. Marrowbone Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
21. Bedford County Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
22. VFW Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
23. Whippoorwill Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish bluegill in Tennessee

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Tennessee: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best brown trout lakes

Bluegill elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Connecticut · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Florida · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Missouri · Delaware · Alabama · Georgia · West Virginia · Rhode Island · New Jersey · California · Virginia · Hawaii · South Carolina