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Cherokee
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Cherokee, as the state words them
Hamblen County · River · TN
Has its own special rules
How to read this page:Official text quoted regulationParsed fields from the ruleDerived calculated from rulesContext conditions, not a ruleAdvice our suggestion
Today's rule hereParsed
- Season
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Gear
- anglers are restricted to a maximum of 3 hooks per rod, pole or hand-held lineStatewide
- Bait
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Poles
- there is no limit on the number of poles an angler may fish at one (1) timeStatewide
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
White Bass | 15 per day, no length limit | - | This water |
Muskellunge Varies by water: 40 (Tennessee Angler Recognition Program) | 1 | min. 36 inches | Statewide |
Lake Trout Varies by water: 28 (Tennessee Angler Recognition Program); limit two (2) (Statewide, exception: Lake Trout) | Only 2 trout may be Lake Trout. | min. none | Statewide |
Catfish Varies by water: limit Five (5) per day, no length limit (Community Fishing Program waters); limit Only one (1) catfish over 34 inches may be harvested per day. No harvest limit on catfish less than 34 inches. (Statewide) | There is no limit on catfish, except only one (1) fish may exceed 34 inches. | - | Statewide |
Black Bass | One (1) per day, no length limit | - | Statewide |
Crappie | 30 per day, no length limit | - | Statewide |
Trout Varies by water: limit Five (5) per day, no length limit (Community Fishing Program waters); limit five (5) trout per day (Gatlinburg General Streams) | Seven (7) | min. None | Statewide |
Gizzard Shad | No possession limit | - | Statewide |
Threadfin Shad | No possession limit | - | Statewide |
Fathead Minnow | No possession limit | - | Statewide |
Golden Shiner | No possession limit | - | Statewide |
Goldfish | No possession limit | - | Statewide |
Skipjack Herring Varies by water: limit creel limit of 100 per day; possession limit is 200 (Class A Bait Fish) | 100 | min. none | Statewide |
Sunfishes | See size | min. not more than four (4) inches in length | Statewide |
Stonerollers | no more than 100 | - | Statewide |
Creek Chub | no more than 100 | - | Statewide |
Bluntnose Minnow | no more than 100 | - | Statewide |
Bullhead Minnow | no more than 100 | - | Statewide |
Silver Carp | without limit | - | Statewide |
Bighead Carp | without limit | - | Statewide |
Black Carp | without limit | - | Statewide |
Grass Carp | without limit | - | Statewide |
Nongame fish, Paddlefish, Sturgeon | Nongame fish, except Paddlefish and Sturgeon, may be taken without limit | - | Statewide |
Game fish | Game fish may be taken according to local limits. | - | Statewide |
Skipjack | The creel limit for Skipjack is 100 fish. | - | Statewide |
Nongame fish | Nongame fish may be taken without limit. | - | Statewide |
Game fish, Sturgeon, Alligator Gar | Game fish, Sturgeon, and Alligator Gar may not be taken. | - | Statewide |
Catfish, Paddlefish, Skipjack | Catfish, Paddlefish, and Skipjack may be harvested according to local limits. | - | Statewide |
Crappie (all species combined) | 15 | min. 10 inches | Statewide |
Trout (all trout species combined) | 7 | min. none | Statewide |
Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker) | 20 | min. none | Statewide |
Alligator Gar | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately. | - | Statewide |
Paddlefish | two (2) fish per day | min. no size limit | Statewide |
Shovelnose Sturgeon | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately. | - | Statewide |
common snapping turtle | 5 | min. 12 inches, length is determined by measuring the upper shell in a straight line from the scute directly behind the turtle's head (nuchal scute) to the base of the notch where the two most posterior scutes meet | Statewide |
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass Individual species length and creel to follow. | Five (5) per day in combination | - | This water |
Largemouth Bass | See size rule | min. 15 inch minimum length limit | This water |
Spotted/Alabama Bass | 15 per day, no length limit | - | This water |
Crappie (all species) | 15 per day in combination | min. 10 inch minimum length limit | This water |
Catfish (all species) | No creel limit for fish 34 inches and less in length; only one (1) fish over 34 inches in length may be harvested per day | - | This water |
Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped Bass | Two (2) per day in combination | min. 15 inch minimum length limit | This water |
Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye | 10 per day in combination | min. 15 inch minimum length limit | This water |
Rock Bass | 20 per day, no length limit | - | This water |
Redear Sunfish | 20 per day, no length limit | - | This water |
Bluegill/Warmouth and other sunfishes | No creel or length limit | - | This water |
The official text, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from TN's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
Whole water
- All fishRestrictions extend from Cherokee Dam upstream to John Sevier Dam.
- Largemouth/Smallmouth BassDaily limit Five (5) per day in combinationIndividual species length and creel to follow.
- Largemouth BassSize 15 inch minimum length limit
- Smallmouth BassJune 1–Oct. 15Daily limit One (1) per daySize 18 inch minimum length limit
- Spotted/Alabama BassDaily limit 15 per day, no length limit
- Crappie (all species)Daily limit 15 per day in combinationSize 10 inch minimum length limit
- Catfish (all species)Daily limit No creel limit for fish 34 inches and less in length; only one (1) fish over 34 inches in length may be harvested per day
- Striped Bass or Hybrid Striped BassDaily limit Two (2) per day in combinationSize 15 inch minimum length limit
- White BassDaily limit 15 per day, no length limit
- Walleye/Sauger/SaugeyeDaily limit 10 per day in combinationSize 15 inch minimum length limit
- PaddlefishApril 1–15 (dates as written)Daily limit One (1) per dayCulling is prohibited. Holston River from Malinda Ferry Road (Hwy. 344) bridge upstream to John Sevier Dam is closed to snagging from March 1–31 and April 16–May 31.
- Rock BassDaily limit 20 per day, no length limit
- Redear SunfishDaily limit 20 per day, no length limit
- Bluegill/Warmouth and other sunfishesDaily limit No creel or length limit
Rules for other dates
- All fishOct. 16–May 31 - does not apply todayDaily limit Five ( 5) per daySize 15 inch minimum length limit
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this section begins and ends
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
Season at a glanceDerived
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opensome sectionsclosedunknown
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Cherokee's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Statewide rules
StatewideChecked against this official source on July 11, 2026.
Special rules - Cherokee
This waterChecked against this official source on July 11, 2026.
Local services near Cherokee
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Cherokee? Get listed.