Best sauger lakes in Tennessee
8 Tennessee waters hold sauger, 1 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 river-running cousin of the walleye. Built for current and muddy water — channel edges, wing dams and the deep holes below every dam.
- 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
- Lake Guntersville — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
- Pickwick Lake — 85 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 22 public access sites
- Mississippi River — Memphis — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lake Barkley — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 39 public access sites
- Cordell Hull Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
- Douglas Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites
- Old Hickory Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 36 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Tennessee waters with public access data
When to fish sauger in Tennessee
- Spring 4–18 ft — The famous tailwater run — fish stack below dams and on gravel bars in current seams.
- Summer 10–30 ft — Main-channel ledges and deep sand/gravel flats with current.
- Fall 12–35 ft — Fish pod up tight on channel structure — find one and you've found fifty.
- Winter 15–45 ft — The deepest holes below dams hold winter sauger by the hundreds.
Also in Tennessee: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill 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 · best spotted bass lakes
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