Obed River Fishing Map & Spots (TN)

Hatch outlook

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Obed River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Obed River on the board.

Fishing Obed River: what the data says

Wild gorge smallmouth and muskie on the Cumberland Plateau. The river tops out around 10 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Obed River maps at 42 acres behind 11 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 12.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.8 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. It sits in Morgan County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Watts Bar Lake, is 21 mi to the south.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Obed River

Spring smallmouth bass on Obed River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 8 ft that grades good for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	3 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Muskellunge fishing at Obed River

Spring muskellunge on Obed River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) — creek channel, 8 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 10 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper)
Fall	3 to 10 ft	midday & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)	Large rubber, crawled slow

Channel Catfish fishing at Obed River

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) — creek channel, 8 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 10 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)
Summer	3 to 10 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)
Fall	3 to 10 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (8 ft)

Notable structure

Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3), sits near 8 ft.

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 4.2): creek channel, around 8 ft

Obed River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Obed River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Obed River?

Obed River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Obed River?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, muskellunge, channel catfish on Obed River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Obed River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Obed River?

For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Obed River?

Fishing on Obed River is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Watts Bar Lake 21 mi · Melton Hill Lake 28 mi · Clinch River 33 mi · Fort Loudoun Lake 38 mi · Tennessee River - Reach 3 of 3 42 mi · Tellico Lake 43 mi · Tennessee River - Reach 2 of 3 46 mi, TN/AL/GA · Dale Hollow Lake 47 mi, KY/TN · Norris Lake 52 mi · Chickamauga Lake 54 mi · Lake Cumberland 60 mi, KY · Center Hill Lake 60 mi

See how Obed River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best channel catfish lakes in Tennessee

Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.