The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries license agreement is now available which will allow the residents of Tennessee and Virginia more convenient fishing opportunities on South Holston Lake.
The new South Holston License became available July 1. Tennessee and Virginia residents may purchase the license, along with having their own state resident fishing license in order to fish all of South Holston Lake. This includes all impounded portions of the lake below full pool elevation of 1,730 feet, including the confluence of the Middle Fork and South Fork Holston Rivers and the South Fork Holston River upstream to the Route 710 Bridge at Alvarado, Va.
Previously, Tennessee residents were required to purchase a non-resident license to fish in the Virginia portion and likewise for Virginia residents wanting to fish in the Tennessee portion.
Tennessee residents can purchase the South Holston Lake License Type 063 for a cost of $21.
Tennessee residents must purchase the license at Tennessee license agents. The license is required in addition to the Tennessee resident license (including Sportsman and Lifetime license holders) only when fishing in the Virginia portion of the lake.
For residents of Tennessee, a regular fishing license (Type 001) plus a Tennessee trout license (Type 022), or a Sportsman or Lifetime license, along with the South Holston Lake License would allow them to fish for any species in the Virginia portion of the lake. Tennessee resident youth, age 11 and under, are exempt from license or permit in Virginia when accompanied by a properly licensed adult.
In Virginia, the license is called "South Holston Reservoir Fishing" and is $21 as well. Virginia residents must purchase the license in Virginia.
South Holston Lake comprises an area of 6,336 acres in upper East Tennessee and 1,244 acres in Virginia. Anglers find good populations of smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout, black crappie, bluegill, as well as rainbow trout, brown trout, and lake trout.
The following size restrictions and creel limits apply to both states:
Species Size Restriction Daily Creel Limit
Black Bass No Smallmouth less than 15 inches 5
Walleye No Walleye less than 18 inches 5
Crappie No Crappie less than 10 inches 15
Trout No minimum size 7
(Only two of which may be Lake Trout)
Catfish Only 1 over 34 inches 20
Bluegill No minimum size 50
Rock Bass No minimum size 20
White Bass No Harvest 0
Trotlines 100 hooks per angler
Jugs 50 per angler
Limb-lines 15 per angler
All trotlines, limb-lines and jugs must be tagged with the angler’s name/address or license number.
All anglers shall abide by the laws of the state in which they are fishing as to the manner and means of taking fish.