West Fork Recreation Area
River / Creek
West Fork Recreation Area Conditions
Level Stable
Flow / Discharge
Unmeasured Reach
Local Hydrology
Water Temp
Pending Telemetry
Thermal Lag Model
Generation State
Unregulated flow
Natural Drainage
Barometer Trend
—
NWS Station Barometer
What to throw right now
Per-species breakdown & tactics
Pick a fish, then Fly, Spin, or Colors. Your last pick is remembered.
Best window: morning
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
7-8 wt and a #6 backstabber carp fly. Sight-fish tailing carp on the mussel beds. Lead by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip an inch when the carp gets within a foot.
7-8 wt rod, floating line, 9 ft tapered leader to 12 lb fluoro. Sight-fish tailing or mudding carp like bonefish. Lead the fish by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), and let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip the fly an inch when the carp gets within a foot of it; the strike is a slow head-down 'pickup', strip-set on weight. Mulberry pattern under an overhanging tree in June is the highest-percentage carp opportunity in TN.
7-8 wt and a #6 backstabber carp fly. Sight-fish tailing carp on the mussel beds. Lead by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip an inch when the carp gets within a foot.
7-8 wt rod, floating line, 9 ft tapered leader to 12 lb fluoro. Sight-fish tailing or mudding carp like bonefish. Lead the fish by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), and let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip the fly an inch when the carp gets within a foot of it; the strike is a slow head-down 'pickup', strip-set on weight. Mulberry pattern under an overhanging tree in June is the highest-percentage carp opportunity in TN.
Flies: Backstabber Carp Fly #6, Hybrid Carp Fly #8, Mulberry Fly #8
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
Pre-bait a known mussel-bed flat with a handful of corn 30 min ahead. Sweet corn (3-4 kernels) on a #6 hair rig with a 1/2 oz inline lead, cast to the baited spot, wait for the slow tip-load.
BAIT OPTION: Sweet corn on a #6 hair rig is the standard. Pre-bait the spot for serious results.
Medium 6'6" rod, 8 lb mono, simple bottom rig. Sweet corn (3-4 kernels) on a #6 hair rig with a 1/2 oz inline lead; cast to known feeding flats and wait. Pre-bait the area 30 min ahead with a handful of corn or pack-bait for serious carp anglers. The strike is a slow tip-load, let the rod load, then set; carp inhale and run before they realize the hook is there. Barbless circle hooks are cleaner for release.
Pre-bait a known mussel-bed flat with a handful of corn 30 min ahead. Sweet corn (3-4 kernels) on a #6 hair rig with a 1/2 oz inline lead, cast to the baited spot, wait for the slow tip-load.
BAIT OPTION: Sweet corn on a #6 hair rig is the standard. Pre-bait the spot for serious results.
Medium 6'6" rod, 8 lb mono, simple bottom rig. Sweet corn (3-4 kernels) on a #6 hair rig with a 1/2 oz inline lead; cast to known feeding flats and wait. Pre-bait the area 30 min ahead with a handful of corn or pack-bait for serious carp anglers. The strike is a slow tip-load, let the rod load, then set; carp inhale and run before they realize the hook is there. Barbless circle hooks are cleaner for release.
Lures: Bread fly on barbless circle, Sweet corn on #6 hair rig, Doughball
In a few hours
Clear
- Natural / shad Disappears correctly in clear water. Invisible for the wrong reason once stain cuts visibility.
- Watermelon red The clear-water bass standard. Red flake reads as craw without spooking pressured fish.
Best colors right now: natural, olive
Full color matrix for clear water
ColorClearStainedMuddy
Natural / shadBestAvoidAvoid
Watermelon redBestAvoidAvoid
White / shadGoodGoodAvoid
PurpleGoodGoodAvoid
Black / blueAvoidGoodBest
ChartreuseAvoidBestGood
Fire tigerAvoidGoodBest
Orange / flame redAvoidBestGood
Hatch: 44% (midge) Light activity. Some bugs in the air, but fish aren't committed yet.
Conditions Match Breakdown
- + barometric trend+7
- + water temp in target range+5
- + wind speed+4
- + cloud cover+3
- + dissolved oxygen+3
- + flow band+3
- + in season+2
Best window: after dark
Stunt approach: 9 wt sinking line, 30 lb fluoro to a 6" meat-fly with chicken-liver scent. Cast across-current into a known scour hole + let it sink to bottom, then strip 6" at a time with long pauses. Not common in TN; treat as exploratory.
Not a practical fly target most days. Heavy Clouser dredged deep is the novelty play.
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
Anchor above the deep holes around the bridge pilings or at the heads of the longest pools, fan-cast bait rigs after dark.
BAIT OPTION: Cut skipjack or chicken liver on a 6/0 circle hook with a 2-3 oz sinker, fished tight on bottom of the deep holes. Post-rain flush is the trigger — first 24 hours after a 1"+ rainfall puts big cats on the submerged wood near the pilings.
Heavy spinning or baitcasting combo, 50 lb braid + 30 lb fluoro leader. For drifting: 7/0 circle hook on a 3-way swivel with a 2-3 oz sinker; bait the hook with cut skipjack (largest available, palm-sized chunks for trophy fish). Drift broadside across the channel edge or anchor upstream of a creek mouth and let the bait sit. Post-rain flush is the trigger; first 24 hours after a 1"+ rainfall puts big fish on submerged wood.
Anchor above the deep holes around the bridge pilings or at the heads of the longest pools, fan-cast bait rigs after dark.
BAIT OPTION: Cut skipjack or chicken liver on a 6/0 circle hook with a 2-3 oz sinker, fished tight on bottom of the deep holes. Post-rain flush is the trigger — first 24 hours after a 1"+ rainfall puts big cats on the submerged wood near the pilings.
Heavy spinning or baitcasting combo, 50 lb braid + 30 lb fluoro leader. For drifting: 7/0 circle hook on a 3-way swivel with a 2-3 oz sinker; bait the hook with cut skipjack (largest available, palm-sized chunks for trophy fish). Drift broadside across the channel edge or anchor upstream of a creek mouth and let the bait sit. Post-rain flush is the trigger; first 24 hours after a 1"+ rainfall puts big fish on submerged wood.
Lures: Cut skipjack on 7/0 circle hook, Cut shad on 6/0 circle hook, Stink bait on treble (channel only)
Cut bait on bottom rigs. Put scent in the current seam and wait.
In a few hours
Clear
- Natural / shad Disappears correctly in clear water. Invisible for the wrong reason once stain cuts visibility.
- Watermelon red The clear-water bass standard. Red flake reads as craw without spooking pressured fish.
Best colors right now: natural, bloody
Good colors for clear water (fall): natural cut bait, nightcrawler, live shad
Catfish hunt by smell first. Color barely matters, contrast and scent do. Dark baits with bloody scent win in stain.
Full color matrix for clear water
ColorClearStainedMuddy
Natural / shadBestAvoidAvoid
Watermelon redBestAvoidAvoid
White / shadGoodGoodAvoid
PurpleGoodGoodAvoid
Black / blueAvoidGoodBest
ChartreuseAvoidBestGood
Fire tigerAvoidGoodBest
Orange / flame redAvoidBestGood
Hatch: 44% (midge) Light activity. Some bugs in the air, but fish aren't committed yet.
Conditions Match Breakdown
- + preferred time of day+15
- + barometric trend+7
- + water temp in target range+5
- + wind speed+4
- + cloud cover+3
- + cloud preference+3
- + dissolved oxygen+3
- + flow band+3
- + in season+2
Best window: first light
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
Lightly pressured backwater largemouth here. 8 wt and a #4 deer-hair frog skipped under the laydowns on outside bends at first light.
8 wt rod, integrated intermediate or floating line, 8 ft of 16-20 lb fluoro tapered down (4X butt to 0X bite). #4 deer-hair frog or #4 popper on calm warm mornings; #6 Clouser in chartreuse/white or olive Game Changer on overcast days or deeper. Cast tight to cover (overhung wood, dock corners, weed edges), let the popper sit 4-6 seconds, then a sharp pop. For sub-surface: cast across to the bank, let the streamer fall, then 2-3 ft strips with hard pauses. Strip-set hard; bass jaws are bony and you need the line tight to drive the hook.
Lightly pressured backwater largemouth here. 8 wt and a #4 deer-hair frog skipped under the laydowns on outside bends at first light.
8 wt rod, integrated intermediate or floating line, 8 ft of 16-20 lb fluoro tapered down (4X butt to 0X bite). #4 deer-hair frog or #4 popper on calm warm mornings; #6 Clouser in chartreuse/white or olive Game Changer on overcast days or deeper. Cast tight to cover (overhung wood, dock corners, weed edges), let the popper sit 4-6 seconds, then a sharp pop. For sub-surface: cast across to the bank, let the streamer fall, then 2-3 ft strips with hard pauses. Strip-set hard; bass jaws are bony and you need the line tight to drive the hook.
Flies: Clouser Minnow #6 (chartreuse/white), Frog Popper #4
Olive wooly bugger or black game changer. Dark silhouette first, drop to rust nymph if refusals.
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
Texas-rigged worm pitched into the laydowns and undercut banks. Slow everything down — these are lowland-river fish, not active reservoir fish.
Medium-heavy 7' rod, 20 lb braid + 12-15 lb fluoro leader (or straight 12 lb fluoro on a baitcaster). Texas-rigged 7" watermelon-red worm with a 3/16 oz tungsten weight + 4/0 EWG hook is the all-conditions standard. For active fish: 1/2 oz spinnerbait slow-rolled along points + drop-offs. For deep summer suspended fish: 3/8 oz football jig + craw trailer hopped along 12-18 ft ledges. Post-front shutdown: switch to a weightless wacky-rigged 5" Senko in green pumpkin, work it dead-slow next to cover.
Texas-rigged worm pitched into the laydowns and undercut banks. Slow everything down — these are lowland-river fish, not active reservoir fish.
Medium-heavy 7' rod, 20 lb braid + 12-15 lb fluoro leader (or straight 12 lb fluoro on a baitcaster). Texas-rigged 7" watermelon-red worm with a 3/16 oz tungsten weight + 4/0 EWG hook is the all-conditions standard. For active fish: 1/2 oz spinnerbait slow-rolled along points + drop-offs. For deep summer suspended fish: 3/8 oz football jig + craw trailer hopped along 12-18 ft ledges. Post-front shutdown: switch to a weightless wacky-rigged 5" Senko in green pumpkin, work it dead-slow next to cover.
Lures: Texas-rigged worm (watermelon red flake), 1/2 oz spinnerbait (white/chartreuse), 3" soft jerkbait (smoke shad), 3/8 oz football jig + craw trailer (deep summer)
Black and blue jig or chartreuse spinnerbait tight to cover. Stained fish hold on wood and rock edges.
In a few hours
Clear
- Natural / shad Disappears correctly in clear water. Invisible for the wrong reason once stain cuts visibility.
- Watermelon red The clear-water bass standard. Red flake reads as craw without spooking pressured fish.
Best colors right now: watermelon, chartreuse/white, shad
Good colors for clear water (fall): watermelon red, natural shad, green pumpkin
Bass see red and green well and chase high-contrast silhouettes in stain. Black and blue reads as a shad or bluegill profile when detail drops out.
Full color matrix for clear water
ColorClearStainedMuddy
Natural / shadBestAvoidAvoid
Watermelon redBestAvoidAvoid
White / shadGoodGoodAvoid
PurpleGoodGoodAvoid
Black / blueAvoidGoodBest
ChartreuseAvoidBestGood
Fire tigerAvoidGoodBest
Orange / flame redAvoidBestGood
Hatch: 44% (midge) Light activity. Some bugs in the air, but fish aren't committed yet.
- Topwater commits hardest in the first 90 minutes after sunrise on calm warm mornings, see /learn/technique/topwater-bass.
- Bluebird high-pressure days after a cold front kill the topwater bite; switch to slow soft plastics in deeper cover.
Conditions Match Breakdown
- + water temp in target range+11
- + barometric trend+7
- + in season+4
- + wind speed+4
- + cloud cover+3
- + cloud preference+3
- + dissolved oxygen+3
- + flow band+3
Best window: midday
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
9 wt with a 3" frayed nylon rope 'fly' (no hook — rope tangles the teeth). Sight-fish surface-finning gar in the shallow sandbar flats during mid-day sun. Lead by 3-4 ft, let the rope sink to gar eye level, slow strip across the path. Count to 5 after the grab before setting.
9 wt rod for big longnose, intermediate or floating line, 6 ft 30 lb fluoro to a 3-4" frayed nylon-rope 'fly' (no hook, the rope tangles the teeth). Sight-fish surface-finning gar in mid-day sun-warmed shallows; lead by 3-4 ft, let the fly sink 6" to gar eye level, then strip slowly across the path. Once the gar grabs, count to 5 before stripping line tight, let it work the rope into the teeth. Strip-set with a long sweep.
9 wt with a 3" frayed nylon rope 'fly' (no hook — rope tangles the teeth). Sight-fish surface-finning gar in the shallow sandbar flats during mid-day sun. Lead by 3-4 ft, let the rope sink to gar eye level, slow strip across the path. Count to 5 after the grab before setting.
9 wt rod for big longnose, intermediate or floating line, 6 ft 30 lb fluoro to a 3-4" frayed nylon-rope 'fly' (no hook, the rope tangles the teeth). Sight-fish surface-finning gar in mid-day sun-warmed shallows; lead by 3-4 ft, let the fly sink 6" to gar eye level, then strip slowly across the path. Once the gar grabs, count to 5 before stripping line tight, let it work the rope into the teeth. Strip-set with a long sweep.
Flies: Frayed-rope Gar Fly (chartreuse), White Deceiver #1/0
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.
5" pearl-white soft jerkbait on a weighted swimbait jig OR a frayed nylon rope teaser. Cast 6-8 ft ahead of finning fish in the shallow flats, slow steady retrieve at nose level. Re-tie after every fish — gar teeth shred mono.
Medium-heavy rod, 20 lb braid + 30 lb fluoro leader. 5" pearl-white soft jerkbait on a weighted swimbait jighead, OR a frayed nylon rope teaser tied to a 1/4 oz weight. Cast 6-8 ft ahead of a finning gar and let it sink to depth. Slow steady retrieve at gar's nose level. Gar grab and crush sideways, count to 3 before setting, then sweep the rod hard. Re-tie after every fish; gar teeth shred mono.
5" pearl-white soft jerkbait on a weighted swimbait jig OR a frayed nylon rope teaser. Cast 6-8 ft ahead of finning fish in the shallow flats, slow steady retrieve at nose level. Re-tie after every fish — gar teeth shred mono.
Medium-heavy rod, 20 lb braid + 30 lb fluoro leader. 5" pearl-white soft jerkbait on a weighted swimbait jighead, OR a frayed nylon rope teaser tied to a 1/4 oz weight. Cast 6-8 ft ahead of a finning gar and let it sink to depth. Slow steady retrieve at gar's nose level. Gar grab and crush sideways, count to 3 before setting, then sweep the rod hard. Re-tie after every fish; gar teeth shred mono.
Lures: 5" white plastic on weighted swimbait jig, Frayed nylon rope teaser
In a few hours
Clear
- Natural / shad Disappears correctly in clear water. Invisible for the wrong reason once stain cuts visibility.
- Watermelon red The clear-water bass standard. Red flake reads as craw without spooking pressured fish.
Best colors right now: chartreuse, white
Full color matrix for clear water
ColorClearStainedMuddy
Natural / shadBestAvoidAvoid
Watermelon redBestAvoidAvoid
White / shadGoodGoodAvoid
PurpleGoodGoodAvoid
Black / blueAvoidGoodBest
ChartreuseAvoidBestGood
Fire tigerAvoidGoodBest
Orange / flame redAvoidBestGood
Hatch: 44% (midge) Light activity. Some bugs in the air, but fish aren't committed yet.
Conditions Match Breakdown
- + barometric trend+7
- + wind speed+4
- + cloud cover+3
- + dissolved oxygen+3
- + flow band+3
Next 24 hours · weather forecast
Scroll for hourly temperature, wind, and precipitation.
8PM
67°
10
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11% rain
9PM
64°
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7% rain
10PM
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8% rain
11PM
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12AM
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1AM
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1AM
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2AM
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3AM
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4AM
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5AM
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6AM
53°
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83% rain
7AM
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8AM
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79% rain
9AM
57°
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81% rain
10AM
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11AM
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56% rain
12PM
60°
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1PM
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2PM
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3PM
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6PM
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Latest readings
Live telemetry| Air temp (°F) | 70.0°F |
|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 96% |
| Dew point (°C) | 8.3°C |
| discharge cfs | 21 cfs |
| gage height ft | 2.04 in |
| Relative humidity (%) | 44% |
| Chance of precipitation (%) | 7% |
| Barometric pressure (mb) | 1,025.5 mb |
| Rain past 6h (in) | 0.00 in |
| Wind direction | ESE (113°) |
| Wind (mph) | 10.0 mph |
Reading freshness
Source update lag| Barometric pressure (mb) | 6 min ago openmeteo |
|---|---|
| Wind (mph) | 6 min ago nws |
| Cloud cover (%) | 6 min ago nws |
| Air temp (°F) | 6 min ago nws |
| Rain past 24h (in) | 3841.1 h ago openmeteo stale |
| Rain past 6h (in) | 6 min ago nws |
Hatch matcher · this month
Active aquatic insect emergences & suggested imitations.
Midge
Sizes 18–24
Recommended patterns:
Zebra Midge #20
Year-round on tailwaters/lakes
Next few hours · best species
Prime windows for active feeding over the next 12 hours (CDT).
7-day forecast
Composite spot scores over the coming week.
10-day weather & pressure outlook
NWS forecast where it reaches, Open-Meteo beyond it. Days run midnight to midnight, spot time.
| Day | High | Low | Wind | Cloud | Rain % | Pressure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Oct 31 | 79°F | 55°F | 7 mph SE | 89% | 11% | 1,024.5 mb | nws |
| Sun Nov 1 | 64°F | 52°F | 8 mph SE | 96% | 83% | 1,026.4 mb | nws |
| Mon Nov 2 | 74°F | 52°F | 10 mph SSE | 82% | 22% | 1,023.2 mb | nws |
| Tue Nov 3 | 77°F | 56°F | 15 mph SSE | 64% | 29% | 1,018.1 mb | nws |
| Wed Nov 4 | 72°F | 60°F | 11 mph S | 97% | 76% | 1,012.1 mb | nws |
| Thu Nov 5 | 71°F | 54°F | 5 mph NW | 95% | 53% | 1,010.4 mb | nws |
| Fri Nov 6 | 70°F | 49°F | 5 mph NW | 53% | 20% | 1,009.3 mb | nws |
| Sat Nov 7 | 67°F | 44°F | Calm | 72% | 4% | 1,011.2 mb | nws |
| Sun Nov 8 | 57°F | 48°F | 10 mph WSW | 77% | 9% | 1,009.6 mb | openmeteo |
| Mon Nov 9 | 58°F | 42°F | 7 mph WNW | 55% | 17% | 1,011.4 mb | openmeteo |
Trends · 7 days
Hover chart points for telemetry details. Gold dot represents latest reading.
Barometric pressure (mb)
Water temperature (°F)
Fishing regulations (TWRA)
Statewide creel and length limits. Confirm the current rule on TWRA before you keep a fish.
These are statewide defaults only. Many waters have their own creel, size, or season rules that override this list. Check the water you are fishing on TWRA before you go.
TWRA fishing regulations · Water-specific exceptions
Statewide defaults (19 rules)
| Species | Rule |
|---|---|
| Alligator Gar | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately. |
| Black Bass (includes Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Alabama And Coosa) | No more than 5 black bass per day in any combination may be taken. | None |
| Catfish | Only one (1) catfish over 34 inches may be harvested per day. No harvest limit on catfish less than 34 inches. |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 inches |
| Lake Trout | Only 2 of your 7 total trout may be lake trout. | None |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 inches |
| Paddlefish | Paddlefish may be harvested from April 24 through May 31. Daily creel limit is 2 fish per day with no size limit. Culling is prohibited. Exceptions on Center Hill, Cherokee, and Watts Bar reservoirs. |
| Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) | 20 | None |
| Redear Sunfish Or Shellcracker | 20 | None |
| Region 1 Crappie Exception: Unless Otherwise Noted For Specific Waters. | 30 | None |
| Rock Bass Or Redeye And Shadow Bass | 20 | None |
| Sauger Or Sauger/walleye Hybrids | 10 | 15 inches |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to the water immediately. |
| Skipjack Herring | 100 | None |
| Striped Bass Or Hybrid Striped Bass (any Combination) | 2 | 15 inches |
| Trout (all Trout Species Combined) | 7 | None |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 inches |
| White Bass | 15 | None |
| Yellow Bass, Bluegill, Warmouth, Bream, Bullheads, Pickerel, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, And Nongame Species | no limit | None |
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