Norris Lake is your prime destination for fishing in Tennessee. Of the 14 different species of fish, its most notorious for incredible bass fishing! Grab your fishing poles and get ready for a day full of fishing at the lake. To guarantee you have a great time, we’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about Norris Lake bass fishing:

BEST TIME TO FISH

Fishing is great all year round, but if you are going bass fishing at Norris Lake, certain times are better than others if you want to get a great catch. The best time to catch fish in Norris Lake is during the spring months of April, May and June, but you’ll still have luck throughout all the other months too! During the summer especially, bass tend to be shallow in the mornings and evenings, but move deeper as the sun rises. They often feed heavily at night. Throughout the rest of the year, they tend to to keep the same pattern of swimming shallow to moderate depths in the mornings and evenings and moving deeper when the sun comes out. We recommend4 fishing in the early mornings to get the best catch.

FISHING TIPS

To help guarantee you have a successful fishing trip, we’ve put together some tips for you to follow:

Largemouth Bass – For largemouth bass, try using topwater lures and crankbaits, flukes, spinners and bass assassins. Varieties of watermelon, crawfish and pumpkin colors. Many largemouth bass are often caught no deeper than 10 feet.

Smallmouth Bass – To catch smallmouth bass, you can use silver buddies lures, quarter-ounce doll flies, float and fly rips, doll flies with minnow tips and large shiners. If you want to fish at night, your best bet is to try spinners or jig and pigs off steep, rocky banks. Good smallmouth catches have come from 5 to 20 feet along steeper, broken rock shorelines, long sloping points, or near the bottom on rocky points.

Spotted Bass – To catch spotted bass, your best option is to use white spinners with plastic grubs on lead head jigs. Doll flies and crawfish crankbaits work well too. Like largemouth bass, they are often caught no deeper than 10 feet.

Striped Bass – Good striped bass catches have come from the surface on driftlines and 15 to 20 feet in mid-channel. To catch striped bass, try using trolled umbrella rigs, shiners, alewife or shad.

WHAT TO BRING

When you go fishing at Norris Lake, there are a few necessities you have to bring. Check the list below before you go to make sure you have everything you need!

Fishing License – A Tennessee fishing license is required to fish on Norris Lake. If you don’t live in Tennessee, you can purchase an annual fishing license, 10-day fishing license or 3-day trout fishing license. Find out all the information you need about fishing licenses from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website.

Fishing Gear – Bring all the essentials you’ll need when you fish, like baits and lures, fishing rods and reels, needle nose pliers, fish handling gloves, small towel or rag, and hook remover. Other recommended items include sunscreen, a camera, sunglasses and a first-aid kit.

MORE ABOUT NORRIS LAKE FISHING

If you’re interested in catching fish other than bass, you’re in luck! Norris Lake is home to 14 different species of fish. You can catch crappie, walleye, trout, muskie and more! You’ll have no trouble finding the perfect fishing spot to sit back, relax and wait for a bite.

Learn more about Norris Lake and start planning your fishing trip today!