It’s a fishing day

J. Percy Priest Lake fishing conditions · Tennessee

Now until 7 pmStriped bass

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 60°, close to the 62° striped bass like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for striped bass, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Striped bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 1003 pm
  2. 100
  3. 100
  4. 1006 pm
  5. 86
  6. 86
  7. 869 pm
  8. 86
  9. 86
  10. 86Sun
  11. 76
  12. 76
  13. 763 am
  14. 76
  15. 76
  16. 766 am
  17. 76
  18. 76
  19. 769 am
  20. 76
  21. 76
  22. 7612 pm
  23. 76
  24. 76
  25. 763 pm
  26. 76
  27. 76
  28. 766 pm
  29. 76
  30. 76
  31. 769 pm
  32. 76
  33. 76
  34. 76Mon
  35. 76
  36. 76
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
60°F

Striped bass range 50–72°

Wind
10 mph

From the north

Flow
107 cfs

falling · -21% in 24 h

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:45 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
57°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Tennessee regulations for these waters.

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Right in striped bass's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: 15" minimum, 2 striped or hybrid striped bass a day combined. Cordell Hull protects striped bass from 32 to 42"; the Mississippi River allows 6 with no minimum.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Tennessee

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on striped bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside smallmouth bass's active range. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No smallmouth under 18"; 5 black bass a day combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Percy Priest and Tims Ford

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

88GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside largemouth bass's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No largemouth under 15"; 5 black bass a day combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Percy Priest and Tims Ford

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass

Crappie

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

88GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
40°50–80° · ideal 65°90°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside crappie's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 30 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10" minimum, 30 crappie a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Percy Priest

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

88GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
50°60–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside channel catfish's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: no limit on catfish 34" and under; only 1 catfish over 34" may be kept a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Tennessee

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

88GoNow until 7 pm

Water

60°
42°52–86° · ideal 72°96°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside common carp's active range. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tennessee: nongame species, common carp included, have no creel or length limit. Silver, bighead and black carp may not be possessed or transported alive.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Tennessee

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp

The water

  • Water temperature60°F
  • River107 cfs · falling · -21% in 24 h
  • Barometer30.16 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:45 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:16 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:10 pm–4:10 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 9:40 pm–11:40 pm
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:20 am–6:20 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Tennessee TWRA report, Oct 11

Names crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, which people fish for here. It covers the whole state, so it may not describe these waters.

Read it at Tennessee TWRA

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

Nashville's in-town reservoir on the Stones River — largemouth and smallmouth bass, a popular crappie fishery, plus striped bass and catfish minutes from downtown.

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Caney Fork River43 mi · TennesseeBest now until 6 pm
78Worth the trip
Tims Ford Lake67 mi · TennesseeBest now until 7 pm
96Go
Dale Hollow Lake78 mi · TennesseeBest now until 7 pm
90Go
Kentucky Lake84 mi · TennesseeBest now until 5 pm
100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at J. Percy Priest Lake?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at J. Percy Priest Lake you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at J. Percy Priest Lake?

J. Percy Priest Lake is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Striped Bass, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at J. Percy Priest Lake?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at J. Percy Priest Lake against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does J. Percy Priest Lake have?

J. Percy Priest Lake has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at J. Percy Priest Lake?

state agency regulations apply at J. Percy Priest Lake. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is J. Percy Priest Lake tidal water?

No. J. Percy Priest Lake is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.