South Fork Holston River
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for South Fork Holston River, as the state words them
Sullivan County · River · TN
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Largemouth Bass Varies by water: 14 inch minimum length limit (Cheatham, Black Bass category); 15 inch minimum length limit (Normandy, Black Bass category) | See size | min. 22 | Statewide |
Spotted Bass | See size | min. 18 | Statewide |
Smallmouth Bass Varies by water: 18 inch minimum length limit (Cheatham, Black Bass category) | See size | min. 20 | Statewide |
Striped Bass | See size | min. 40 | Statewide |
Hybrid Striped Bass (Cherokee Bass) | See size | min. 28 | Statewide |
White Bass Varies by water: 18 (Tennessee Angler Recognition Program) | 15 | min. none | Statewide |
Yellow Bass | See size | min. 11 | Statewide |
Black Crappie | See size | min. 14 | Statewide |
White Crappie | See size | min. 14 | Statewide |
Bluegill | See size | min. 10 | Statewide |
Redear Sunfish | See size | min. 11 | Statewide |
Rock Bass | See size | min. 10 | Statewide |
Sauger | See size | min. 20 | Statewide |
Walleye Varies by water: 28 (Tennessee Angler Recognition Program) | 5 | min. 16 inches | Statewide |
Yellow Perch | See size | min. 11 | Statewide |
Muskellunge Varies by water: 40 (Tennessee Angler Recognition Program) | 1 | min. 36 inches | Statewide |
Brook Trout | See size | min. 10 | Statewide |
Brown Trout | See size | min. 26 | Statewide |
Rainbow Trout Varies by water: eight (8) inches or less in length (Licensed sport angler possessing rainbow trout purchased from bait dealer); larger than eight (8) inches in length (Sport anglers purchasing larger rainbow trout for bait) | See size | min. 24 | 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 |
Channel Catfish | See size | min. 28 | Statewide |
Blue Catfish | See size | min. 36 | Statewide |
Flathead Catfish | See size | min. 36 | Statewide |
Common Carp | See size | min. 34 | Statewide |
Freshwater Drum | See size | min. 28 | Statewide |
Bowfin | See size | min. 26 | Statewide |
Longnose Gar | See size | min. 45 | 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 |
Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | 20 per day, no length limit | - | Statewide |
Black Bass | Five (5) per day in combination | min. 13–17 inch PLR for Smallmouth Bass, only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day | This water |
Crappie | 30 per day, no length limit | - | Statewide |
trout Only one trout may be longer than 22 inches. | Seven (7) | min. 16–22 inch PLR | This water |
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 |
Largemouth/Spotted Bass | See size | min. No length limit | Statewide |
Crappie (all species combined) | 15 | min. 10 inches | Statewide |
Sauger or Sauger/Walleye hybrids | 10 | min. 15 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 |
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.
- Black BassDaily limit Five (5) per day in combinationSize 13–17 inch PLR for Smallmouth Bass, only one (1) Smallmouth Bass over 17 inches per day
- TroutTrout harvested here shall only be used as bait in the water from which they were harvested.
- troutDaily limit Seven (7)Size 16–22 inch PLROnly one trout may be longer than 22 inches.
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 stretch begins and ends
The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's county.
Different sections of this water can have different rules. The exact section boundaries are not marked on the map yet; each rule above describes in plain words where it starts and ends, and that written description is the authoritative boundary. Map boundaries come water by water, never as a guess.
At the water nowContext
Streamflow: 337 cfs at s f holston river near damascus, va (2026-07-29 02:45)
Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in South Fork Holston River'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
Local services near South Fork Holston River
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 South Fork Holston River? Get listed.