PICKWICK LAKE— The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) was joined by local fishermen, middle and high school anglers, coaches, and mentors passionate about bass fishing to help stock Florida strain largemouth bass fingerlings in Pickwick Lake on Monday, June 12, 2023. In attendance with other officials was Monte Belew of Paris, a member of the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission.
After learning Mississippi had stocked their portion of Pickwick Lake with Florida largemouth bass, TWRA added additional fish to create a more significant, impactful stocking effort. Approximately 21,000 Florida strain largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked in four locations from the Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama state lines to Pickwick Dam.
TWRA biologists are passionate about investing in the quality of fishing in Tennessee lakes, reservoirs, and streams. Stockings like this have allowed TWRA to recover threatened species like native brook trout, alligator gar, and lake sturgeon and improve the genetics of popular sportfish.
TWRA has focused on genetics by introducing Florida largemouth bass at Pickwick and other popular waters, such as Chickamauga Lake and Kentucky Reservoir. These Florida largemouth bass stockings will not improve the density of the bass populations. Still, they will hopefully improve the bass genetics, which will produce larger, high-quality bass populations, as has been done on Chickamauga Lake.
Pickwick Lake is part of the Bill Dance Signature Lakes program and will continue to see additional management efforts, including habitat improvements and quality bass and crappie fishing management. The reservoir has 43,100 acres of fishing opportunities for species including largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass, bluegill, redear, sunfish, and catfish. Deepwater fish attractors have also been constructed and installed to concentrate fish for anglers.
TWRA also plans to continue partnering with youth fishing organizations and listening to angler feedback to ensure Tennessee is home to some of the best bass fishing in the country.
TWRA would like to thank Riverside Bass Team members, Mt. Pleasant Bass Team members, Blue Mountain College Bass Team, and local fishermen for their cooperation and efforts to improve survivability by stocking the fish into better habitat areas in the reservoir.
Photo: Monte Belew of Paris, member of the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission, center front of photo.