Cool Wet Weather Keeping Fly Fishing Conditions Ideal in the Smokies

We’re coming off of a bit of a wet spell here in East Tennessee that kept us nervous about fishing conditions but it all worked out great. While some locations did experience heavy rains, the Smokies had nothing more than beneficial rain that has kept streams at ideal levels and temperatures excellent for trout.

After an exceptionally wet spring we had something like 14 or 16 consecutive sunny and dry days. Those were great, but by the end the streams were starting to get low so we were glad to see the rain.

Joey Asher shows off one of many beautiful wild trout he picked up recently in the Smokies

Dry fly fishing has been pretty good most days, but nymphing can remain a viable option. We’ve been sticking with dry and dropper combos for quite a while. Most takes have been on the dry fly, but there are just enough fish taking the nymph that we feel like it’s worth doing. If you don’t like dropper rigs of they’re a pain to deal with, don’t worry about it. More than enough fish are looking up and you’ll have plenty of action on dry flies.

Our son Boone hooked up with a nice rainbow on a recent trip into the Smoky Mountain backcountry

The rain has continued to make our local tailwater scene a bit of a mess. The Clinch hasn’t had very good wading conditions for a while, although the weekend recreational schedule allows for some wading on the weekends. The Hiwassee is pretty high as well, so you can rule out wading there for the time being. The Holston below Cherokee remains too high for effective trout fishing, even from a boat. This will all likely change, but the mountain streams are the primary game for now.

Small but super colorful wild brown trout on Little River