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Best channel catfish lakes in Tennessee

39 Tennessee waters hold channel catfish, 6 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Kentucky Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 44 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Lake Guntersville — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 29 public access sites
3. Chickamauga Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 28 public access sites
4. Pickwick Lake — 85 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 22 public access sites
5. Watts Bar Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 46 public access sites
6. Mississippi River — Memphis — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites
7. Lake Barkley — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 39 public access sites
8. Norris Lake — 210 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 28 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Cherokee Lake — 160 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 27 public access sites
10. Cordell Hull Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
11. Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
12. Tellico Lake — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
13. Douglas Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites
14. Old Hickory Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 32 public access sites
15. Fort Loudoun Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 16 public access sites
16. Center Hill Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites
17. Melton Hill Lake — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites
18. South Holston Lake — 240 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
19. J. Percy Priest Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 26 public access sites
20. Tims Ford Lake — 143 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
21. Duck River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Freshwater DrumWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Watauga Lake — 265 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
23. Boone Lake — 120 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
24. Reelfoot Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites
25. Harpeth River — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Longnose GarWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 14 more Tennessee waters holding channel catfish.

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When to fish channel catfish in Tennessee

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in Tennessee: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill 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 · best spotted bass lakes

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