Reciprocal Fishing License Agreements

Reciprocal Fishing License Agreement – Tennessee and Alabama

From the Alabama Regulation Book:
"Reciprocal Agreement Pertaining to Tennessee River-Pickwick Lake. A reciprocal agreement is in effect between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to recognize the sport fishing licenses of the two states within the impounded waters of the Tennessee River-Pickwick Lake lying within Hardin County, Tennessee, and Lauderdale County, Alabama, from Pickwick Dam (approximately TRM 207.8) upstream to where the common boundary line of Colbert County, Alabama, and Tishomengo County, Mississippi, meet the Lauderdale County, Alabama, boundary line at approximately TRM 224.8. It is agreed that:

Sport fisherman duly licensed or legally exempt from license requirements by the State of Tennessee may, without further license, fish with ordinary hook and line, pole, casting, spinning, and fly rods and reels, and use artificial lures and natural bait in the area of Pickwick Lake described above.

Likewise, sport fishermen duly licensed or legally exempt from license requirements by the State of Alabama may, without further license, fish with ordinary hook and line, pole, casting, spinning, and fly rods and reels, and use artificial lures and natural bait in the area of Pickwick Lake described above.

Except for licenses and fishing methods covered in this agreement, all creel limits, size limits, and other laws, rules and regulations enacted by the State having jurisdiction must be adhered to while fishing in that state’s waters."

If you have questions, call the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division's Enforcement Section at 334-242-3467 to have an Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer call you to clarify. For the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency call 615-781-6500. And for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Parks call 662-840-5172.

Reciprocal Fishing License Agreement – Mississippi and Alabama

From the Alabama Regulation Book:
"Reciprocal Agreement Pertaining to Sport Fishing on the Tennessee River. Reciprocal agreements are in effect whereby sports fishing licenses of Mississippi and Alabama are mutually recognized for fishing either the water or from the banks of said water of the following part of the Tennessee River or embayment or impoundments.

All that part of the Tennessee River and its embayment and impoundments between the junction of the Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi line and a north-south line projected across the Tennessee River from the eastern end of the old Riverton Lock, except and exclusive of that part of the Big Bear Embayment lying south of the Southern Railroad bridge, see Mississippi map below.

All that part of the Tombigbee River, its embayments, impoundments and navigation channel, from river mile 322 to the Aliceville Lock and Dam.

Creel limits pertaining to sport fishing of Alabama shall apply to Mississippi licenses when fishing in the State of Alabama and the creel limits pertaining to sport fishing in the State of Mississippi shall apply to Alabama licenses when fishing in the State of Mississippi."