Spearfishing Regulations in Tennessee

License

Tennessee Resident/Nonresident Fishing License (annual, or short-term)

Who needs it

Anyone who takes or attempts to take fish - including by gigging, spear-gun, or archery - needs a valid fishing license; residents under age 13 are exempt 4. Gigging, spear-gun, and archery fishing are covered by the regular sport-fishing license (no separate spearfishing permit exists) (s1, s4).

Resident cost

Tennessee has no single 'resident annual all-species fishing' license; residents combine options: County of Residence Fishing (no trout) $10, Combination Hunt/Fish annual (includes fishing, no trout) $33, add the Annual Trout Supplemental $21 for trout, or the all-inclusive Annual Sportsman $165 (hunting+trapping+fishing). Senior (65+) Hunt/Fish/Trap $4. Fees subject to change - confirm current figures with TWRA 4

Non-resident cost

Nonresident annual approximately $49 (no trout) / $98 (all species); short-term options include 3-day (~$20 no-trout / ~$40 all-species) and 10-day (~$30 / ~$61) (verify current figures with TWRA) 4

Where to buy

Online at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com, at TWRA regional offices, county clerks, and licensed agents (sporting goods and hardware stores) statewide 4

Speargun

Legal. A spear-gun is defined as 'any device designed to propel a spear through water and is drawn or held by mechanical device'; spear-gun fishing is permitted year-round in most waters for nongame fish and catfish only (s1, s2).

Pole spear

Legal as 'gigging' - defined as taking fish by a hand-held pole or spear with a tip of a single sharpened point or one or more sharpened barbed points; open year-round in most waters for nongame fish and catfish only (s1, s2).

Hawaiian sling

Expressly legal - the gigging definition specifically includes 'gear known as the Hawaiian Sling.' Subject to the same nongame-fish-and-catfish-only restriction and closures as other gigging gear (s1, s2).

Spearfishing on SCUBA

The sport fishing proclamation does not specifically address or prohibit SCUBA/diving for spear-gun fishing; underwater spear-gun fishing is a listed legal method with no stated diving restriction. Confirm any dive-flag and boating-safety requirements for the specific waterbody before diving 1.

• All designated game fish, which may be taken by rod-and-reel only and NOT speared/gigged (Proc. 25-08 Section XV): black/largemouth/smallmouth/spotted/redeye/Alabama bass, white and black crappie, rock bass, shadow bass, warmouth, bluegill, redear/longear/green/redbreast and other sunfish, pumpkinseed, striped bass, white bass, Cherokee bass, yellow bass, walleye, sauger, saugeye, yellow perch, muskellunge, northern pike, chain and grass pickerel, and all trout (rainbow, brown, brook, lake, cutthroat) and their hybrids 3
• Sturgeon - may not be taken by any method; the proclamation's statewide table lists 'Shovelnose Sturgeon - no harvest allowed' and lake sturgeon is a reintroduced protected species 1
• Alligator gar - may not be taken by any method; NOT named in the sport fishing proclamation, but TWRA lists it as a protected species that cannot be targeted and must be released if caught 6
• Note: catfish (blue, channel, flathead, bullhead) are technically listed as game fish in Section XV but ARE allowed to be taken by gig/spear-gun/archery under the normal catfish creel limits (s1, s3)

• Within 100 yards below any dam is closed (at Pickwick the closure extends downstream to the first moorage cell across from the boat ramp; the John Sevier Steam Plant discharge channel is closed) 1
• Norris Reservoir: closed Jan 1-Apr 30 between River Mile 32 (Point 15) and the Hwy 25E Bridge on the Powell River Arm, and between River Mile 137 (Point 31) and the Hwy 25E Bridge on the Clinch River Arm 1
• Watauga Reservoir tributaries (incl. Elk River in Carter Co., Doe Creek, Roan Creek, Watauga River) closed Jan 1-Apr 30 1
• East Fork Obey River and tributaries closed Jan 1-Apr 30 1
• Emory River (Watts Bar tributary), Hwy 27 Bridge at Harriman upstream to Hwy 299 Bridge at Oakdale, closed Jan 1-Apr 30 1
• Snagging prohibited year-round on the South Holston tailwater (South Holston Dam to Hwy 390 bridge at Bluff City), Center Hill Reservoir, and the Cumberland Fossil Plant discharge channel into Barkley Reservoir; additional spring snagging closures on Cherokee Reservoir (Holston River) and Watts Bar Reservoir (Tennessee River) 1
• Waters closed to all fishing (Section II) and any waters closed by separate proclamation are also closed to these methods 1

• Tennessee draws the key line by SPECIES, not by lake size: only nongame fish (and catfish) may be speared/gigged; every listed game fish is rod-and-reel only (s1, s3)
• The Hawaiian sling is explicitly named in the gigging definition and is legal (for nongame/catfish) 1
• Crossbows are permitted for archery fishing; long, recurve, and compound bows with barbed-point arrows are also allowed 1
• Turtles may be taken by all legal sport fishing methods EXCEPT archery and spear 1
• A dense set of Jan 1-Apr 30 seasonal closures protects spawning areas on named reservoirs and tributaries - check the current proclamation for the specific water before you dive 1
• The governing rules are issued as annual Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission proclamations, which are updated each license year; always confirm the current proclamation (s1, s2)

Taking game fish by an illegal method, taking protected species (sturgeon, alligator gar), exceeding creel limits, or fishing without a required license are violations of TWRA sport fishing proclamations and Tennessee wildlife law (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 70), enforceable by TWRA wildlife officers. Penalties include fines, court costs, license revocation, and equipment forfeiture; specific amounts are set by statute and the courts. Verify current penalty schedules with TWRA (s1, s5).

Every fact above is drawn from these official sources. Each was retrieved on the date shown; regulations can change after that date.

1. [1]
   Source 1: Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission Sport Fishing Proclamation No. 25-08 (current; effective Aug 1 2025; repeals 25-02) - Section XI gigging/spear-gun/archery methods, species-may-be-taken, and definitions; Section XV special definitions/game-fish list. Tennessee Secretary of State publications (primary). Supersedes the older Proc. 23-12 with identical method/species language.

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/pub/proclamations/04-39-25.pdf

2. [2]
   Source 2: Tennessee Fishing - Methods Other Than Rod & Reel (TWRA-partnered eRegulations digest of the sport fishing proclamation)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/fishing/methods-other-than-rod-reel

3. [3]
   Source 3: Statewide Regulations and Creel and Length Limits (game fish creel/length limits) - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.tn.gov/twra/fishing-regs/statewide-creel-length-limits.html

4. [4]
   Source 4: License Structure and Fees / License Sales - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.tn.gov/twra/license-sales.html

5. [5]
   Source 5: Tennessee Fishing Regulations (agency landing page) - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.tn.gov/twra/fishing-regs.html

6. [6]
   Source 6: Alligator Gar in Tennessee - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov). Establishes alligator gar as a TWRA-listed protected species that cannot be targeted or harvested and must be released if caught (this is the authority for the alligator-gar prohibition, which is NOT written into the sport fishing proclamation).

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/fish/alligator-gar.html

Is spearfishing legal in Tennessee?

Saltwater spearfishing is restricted in Tennessee, and it is permitted in fresh water, subject to license, gear, species, and area rules. Tennessee is a landlocked state with no ocean coastline or saltwater. Marine spearfishing does not apply here.

Do you need a license to spearfish in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee requires the Tennessee Resident/Nonresident Fishing License (annual, or short-term). Resident cost: Tennessee has no single 'resident annual all-species fishing' license; residents combine options: County of Residence Fishing (no trout) $10, Combination Hunt/Fish annual (includes fishing, no trout) $33, add the Annual Trout Supplemental $21 for trout, or the all-inclusive Annual Sportsman $165 (hunting+trapping+fishing). Senior (65+) Hunt/Fish/Trap $4. Fees subject to change - confirm current figures with TWRA Non-resident cost: Nonresident annual approximately $49 (no trout) / $98 (all species); short-term options include 3-day (~$20 no-trout / ~$40 all-species) and 10-day (~$30 / ~$61) (verify current figures with TWRA)

Can you spearfish on scuba in Tennessee?

The sport fishing proclamation does not specifically address or prohibit SCUBA/diving for spear-gun fishing; underwater spear-gun fishing is a listed legal method with no stated diving restriction. Confirm any dive-flag and boating-safety requirements for the specific waterbody…

What can't you spear in Tennessee?

Protected or no-take species you may not spear in Tennessee include: All designated game fish, which may be taken by rod-and-reel only and NOT speared/gigged, Sturgeon, Alligator gar, Note: catfish. Always check the full prohibited-species list and current seasons before diving, and confirm with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).