All three main species of catfish are present at Nickajack. A number of large catfish have been cited recently and there is very good trophy potential for the fishery. Anglers should be aware, though, that there is a precautionary advisory in place for eating the catfish from the entire stretch of the Nickajack Reservoir.

Above Nickajack, another dam forms Chickamauga Reservoir. Chickamauga begins right in heart of downtown Chattanooga and extends upstream some 59 miles. Like Nickajack, Chickamauga ends at the dam that forms the next reservoir on the river -- Watts Bar.

Chickamauga is much larger than its downstream sister. There are approximately 36,240 surface acres of water and some 784 miles of shoreline. There is very good access for catfishing at Chickamauga, both for boaters and shore-bound anglers.

Anglers will find plenty of catfish in this huge reservoir. Channel, flathead and blue catfish are all present in great numbers. Tremendous trophy potential exists here and a number of massive cats of all three species have been caught recently. Blue cats grow especially big and there is always the possibility of hooking a true monster.

The farthest reservoir upstream in this region is Watts Bar. Beginning at the Watts Bar Dam about halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville, the lake continues over 70 miles upstream and totals nearly 40,000 acres. There are 722 miles of shoreline.

Watts Bar is an extremely popular destination for catfish anglers. All three species are in good number and TWRA creel surveys show anglers not only spend lots of time pursuing them, but also have very good success. While all three catfish are present in good numbers and size distribution, flathead catfish are particularly good. Unfortunately, Watts Bar catfish have been shown to exceed guidelines for PCB contamination and are not recommended for consumption.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE REGION
Moving west across the state, we begin to find more diversity of catfish waters. Not only do we have large reservoirs and river systems, but we also have an opportunity to start sampling some of the great catfishing at the TWRA Family Fishing Lakes. Eight of the stocked lakes are located here within Region II.

Two of the Family Fishing Lakes with good catfish populations are Marrowbone Lake in Davidson County and Laurel Hill Lake in Lawrence. Both have strong fisheries for blue and channel catfish. While the former is relatively small at 60 acres, the latter totals about 325 acres and obviously can accommodate more anglers.

Both lakes have boat ramps, boat rentals, fishing piers and on-site bait and tackle sales. Laurel Hill Lake also has one section designated for youth fishing only. Both lakes have a five-fish daily creel on catfish. There is no size limit at Marrowbone, but catfish must be at least 14 inches to be harvested from Laurel Hill.

The Williamsport Lakes in Maury County are also part of the Family Fishing Lakes program. There are four lakes in total, with Whippoorwill Lake being for youth fishing only. There are both blue and channel catfish available. There is a 14-inch size limit and a five-fish daily creel for catfish.

There are also a number of large reservoirs in Middle Tennessee that offer great catfishing. Included in this region are J. Percy Priest, Old Hickory, Cordell Hull, Center Hill, Cheatham, Normandy and Tims Ford lakes. All have good populations of catfish.

Woods Lake is one of the best catfish locations in the entire area, but receives a limited amount of fishing pressure due to a fish consumption advisory. However, for those not wanting cats for the fryer, this lake can produce some incredible catches of big catfish. Channel catfish are the most numerous and are often caught up to 15 pounds. Large specimens of blues and flatheads are also very common.