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Duck River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The most biodiverse river in North America: the Duck runs smallmouth through Tennessee farm country.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
145 cfs
Air / High
99 / 99 F
Wind
NE 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03599500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Duck River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 145 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 99. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 100 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Duck River at Columbia.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03599500.

198297396145 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp99 F
High / Low99 / 74 F
WindNE 5-5 mph
Pressure1013.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 18%
Sunrise / Sunset06:22 / 19:11
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 99/74 F, wind 7 mph, rain 18%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Duck River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Duck River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Duck River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 99 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 96 F, wind to 4 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 97 F, wind to 4 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Tennessee requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Tennessee license plus trout stamp for the Normandy tailwater. Smallmouth limits per current TWRA regulations.

Access

Road crossings and outfitter put-ins from Normandy through Shelbyville and Columbia.

About this water

A 284-mile river across middle Tennessee to the Tennessee River: among the most biodiverse rivers in North America.

Fishing Duck River: the full guide

A river of extraordinary life

The Duck River flows about 284 miles across middle Tennessee to the Tennessee River, and biologists rank it among the most biodiverse rivers in North America: over 150 fish species and an extraordinary mussel fauna. For anglers, it is a fine smallmouth stream: clear limestone water over gravel and ledge, holding smallmouth, redeye and rock bass, catfish and sunfish.

Smallmouth and float trips

The middle river through Maury and Marshall counties is the classic water: ledges, riffles, gravel bars and pools worked with tubes, small crankbaits, spinners and topwater. Canoe and kayak floats are the standard approach, with outfitters serving the popular reaches around Columbia and Shelbyville. Fish run good size and the pressure stays modest.

Below Normandy and the tailwater

Above the middle river, Normandy Dam creates a cold tailwater stocked with trout, providing a completely different fishery in the same drainage. Below it the river warms into the smallmouth water. The variety, plus the biodiversity that draws biologists, makes the Duck a genuinely interesting river beyond the fishing.

Middle Tennessee logistics

Access is via road crossings, public areas and outfitter put-ins from Normandy down through Shelbyville, Columbia and toward the Tennessee River. Nashville is an hour north. Flows drop through summer, making wading easy and floats occasionally scratchy: check the Columbia gauge before planning.

Common questions

Why is it famous among biologists?

Over 150 fish species and an extraordinary mussel fauna make it among the most biodiverse rivers on the continent.

Is there trout fishing?

Yes: the tailwater below Normandy Dam is stocked, a distinct fishery upstream of the smallmouth water.

Is it good for floats?

Excellent: outfitters serve the reaches around Columbia and Shelbyville, with modest pressure on the water.

Is fishing good at Duck River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Percy Priest Lake42 miOld Hickory Lake52 miTims Ford Lake52 miWilson Lake64 miWheeler Lake66 miPickwick Lake75 mi
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