Late Spring Fishing Report

May was a wet month for us here in the mountains, but that doesn’t mean fishing is out of the question. Streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and similar waters in the area clear up and drain quickly, so while the Tuckaseegee and Little Tennessee rivers are still high and off color, we can fish smaller water with great success.

Where to fish: As the weather warms up and we get into the summer weather pattern, fishing will improve on smaller shaded streams where the water typically stays cooler. Fishing in the GSM National Park is at its best during the summer and into the fall, especially in the higher elevations. Many streams that feed the Tuckaseegee River hold trout during the summer and are worth checking out.

NC State Water

Scott Creek

Caney Fork

Rough Butt Creek

Moses Creek

Savannah Creek

Lower Deep Creek

Panthertown Creek

Tanasee Creek

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Deep Creek

Noland Creek

Oconaluftee

Bradley Fork

Straight Fork

Upper Raven Fork

Hazel Creek

Forney Creek

What to fish: As water temperatures rise, we start to see a wide range of bugs flying around and the trout start looking up, eager to sip a dry fly. When selecting a dry fly, look for yellow sallies, march browns, inchworms, sulphurs, and caddis flies. Some of our favorite flies to toss in the summer are yellow stimulators, yellow or orange palmers, thunderheads, Tellico nymphs, prince nymphs, Adam’s variants, and pheasant tail nymphs.