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Best spotted bass lakes in Tennessee

16 Tennessee waters list spotted bass (official records or labelled estimates). Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The deep-water bass of highland reservoirs. Schools on points and humps chasing herring — always deeper than you think.

1. Kentucky Lake — 75 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 44 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Chickamauga Lake — 75 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 29 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Pickwick Lake — 85 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #3: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 22 public access sites
4. Watts Bar Lake — 100 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 50 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Lake Barkley — 60 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 39 public access sites
6. Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #6: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 5 public access sites
7. Douglas Lake — 140 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #7: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 12 public access sites
8. Fort Loudoun Lake — 75 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 17 public access sites
9. Center Hill Lake — 190 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #9: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 13 public access sites
10. Melton Hill Lake — 65 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #10: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 15 public access sites
11. J. Percy Priest Lake — 100 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #11: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 33 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Tims Ford Lake — 143 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #12: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 18 public access sites
13. Duck River — 10 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Freshwater DrumWhy #13: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 16 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Nickajack Lake — 55 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 6 public access sites
15. Woods Reservoir — 50 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 8 public access sites

…plus 1 more Tennessee waters holding spotted bass.

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When to fish spotted bass in Tennessee

• Spring 5–20 ft — Spots spawn deeper than largemouth — gravel points and pea-gravel pockets in 5-15 ft.
• Summer 15–40 ft — Offshore season: spots suspend over deep points, humps and standing timber, herding blueback herring and shad.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish follow bait to the creek mouths and long points — watch for breaking fish.
• Winter 25–50 ft — Winter spots stack on bluff ends, channel-swing banks and deep points — slow spoons and jigs.

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

Spotted Bass elsewhere: Texas · California · Oklahoma · West Virginia · Mississippi · Alabama · North Carolina · Georgia · Arkansas