TWRA set for its annual Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day Saturday across the Upper Cumberland.
You can fish without a license on all public waters statewide Saturday. Free Fishing Day kicks off a week of free fishing for anyone under 15. TWRA Wildlife Information Specialist Mimi Barnes says the goal is to get people to engage more with the outdoors by enjoying Tennessee’s abundant waterways.
“We all know that there’s high quality fishing and beautiful landscape all around us, but it also benefits our health, it provides a different type of opportunity, people can feed themselves even from this type of activity,” Barnes said. “But it provides something outdoors, which is so important these days.”
In addition to official TWRA events, the TWRA website lists Free Fishing Day events in Crawford, Crossville, Liberty, Livingston, and Spencer.
Barnes said that the day remains popular and draws crowds every year. The Youth free Fishing Week will run from June 8-14.
“We see a lot of people come out to fish at our events, it’s not just TWRA events, we list events that our communities are holding across the State of Tennessee,” Barnes said. “And we see how busy those events are and it’s an enjoyable day for us and we see families out there together and it just reflects success to us.”
Barnes said the day’s continued success is owed a state-wide team of professionals keeping Tennessee’s water infrastructure running.
“We’re a very water-rich state. Our reservoirs and rivers and streams are managed incredibly by great fisheries, biologists, and staffAnd we really hope people recognize how wonderful fishing can be.”
Free Fishing Day has been an annual event since 1991. In 2020, it was renamed after former Executive Director Bobby Wilson after his 35-year tenure at the TWRA’s Fisheries Division.
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