Updated: February 2024
The following are Tennessee’s current fishing records.
If you think you have just hooked something bigger, be sure to check the resources I’ve included below that will help you prove it.
Tennessee Fishing Records
| Bass, Alabama 7 lbs, 0 oz | Parksville Reservoir | Shane McKee Mar 10, 2014 |
| Bass, Cherokee (Hybrid Striper) 23 lbs, 3 oz | Stones River | Ray Pelfrey Apr 17, 1998 |
| Bass, Coosa (Redeye) 1 lb, 15 oz | Parksville Reservoir | Harry E. Parker Aug 18, 1991 |
| Bass, Largemouth 15 lbs, 3 oz | Chickamauga Reservoir | Gabe Keen Feb 13, 2015 |
| Bass, Smallmouth* 11 lbs, 15 oz | Dale Hollow Reservoir | D. L. Hayes Jul 9, 1955 |
| Bass, Spotted 6 lbs, 1 oz | Chickamauga Reservoir | Chris Coleman Feb 22, 2011 |
| Bass, Striped Bass 65 lbs, 6 oz | Cordell Hull Reservoir | Ralph H. Dallas May 1, 2000 |
| Bass, White 5 lbs, 10 oz | Mississippi River | Bill Nelson Sep 29, 2003 |
| Bass, Yellow 2 lbs, 9 oz | Duck River (near Waverly) | John T. Chappell Feb 27, 1998 |
| Bowfin 15 lbs, 7 oz | Reelfoot Lake | Charles Aaron Jun 22, 1983 |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth 62 lbs, 0 oz | J. Percy Priest Reservoir | Jeff Wilkins Apr 1, 2010 |
| Buffalo, Black 58 lbs, 0 oz | Nickajack Reservoir | Steve Coursey May 20, 2013 |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth 62 lbs, 7 oz | Percy Priest Reservoir | Jerry W. Young Apr 28, 2001 |
| Carp, Bighead 90 lbs, 0 oz | Guntersville Reservoir | Jeffery J. Rorex Jun 2, 2005 |
| Carp, Common 53 lbs, 0 oz | Marrowbone Lake | John R. Pepper, Jr. May 21, 1997 |
| Carp, Goldfish 3 lbs, 5 oz | Douglas Reservoir | Chase Rich Mar 10, 2016 |
| Carp, Silver 37 lbs, 0.4 oz | Old Hickory Reservoir | Brian Townsend May 8, 2021 |
| Carp, White Amur 70 lbs, 0 oz | Guntersville Reservoir (Nickajack tailwater) | Chad A. Killian Jun 4, 2005 |
| Carpsucker, Quillback 6 lbs, 5 oz | South Holston Reservoir | Daniel Taylor Feb 10, 2019 |
| Carpsucker, River 1 lb, 9 oz | Pickwick Reservoir | Dr. Jim Youmans Feb 28, 1980 |
| Catfish, Black Bullhead 3 lbs, 6 oz | Emberton’s Pond, Cannon County | Hunter Chance Gaither Feb 20, 1997 |
| Catfish, Blue 122 lbs, 3 oz | Barkley Reservoir | Micka Burkhart June 28, 2023 |
| Catfish, Brown Bullhead 3 lbs, 15 oz | Whiteville Lake | Gary Dean Arthur Oct 25, 2014 |
| Catfish, Channel 41 lbs | Fall Creek Falls Lake | Clint Walters, Jr. Jul 30, 1982 |
| Catfish, Flathead 85 lbs, 15 oz | Hiwassee River | Larry Kaylor Jul 25, 1993 |
| Catfish, Yellow Bullhead 4 lbs, 8 oz | Chickamauga Reservoir | Jessie R. Johnson Apr 21, 1979 |
| Chub, Creek 8 oz | West Blackburn Fork Creek | Jake Wear Jun 21, 2017 |
| Crappie, Black** 5 lbs, 7 oz | Private Pond, Loudon County | Lionel Ferguson May 15, 2018 |
| Crappie, White 5 lbs, 1 oz | Garner Brown’s Pond, Dickson County | Bill Allen Apr 20, 1968 |
| Drum, Freshwater 54 lbs, 8 oz | Nickajack Reservoir | Benny Hull Apr 20, 1972 |
| Eel, American 8 lbs, 14 oz | Old Hickory Reservoir | Jason Wilson Jul 27, 2019 |
| Flier 8 oz | Kentucky Reservoir | Craig Ellis Jun 8, 2001 |
| Gar, Longnose 38 lbs, 3 oz | Barkley Reservoir | Mathew A. Norton Apr 19, 2002 |
| Gar, Shortnose 7 lbs, 3 oz | Cross Creeks (Barkley Reservoir) | Stephanie Flood Jun 13, 2014 |
| Gar, Spotted 10 lbs, 10 oz | Cross Creeks (Barkley Reservoir) | Keith Edward Bartley Apr 28, 2014 |
| Goldeye 14 oz | Cumberland River | Harold A. Sanders Apr 17, 1993 |
| Herring, Skipjack 4 lbs, 3 oz | Watts Bar Reservoir | Marc A. Cooper II Feb 17, 2015 |
| Hogsucker, Northern 2 lbs, 9 oz | South Holsten River | Roy Hawk Feb 16, 2009 |
| Mooneye 1 lb, 4 oz | Hiwassee River | Steve D. Moss May 5, 2005 |
| Muskellunge 43 lbs, 14 oz | Melton Hill Reservoir | Steven Paul Mar 2, 2017 |
| Needlefish, Atlantic 1.6 oz | Pickwick Dam Tailwater | J. Wesley Neal Sep 30, 2008 |
| Paddlefish 149 lbs | Cherokee Reservoir | Henry Dyer April 13, 2023 |
| Perch, Yellow 2 lbs, 5 oz | Ocoee #3 Lake | Jeremy Gary Lorenz Mar 26, 2019 |
| Pickerel, Chain 7 lbs, 7 oz | Kentucky Reservoir | Burke Williams Feb 2, 1991 |
| Pike, Northern 24 lbs, 8 oz | South Holston Reservoir | Frank Childers Mar 28, 1995 |
| Pumpkinseed 5 oz | Dogwood Lake | Lynn Middleton Jun 14, 1998 |
| Redhorse, Black 3 lbs, 1 oz | South Holston River | Roy Hawk Feb 16, 2009 |
| Redhorse, Golden 2 lbs, 15.5 oz | South Holston River | W. Powell Partridge, Sr. Mar 28, 2008 |
| Redhorse, River 11 lbs, 10 oz | Pigeon River | David. H. Ray May 2, 2009 |
| Redhorse, Silver 6 lbs, 14.7 oz | Nolichucky River (Enka Dam – Hamblen County) | Elise Hyatt March 26, 2023 |
| Redhorse, Smallmouth 1 lb, 10 oz | French Broad River | Larry Hamilton Jul 27, 2013 |
| Sauger 7 lbs, 6 oz | Kentucky Reservoir (Pickwick tailwater) | Rayford D. Voss Feb 19, 1973 |
| Saugeye 10 lbs, 12 oz | Melton Hill Reservoir | Chris Vittetoe Jul 18, 1998 |
| Shad, Gizzard 3 lbs, 3 oz | Holston River | Preston H. Taylor III Dec 13, 2008 |
| Shiner, Golden 1 lb, 0.5 oz | Kentucky Lake | Joseph Wayne Dennie Apr 13, 2016 |
| Stoneroller, Central 10 oz | Hiwassee River | Roy S. King May 1, 1983 |
| Sucker, Spotted 3 lbs, 3 oz | Chickamauga Reservoir | Greg M. Henry Mar 9, 2008 |
| Sucker, White 1 lb, 10 oz | Little War Creek, Hancock County | Jim Habera Apr 26, 2007 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3 lbs | Farm Pond, Bledsoe County | Brad Pendergrass Dec 19, 1987 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3 lbs | Fall Creek Falls Creek | Thelma Grissom Jun 27, 1977 |
| Sunfish, Green 1 lb, 4 oz | North Cross Creek | Dwight M. Lehman Jun 8, 1991 |
| Sunfish, Longear 13 oz | Pond, Overton County | Kay Forsberg May 15, 1985 |
| Sunfish, Orangespotted 5 oz | Nolichucky River | Donald Daryl Fox May 30, 1982 |
| Sunfish, Redbreast 1 lb, 5 oz | Holston River | R. W. Gillespie Jun 22, 1974 |
| Sunfish, Redear 3 lbs, 6 oz | Private Pond | Annelise S. Houston Sep 1, 1979 |
| Sunfish, Rock Bass 2 lbs, 8 oz | Stones River | Bill Sanford 1958 |
| Tilapia 7 lbs, 6.6 oz | Old Hickory Reservoir | Gary L. Phelps Nov 27, 2017 |
| Trout, Brook 4 lbs, 12 oz | Caney Fork River | Saŝa Krezić Apr 1, 2016 |
| Trout, Brown 28 lbs, 12 oz | Clinch River | Greg Ensor Aug 30, 1988 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 4 lbs, 12 oz | Fort Patrick Henry (Boone Tailwater) | Palmer M. Tipton July 22, 2023 |
| Trout, Lake 22 lbs, 2 oz | Watauga Reservoir | Jack Forbes Jul 3, 2008 |
| Trout, Ohrid 14 lbs, 5 oz | Watauga Reservoir | Richard Lynn Carter Mar 28, 1986 |
| Trout, Rainbow 18 lbs, 8 oz | Pond (Polk County) | John H. Morgan III Jun 17, 2016 |
| Walleye 25 lbs | Old Hickory Reservoir | Mabry Harper Aug 3, 1960 |
| Warmouth 1 lb, 12 oz | Nolichucky River | Frank E. Garrett May 26, 1984 |
*This smallmouth bass is a world record in addition to being the state record for both Tennessee and Kentucky. This lake is in both states.
**This black crappie also is a world record.
Setting a Tennessee Fishing Record
To claim a new record, see the rules in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Fishing Records & Awards page. There you will find a link to the official application, which includes the process you’d need to follow to claim a spot in Tennessee fishing history.