Missouri vs Tennessee fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Tennessee is $7 cheaper than Missouri. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Tennessee is $8 cheaper than Missouri. You need a license from age 16 in Missouri 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 | Missouri | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $9 | $20 |
| 3 days | $27 | $20 |
| 7 days | $57 | $30 |
| 1 year | $57 | $49 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $14 | $33 |
| Prices for | 2026 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Missouri | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 13 |
| Senior residents | Free (fresh): Missouri residents aged 65 or over | 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 | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | Accepted | – |
| Annual licenses last | To Last day of February | 12 months from purchase |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Missouri fishing license · Tennessee fishing license
Shared waters
Mississippi River (Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee) (Missouri rules)
A Missouri permit (or a Missouri exemption) lets you fish the flowing Mississippi River in Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee waters, plus backwaters and shared oxbow lakes in Illinois and Tennessee. Bank fishing is allowed on the Illinois side, and on the Kentucky side within the Kentucky definition of the river. Kentucky backwaters and floodplain lakes are excluded when the river is above 33 feet on the Cairo gauge. You may not fish another state's tributaries. Follow the rules of the state you are in; when fishing another state's waters, follow the stricter of the two states' rules. Official source
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
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 | Missouri | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Black bass |
Black bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Black bass |
Black bass |
| Trout |
Rainbow: none. Brown: 15" minimum in streams; bag 4 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
bag 7 in total, only 2 of them lake trout |
| Walleye |
Walleye and sauger |
16" minimum; bag 5 |
| Crappie |
None statewide (many lakes 9" to 10"); bag 30 (15 on many lakes) |
10" minimum; bag 15 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
| Catfish |
Channel catfish Blue catfish |
Only 1 may be over 34"; bag No limit under 34" |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge |
Muskellunge |
Questions
Is a Missouri fishing license valid in Tennessee?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Mississippi River (Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee); Mississippi River (Missouri).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Missouri or Tennessee?
1 day (fresh water): Missouri $9, Tennessee $20. 1 year (fresh water): Missouri $57, Tennessee $49.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Missouri and Tennessee?
You need a license from age 16 in Missouri and from 13 in Tennessee.
More comparisons
- Arkansas vs Missouri
- Illinois vs Missouri
- Iowa vs Missouri
- Kansas vs Missouri
- Kentucky vs Missouri
- Missouri vs Nebraska
- Missouri vs Oklahoma
- Alabama vs Tennessee
- Arkansas vs Tennessee
- Georgia vs Tennessee
- Kentucky vs Tennessee
- Mississippi vs Tennessee
- North Carolina vs Tennessee
- Tennessee vs Virginia