Fishing on J. Percy Priest Lake

The Fishery

J. Percy Priest Lake supports a diverse and healthy fishery on the Stones River system. The primary game fish are largemouth bass, striped bass (also called striper or rockfish), smallmouth bass, white bass, Cherokee bass (a white bass hybrid), crappie, catfish (both channel and blue), and bluegill sunfish. The lake reaches nearly 100 feet at its deepest point near the dam, with an average depth of approximately 29 feet — deep enough to support thermal stratification in summer and the holding structure that bass and striper prefer. The 18,854 acres of Corps-managed public land surrounding the lake include 10,000 acres in wildlife management, which limits shoreline development and maintains significant natural habitat for fish.

Bass

Percy Priest is consistently regarded as one of the top largemouth bass fisheries in Tennessee. Fishing pressure is high given the lake's proximity to Nashville and a large metro population of anglers, but the lake's productivity compensates. Spring pre-spawn fishing in February through April, when bass are moving toward coves and secondary points to stage before spawning, produces some of the year's best catching. Summer bass concentrate in deeper water along channel swings and main-lake points as surface temperatures rise. Fall topwater fishing in September and October on schooling fish chasing shad can be exceptional. The lake holds both largemouth and smallmouth, though largemouth dominates the catch.

Striped Bass and Hybrids

The TWRA maintains an active striper stocking program in Percy Priest to support a trophy-capable population. Stripers in the lake grow large — double-digit fish are caught regularly by serious striper anglers. The deep water near the dam provides thermal refuge in summer when striper tend to stack at depth following shad schools. Trolling with large swimbaits or live shad at depth is the primary summer tactic. Spring and fall offer more active topwater opportunities when stripers push shad schools to the surface. Cherokee bass — a hybrid of white bass and striper — also add to the mix and fight aggressively.

The 76.5-Pound Catfish

J. Percy Priest Lake has produced extraordinary catfish. A blue catfish weighing 76.5 pounds was caught in the lake, making national news in outdoor sporting circles. Blue catfish in the 50-plus-pound range are not unusual given the lake's productive water and the depth structure near the dam. Channel catfish are also abundant and provide consistent year-round fishing for anglers targeting a reliable table fishery. Stinkbait, chicken liver, and cut shad are standard offerings for channel catfish; live shad, cut carp, and large cut fish are used for trophy blue cat.

Crappie

Crappie fishing on Percy Priest is productive in the brush piles and submerged structure that anglers have built and maintained under the Corps brush attractor program. The Corps allows anglers to install approved fish attractors with a free permit, and the lake has significant attractor density in the right coves. Spring crappie fishing during the spawn — late March through April — around brush and dock structure in protected coves is the peak season. Small jigs, minnows, and tube baits are standard. Crappie in the 10–12 inch range are common; larger fish to 14–15 inches appear regularly in productive structure.

Licensing and Regulations

A valid Tennessee fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older. Licenses are available through the TWRA website, the Tennessee.gov portal, and at many marinas and sporting goods stores around the lake. Check TWRA's current regulations for specific size and creel limits — regulations are updated annually and bag limits on certain species can change. There are no standing fish consumption advisories for standard game fish species at Percy Priest under normal water quality conditions, unlike Fort Loudoun Lake (PCB advisories in the Little River arm) or Watts Bar (legacy coal ash contamination advisories). Always verify the current TDEC advisory status before making decisions about consuming fish from any Tennessee reservoir.

Fishing Access for Non-Boaters

The Corps maintains multiple fishing access points around Percy Priest for shore anglers. Day-use areas at Anderson Road, Cook, East Fork, Fate Sanders, and others provide shoreline access. Several of the boat ramps also have adjacent shore fishing areas. The 12 public ramps mean bank fishermen can reach multiple sections of the lake by car even without a boat. Enhanced bank fishing areas with improved access have been developed at Stewart Creek, Vivrette Creek, Cook, and the JPP dam site overlook specifically for shore-based anglers. For fishing information specific to current conditions, call the TWRA Fishing Information Line at 615-883-2351 Monday through Friday for daily updates.

Seasonal Patterns at Percy Priest

Winter fishing at Percy Priest is productive in ways that surprise buyers from stable-pool lake backgrounds. The 7-foot drawdown compresses some fish into main-lake structure, but the lake does not experience the dramatic seasonal fish concentration that a 25 or 44-foot drawdown creates at Norris or Douglas. Bass hold in predictable channel structure near points and transitions between creek arms and the main lake. Striper fishing is active in the tailwater below the dam year-round, with generation releases attracting stripers into the moving water corridor. Spring brings the most fishing pressure — Nashville anglers who are 10 to 15 minutes from the ramp make it easy to launch before work for a two-hour morning session, a pattern unique to Percy Priest among Tennessee lakes. Fall schooling activity in September and October on shad-chasing stripers and largemouth is spectacular on open-water flats and the main lake surface.

Tournament Activity

Percy Priest hosts a substantial tournament calendar given its Nashville proximity and high-quality fishery. Local bass clubs, TWRA-sanctioned team events, and open amateur tournaments run through the spring and fall seasons, concentrated at Fate Sanders and Elm Hill boat ramps. The lake is not typically a destination for major professional Bassmaster Elite or FLW Tour events — the dock limitations and high fishing pressure make it less favorable for elite-level competition compared to less-pressured Tennessee lakes. But for Nashville-area anglers who want to fish organized club events within 20 minutes of the city, Percy Priest has more tournament infrastructure than any other Middle Tennessee lake.