Northeast Tennessee Fall River Fishing

As the cooler temperatures of the season gently paint their vibrant fall colors into the Great Smokey Mountains, the fishing in the rivers and streams of northeast Tennessee begins to heat up if you know where to go and what presentations to use. Late season fish have grown weary of the haphazard presentation of the novice fly fishermen and the uninitiated attempt at the flashy chuck and wind of the spin casting fair-weather anglers so it becomes more important to be selective of your fishing location as well as the lure or fly that you cast at the elusive trophies that lurk below the surface.

For the spin cast angler that is looking for some late season, rod bending action, the Nolichucky River that flows out of Erwin, Tennessee and into Jonesboro is rated among the best in the area with the local guides. You don't need to shell out a few hundred dollars to partake in the non-stop action of the small mouth bass population, just some wading shoes and a light to medium weight spinning rod. You can access the Nolichucky River at the River Park Campground located at 3937 Highway 81 S in Jonesboro, Tennessee. The fee for day use is minimal and the river presents a number of deep water and shallow water opportunities for small mouth bass. Early morning and late evening offer the best chance to get into some heated top water action and a black and silver floating Rapala fished just below the surface entices even the weariest of fish. Presentation here is important and a quick "twitch-twitch-reel" retrieve induces some monster strikes. Cast perpendicular to the current and allow your Rapala to swing downstream past likely boulders and eddies while you use this retrieve. Give those likely looking spots a few casts before moving on as the fish might not strike on the first pass. Late afternoon offers the advantage of having the sun at your back and being able to see the greenish-yellow flash of feeding bass. To gain some isolation, take the time to cautiously wade upstream to the shallow flats. Standing in the middle of the stream and casting to the swifter run at the far side of the river will result in some sizable fish. The river is warm this time of year so wet wading is comfortable. A canoe grants you access to some of the deeper water downstream of the campground and occasionally results in a surface strike of your Rapala directly after the cast so be sure to pause for a few seconds before beginning your retrieve. If you go through more than 20 casts without a strike, start to vary the speed of your retrieve between a slow crawl up to a quick, darting retrieve to find out what's working on that particular day. Here's a link to the Riverpark Campground in Jonesboro for directions: http://www.riverparkcampground.net.

For fly fishermen in the area looking to bow their rod and peel some backing off of the reel, the Holston River is deemed one of the areas best kept secrets. Free access to this river is available at the Osceola Island public access site located off of highway 421 just outside of Bristol, Tennessee. Bait fishermen abound along the island and bridge, however the fly fishermen reign supreme at the weir dam and down below the river. Trophy size Brown and Rainbow trout abound throughout this river and even the novice angler can fill their day with medium size trout of both species. Early morning fishing is most effective using a blue wing olive dun and a pheasant tail bead head dropper hung 12 to 18 inches below. As the sun starts to warm the water, switch to a terrestrial presentation of grasshoppers, crickets, hornets or beetles. Keep an eye out for late fall hatches as once you see the swarm, the fish will turn off to almost anything else. Late evening and early morning presentations of a black hare's ear leach imitation can produce some monster size browns but be prepared with a heavier leader and plenty of backing. This is a regulated stream so it's always best to check the TVA generation schedule by either calling 800-238-2264 or by visiting their web site at: http://www.tva.gov/river/index.htm. In addition, here is a link to directions and information about Osceola Island: http://twra4streams.homestead.com/twrasouthforkholstonosceolaisland.html.

Possibly one of the greatest locations that offers the most diverse opportunities to catch Rainbow, Brown, and Brook trout (the Northeast Tennessee Grand Slam of Trout) is the Watauga River. Free access to the river is available at the base of the Wilbur Dam located just off of Siam Bridge Road in Elizabethton, Tennessee, however a number of other access sites are located down the river. The fishing below the Wilbur Dam offers access to all three trout species within the same water. When fishing early morning, a Caddis fly drifted in calm water will produce anything from a gentle sip to a surface breaking strike. The blue wing olive dun with a pheasant tail bead head or copper john dropper is a steadfast throughout the entire season. As with the Holston River, when the sun breaks down into the gorge and begins to warm the water, terrestrials of almost any sort are effective top water flies. Grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, hornets and bee imitations produce results. This river offers a diverse opportunity of calm water fishing along with some fast current fishing as well. A canoe or raft opens doors to otherwise inaccessible water and is the key to fishing the Trophy section of this river without having to pay for a guide. A free boat ramp is located off of Highway 81S entering Elizabethton on Blevins Road. The first takeout after the Trophy section is at the steam plant TVA access point a few miles down the river. Google Earth or some other mapping tool is a great help in planning your trip. This is also a regulated stream so be sure to check and double check the TVA generation schedule by either calling 800-238-2264 or by visiting the TVA website at: http://www.tva.gov/river/index.htm.

Whether you are looking for a few line stretching hours of nonstop angling or a peaceful weekend camping trip along the banks of a peaceful river, be sure to spend some time in Northeast Tennessee to take advantage of the serenity, natural beauty and sportfishing adventures that abound throughout the area.