Best channel catfish lakes in Tennessee
27 Tennessee waters hold channel catfish, 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.
- Kentucky Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- Chickamauga Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Watts Bar Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Norris Lake — 210 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Cherokee Lake — 160 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Cordell Hull Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Tellico Lake — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Douglas Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
- Old Hickory Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Bluegill
- Fort Loudoun Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Center Hill Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- South Holston Lake — 240 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- J. Percy Priest Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Duck River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Watauga Lake — 265 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Boone Lake — 120 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Reelfoot Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Harpeth River — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Longnose Gar
- Nickajack Lake — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Laurel Hill Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Buffalo River — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish
- Marrowbone Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Bedford County Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- VFW Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
…plus 2 more Tennessee waters holding channel catfish.
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 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
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