Kentucky vs Tennessee fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Tennessee is $15 cheaper than Kentucky. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Tennessee is $6 cheaper than Kentucky. You need a license from age 16 in Kentucky and from 13 in Tennessee.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | Kentucky | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $15 | $20 |
| 3 days | $35 | $20 |
| 7 days | $35 | $30 |
| 1 year | $55 | $49 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $23 | $33 |
| Prices for | 2026-27 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Kentucky | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 13 |
| Senior residents | Senior sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $12 (ages 65+) Senior lifetime sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $180 (ages 65+) | Resident annual senior citizen hunt/fish/trap license: $4 (ages 65+) Resident permanent senior citizen hunt/fish/trap license: $49 (ages 65+) Resident lifetime license (senior, 65+): $329 (ages 65+) |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Jun 5–6, 2027 Not yet announced | Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Jun 12–18, 2027 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | – | – |
| Annual licenses last | To 02-28 | 12 months from purchase |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Kentucky fishing license · Tennessee fishing license
Shared waters
Kentucky Lake (Tennessee portion) (Kentucky rules)
A Kentucky license is valid from Eggner's Ferry Bridge south to the Ned McWhorter bridge, including embayments, except Blood River. Official source2
Dale Hollow Lake (Wolf River arm, Tennessee) (Kentucky rules)
A Kentucky license is valid in the Tennessee part of the Wolf River arm. Official source
Big South Fork of the Cumberland River (Kentucky rules)
A Kentucky license is valid in Tennessee waters from Leatherwood Ford Bridge (TN 297) to the KY 92 bridge at Yamacraw. Official source
Kentucky Lake, Dale Hollow Lake (Wolf River arm) and Big South Fork (Kentucky) (Tennessee rules)
Tennessee and Kentucky licenses are both valid on Kentucky Lake from the Governor Ned McWherter Bridge (US 79) north to the Eggner's Ferry Bridge (US 68), including tributaries and embayments except Kentucky's Blood River embayment; on the Wolf River arm of Dale Hollow Lake; and on the Big South Fork from Leatherwood Ford Bridge to the KY 92 bridge at Yamacraw. Boat anglers follow the rules of the state that licensed them; bank anglers follow the rules of the state they are standing in. Official source
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | Kentucky | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
Black bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
Black bass |
| Trout |
Rainbow trout Brown trout |
bag 7 in total, only 2 of them lake trout |
| Walleye |
Walleye, sauger and their hybrids |
16" minimum; bag 5 |
| Crappie |
Crappie (black and white) |
10" minimum; bag 15 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
| Catfish |
Channel catfish Blue and flathead catfish |
Only 1 may be over 34"; bag No limit under 34" |
| Striped bass |
White bass and hybrid striped bass Striped bass |
Striped and hybrid striped bass |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge |
Muskellunge |
Questions
Is a Kentucky fishing license valid in Tennessee?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Kentucky Lake (Tennessee portion); Dale Hollow Lake (Wolf River arm, Tennessee); Big South Fork of the Cumberland River; Kentucky Lake, Dale Hollow Lake (Wolf River arm) and Big South Fork (Kentucky).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Kentucky or Tennessee?
1 day (fresh water): Kentucky $15, Tennessee $20. 1 year (fresh water): Kentucky $55, Tennessee $49.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Kentucky and Tennessee?
You need a license from age 16 in Kentucky and from 13 in Tennessee.