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Bield:Fish
Regional spawn calendar

Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs spawn calendar.

17 species with documented spawn timing in Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs. Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Largemouth Bass
    Late February – Early May

    Bedding largemouth bass are highly vulnerable to angling stress — they are physiologically committed to nest defense and will continue to attack lures even when exhausted. Catch an…

  • Black Crappie
    Mid-March – Mid-May

    Crappie are highly catchable during spawn — visible bedding fish in 1–3 ft of water are easy to target. Many anglers practice voluntary harvest restraint during peak spawn weeks; s…

  • White Crappie
    Late March – Mid-May

    Same conservation context as black crappie — high catchability during spawn warrants angler restraint during peak weeks.…

  • Channel Catfish
    Late May – Late July

    Channel catfish reproduce successfully in most waters and populations are robust. No widespread spawn-period closures.…

  • Flathead Catfish
    Mid-May – Mid-July

    Trophy flatheads (50+ lbs) take 15–25 years to grow. Conservation-minded anglers practice C&R for trophy fish year-round.…

  • Blue Catfish
    Late May – Mid-July

    Blue catfish populations have expanded in some Eastern systems where they are non-native (Chesapeake Bay tributaries). Some agencies actively encourage harvest there. In native ran…

  • Striped Bass (Inland)
    Mid-March – Mid-May

    Inland striped bass populations are entirely supported by stocking in most southern reservoirs because natural reproduction requires specific river systems. Where natural reproduct…

All species — Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs

  • Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoides
    Typical window: Late February – Early May
    JanJan — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 60°FFebFeb — Peak spawn (63–68°F)MarMar — Peak spawn (63–68°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (63–68°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (63–68°F)JunJun — Post-spawn — water at 75°F+JulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late February – Early May

    Florida bass spawn earliest — Lake Okeechobee fish bed in February. North Georgia and Carolinas peak April.

  • Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Tennessee and North Carolina river smallmouth peak April.

  • Spotted BassMicropterus punctulatus
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Coosa and Tallapoosa river systems peak April; Alabama Coosa bass earliest.

  • WalleyeSander vitreus
    Typical window: Late February – Mid-April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late February – Mid-April

    Tennessee tailwater walleye (Cherokee, Norris, Center Hill) peak March.

  • MuskellungeEsox masquinongy
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Tennessee and West Virginia muskie peak in April.

  • BluegillLepomis macrochirus
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late August
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late August

    Southeast waters can have multiple spawn cycles from April through August.

  • Redear SunfishLepomis microlophus
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late August
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late August

    Florida and Gulf states have extended redear spawn from April through August.

  • Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May

    Tennessee and Carolina reservoirs peak April; Florida peak in late February.

  • White CrappiePomoxis annularis
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May

    Tennessee, Alabama reservoirs peak April.

  • Channel CatfishIctalurus punctatus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FMayMay — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (75–82°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 84°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Southeast waters peak June.

  • Flathead CatfishPylodictis olivaris
    Typical window: Mid-May – Mid-July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-May – Mid-July

    Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia rivers peak June.

  • Blue CatfishIctalurus furcatus
    Typical window: Late May – Mid-July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Mid-July

    Tennessee River blue cats peak June; Cumberland River.

  • White BassMorone chrysops
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Tennessee River system white bass run peaks late March.

  • Striped Bass (Inland)Morone saxatilis
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May

    Tennessee, Cumberland, and Coosa river systems peak April.

  • Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss
    Typical window: Late January – Mid-April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late January – Mid-April

    Southeastern tailwater wild rainbows (White River, Norfork, Cumberland) peak February–March.

  • Brown TroutSalmo trutta
    Typical window: Late October – Mid-December
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late October – Mid-December

    Tennessee tailwaters (South Holston, Watauga, Clinch) peak November.

  • Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November

    Southern Appalachian native brookies peak October–November.

Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

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