June 3, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Tennessee’s 2020 Free Fishing Day will go on as scheduled. The day is set for Saturday, June 6 when anyone may fish free without a license in Tennessee’s public waters.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency provides the annual free day in hopes of increasing interest in fishing. The day allows anyone the opportunity to try this great outdoor sport, especially children to celebrate fishing as a wholesome and healthy recreational option. In addition, children ages 15 and younger may fish without a license beginning on Free Fishing Day through the following Friday (June 12).
This year’s Free Fishing Day will be held under unusual circumstances. Due to the coronavirus pandemic many events have been cancelled, including all TWRA-hosted events. Check TWRA’s youth fishing website for a complete list of events and cancellations. Despite having the organized events cancelled, TWRA will still stock these locations with catfish before Saturday and encourages families to go fishing at a safe distance.
“We regret that our personnel will not be able to attend or host the fishing events that we all enjoy, but safety is our top priority” said Frank Fiss, TWRA Fisheries chief. “Despite this, we have continued the stocking process and hope families can go and enjoy the day.”
The day and week are annual events in Tennessee and are great opportunities to introduce children to the enjoyment and excitement of a day on the water catching fish. The TWRA annually stocks several thousand pounds of catfish for Free Fishing Day.
Free Fishing Day and Week apply to Tennessee’s public waters, TWRA owned and operated lakes, and state park facilities. Some privately owned pay lakes and ponds continue to charge during this special day and week. Anglers will need to consult with those operators if there are any questions about a facility.
TWRA encourages all anglers to follow CDC guidelines and to recreate responsibly. Find more at: https://www.responsible-recreation.org/.
Waters stocked with catfish within TWRA, Region III counties include:
Dickert Pond at Camp Jordan-East Ridge
Grundy Lakes-Grundy SP
Kimball Pond-Kimball
Bridgestone/Firestone Lake-Bridgestone/Firestone WMA
Barren Fork Reservoir-McMinnville
Pea Ridge WMA Lake-Pea Ridge WMA
Cane Creek Park Lake-Cookeville
Kelly Lake-Standing Stone SP
Dillon Pond-Livingston
Athens Rec Park Lake-Athens
Byrd Lake-Cumberland Mtn SP
Kefauver Lake-Madisonville
Indian Boundary Lake-Cherokee National Forest