Mississippi vs Tennessee fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Tennessee is $10 cheaper than Mississippi. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Tennessee is $19 cheaper than Mississippi. You need a license from age 16 in Mississippi 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 | Mississippi | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $10 | $20 |
| 3 days | $30 | $20 |
| 7 days | $68 | $30 |
| 1 year | $68 | $49 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $10 | $33 |
| Prices for | 2026-27 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Mississippi | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 13 |
| Senior residents | Free (fresh): Mississippi residents aged 65 or over (fresh water only; salt water needs the $5 senior lifetime saltwater license) Resident senior lifetime saltwater license (65+): $5 (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 | Not yet announced | Sat, Jun 12, 2027 Jun 12–18, 2027 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Usually not: the boat's license covers its passengers | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | – | – |
| Annual licenses last | 12 months from purchase | 12 months from purchase |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Mississippi fishing license · Tennessee fishing license
Shared waters
Mississippi River (Missouri) (Tennessee rules)
A Tennessee or Missouri fishing license covers the Mississippi River and its backwaters in the other state, plus oxbow lakes the state line passes through, but not the other state's tributaries. Follow the rules of the state you are fishing in; where you are not licensed, the stricter state's rules apply. The boundary is the center of the navigation channel. Official source
Mississippi River (Arkansas) (Tennessee rules)
Tennessee and Arkansas licenses are both honored on the flowing Mississippi River, adjacent sloughs, bayous and old river runs reachable by boat, but not wildlife management areas or the Wolf, Loosahatchie, Hatchie, Forked Deer and Obion rivers. Shared limits apply (for example 10 black bass, 50 crappie, 50 sunfish). Arkansas rules apply on Ikes Chute, Hopefield Chute, Mosquito Lake, Mound City Lake, Island 40 Chute and Lake Neark. Official source
Pickwick Lake (Alabama and Mississippi) (Tennessee rules)
A valid sport fishing license from Tennessee, Alabama or Mississippi is accepted on Pickwick Lake from Pickwick Dam upstream to the mouth of Bear Creek (Tennessee River mile 224.8), excluding Bear Creek and part of Yellow Creek. Follow the rules of the state whose waters you are 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 | Mississippi | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Black bass (largemouth, spotted, smallmouth) |
Black bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Black bass (largemouth, spotted, smallmouth) |
Black bass |
| Walleye |
bag 3 |
16" minimum; bag 5 |
| Crappie |
Crappie (black and white) |
10" minimum; bag 15 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
| Catfish |
bag No limit (Statewide; 2 more) |
Only 1 may be over 34"; bag No limit under 34" |
| Striped bass |
Striped bass and hybrids |
Striped and hybrid striped bass |
Questions
Is a Mississippi fishing license valid in Tennessee?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Mississippi River (Missouri); Mississippi River (Arkansas); Pickwick Lake (Alabama and Mississippi).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Mississippi or Tennessee?
1 day (fresh water): Mississippi $10, Tennessee $20. 1 year (fresh water): Mississippi $68, Tennessee $49.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Mississippi and Tennessee?
You need a license from age 16 in Mississippi and from 13 in Tennessee.