TWRA Opens Public Input on Statewide Black Bass Management Plan

Tennessee bass anglers have a real chance to speak before the next statewide black bass plan gets finalized.

TWRA is taking public input on its Tennessee Black Bass Management Plan through September 4, 2026. The plan is meant to guide how the agency handles largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass, and other black bass fisheries across the state. It was built with TWRA staff and a stakeholder advisory committee, and it lays out goals, objectives, and broad strategies for keeping bass fishing strong while dealing with pressure, expectations, habitat, regulations, and different kinds of anglers.

This does not replace the normal fishing-regulation process, but it can shape the thinking that feeds future management decisions. That matters. If tournament anglers, bank fishermen, guides, weekend dads, conservation-minded lake users, and river smallmouth guys do not speak up, somebody else will define what “good bass management” means for them.

TWRA has the plan, a short summary video, and an anonymous survey online. The agency also scheduled public meetings in Paris on August 11, Birchwood on August 18, Kodak on August 20, Nashville on August 25, and Johnson City on August 27.

If you fish Tennessee waters, read the plan and send comments. Complaining after rules change is easy. Showing up while the plan is still being written is how adults handle it.