Current streamflow (Tellico)- 70cfs
Water temps- mid to low 50s
Hatches:
Tan midges
Black midges
Tan caddis
October caddis
Hot flies:
Klinkhammer- 18-12
Orange stimulator- 16-12
Griffith's gnat- 18-14
Frenchie- 18-12
Walt's worm- 18-12
Perdigons- 20-16
Zebra midges- 20-16
The fall colors are absolutely stunning in the Tellico area this week and that's true whether we're talking leaves or brookies.
Brook trout are days away from spawning in higher elevations streams so if you observe fish paired up on redds, please let them do their thing to ensure that brook trout populations remain strong for years to come.
Tellico streams received a decent amount of rain earlier this week. While not enough to bring flows up substantially, it did bump flows up to just above normal levels for this time of year. Water is still low and clear, and small flies, light tippet, and a stealthy approach are all required to find success, but the trout are hungry.
We have seen great days of dry fly action thanks to the low flows. In our experience, fall midge hatches seem to be most prominent when water is low like our current conditions, and it's easier for trout to key in on them in low water as well. This means that small dry flies will often receive more attention than heavy nymphs dragging the bottom, at least while low water conditions exist.
The Tellico DH is continuing to produce some great browns and rainbows and sight fishing 18-20" trout is a real possibility right now.
Give us a call, stop by the shop or send us a message for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 10.11.23
Current streamflow- 67.5cfs
Water temps- mid to high 50s
Hatches:
Tan caddis
Cream-colored midges
Sulphur (rare)
Hot flies:
Perdigons 18-16
Walt's worms- 18-14
Zebra midges- 20-16
Hickey's bwo emerger- 18
Griffith's gnat- 16-14
Parachute Adams- 16-12
Elk hair caddis- 16-12
It's that time of year again. Delayed Harvest is in full swing, and so the hunt is on for big stocked bows and browns. There are some very nice trout in the river currently, but you'll have to use some skinny water tactics to find success.
As a reminder, the Tellico River is catch and release only, artificial only from the North River confluence upstream to the NC state line until March 1st. There are no day closures for stocking, and the Citico/Daily Permit is not required during this time.
The Tellico is currently just under the median streamflow, and water is low and clear. During high water, you can often get away with large flies such as eggs, Pat's and squirmies, but with the water being so low, the trout have more time to scrutinize your flies and have also quickly keyed in on the available natural insects such as smal baetis and midge nymphs, so smaller flies nymphs and dries are a must. On recent trips, we have had best luck with small perdigons, midge and bwo patterns, and walt's worms.
A small dry such as a Griffith's gnat or small parachute with a midge dropper will help you fool fish in calmer pools where trout are concentrated and can often be seen rising.
We have also been finding some very nice wild bows and the occasional wild brown on the Tellico and tribs. Similar tactics will also produce wild fish on the tribs.
We have a slight chance of rain all this week and into the weekend, but overall, things look pretty dry. We're looking forward to higher water, but good days can still be had if you're willing to adapt to the current conditions.
Stream Report 9.28.23
Current streamflow- 76cfs
Water temps- upper 50s
Hatches:
Tan caddis 16-14
Midges 20-18
Hot flies:
X-caddis
Griffith's gnat
Parachute midge
Rainbow warrior
Pat's rubber legs
Tungsten eggs
The upper Tellico River was stocked earlier this week, and Delayed Harvest is off to a great start. The quality of fish is outstanding this year, with the average fish being about 14" and around 1lb. There are plenty of trout in the 18-20" range as well, and it's like an Easter egg hunt to find the big ones. Keep your eyes open and you can sight fish a lot of the bigger browns and rainbows with the low, clear streamflows.
Next week's forecast looks dry with decent daytime temps and cool overnight lows. This means streamflows will continue to drop, making fooling fish a bit more difficult, but on the brightside, it means fish will mostly stay close to the areas they were stocked as opposed to scattering and often leaving the DH area as is often the case during high flows. This brings an advantage to the angler in locating fish, but you will likely need a variety of flies to fool fish that are often much more wary in low water. Start with the usual stocker favorites: eggs, squirmies and Pat's. If you get a lot of refusals, downsize to frenchies, perdigons and midge patterns. A dry and dropper is a great combo for low water as it gives you the ability to keep your distance and easily match the speed of your drift with the slow, glassy currents that low water brings.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 9.28.23
Current Streamflow- 86cfs
Water temps- high 50s-low 60s
Hatches:
Midges 18-20
Tan caddis 16-14
Ants 16-14
Beetles 14-12
It has been cool and dry in the Tellico area this past week. River levels have dropped substantially and are currently at normal streamflow for this time of year. Being late summer/early fall, that means low and clear. It's a great time to fish a dry and dropper and target pocketwater. Tellico, Bald, North, and other tribs have all been fishing very well, but you'll need to use stealth to keep from spooking fish in low water. Move slowly, use available cover to your advantage to stay concealed, make as few false casts as possible, and make your first cast count.
Next week is the start of Delayed Harvest, in years past, during low streamflows, the hatchery has delayed stocking for a week or so or until conditions improve. Next week's forecast looks dry, so if streamflows continue to drop, they may delay or limit stocking until better conditions prevail. If this is the case, we'll do our best to update you as soon as we know.
Road Update: Cherohala Skyway is open for travel. However, the first approx. 8 miles of River Rd is still closed and will remain closed until the Bald River Bridge project is completed, which is scheduled for Fall of 2024. Upper River Rd from North River confluence upstream to the North Carolina line remains open and is accessible via North River Rd from the Skyway, or Wildcat Rd after you first turn on to River Rd. Either route will take about 1hr of travel time each way from town to the upper River, so plan for a little extra travel time.
Stocking will continue as normal through fall and winter, and this Delayed Harvest harvest is shaping up to be a great one for anyone willing to make the drive.
Stream Report & Road Update 9.20.23
Current streamflow- 110cfs, 1.02ft
Water temps- low 60s
Hatches:
Midges
Tan caddis
Hot flies:
Elk hair caddis- 16-12
Parachute Adams- 16-12
Patriot parachute- 16-12
Griffiths gnat- 18-14
Rainbow warrior- 18-16
Walt's worm- 18-12
Jigged CDC quill- 16-12
Buggers- 12-8
Mini leeches- 12-8
We've experienced some great temps for late September, with high temps currently in the 70s. Overnight temps are dropping into the 50s at lower elevations and are undoubtedly much cooler at higher elevations. Water temps are lower than average, and streamflows are higher than averagel for this time of year, so conditions are excellent.
There are still some late season hatches to be found, and the dry fly action is still great. Midges and tan caddis are the dominant hatches right now. The big October caddis are likely to start hatching at any time now. Ants, beetles, and other terrestrial are also great dry fly options right now.
Delayed Harvest stocking will go on as normal this fall, even with the Bald River Bridge closure. I have it on good authority that this will be a fantastic DH with some very nice browns being stocked this fall.
Road Updates:
The Cherohala Skyway is still scheduled to reopen this Friday (22nd). River Road will remain closed from the Ranger Station to North River Road until the Bald River bridge project is completed. Once the Skyway is open, the detour routes will be pretty straight forward, with access to Green Cove and the upper Tellico River via Wildcat Rd/FS 126 or North River Rd, accessed from the Skyway. Access to the upper Tellico from either route will take roughly 1hr of drive time compared to the usual 35-40mins of drive time via River Rd, so plan a little extra time for travel. We will keep you as up to date as possible as we learn more about the road situations.
Stream Report 9.01.23
Current streamflow- 345cfs, 1.69ft
Water temps- low to mid 60s
Refer to our previous post regarding current road conditions before making your plans to visit the Tellico area. Access to the Tellico River and tributaries is still possible, but please be aware of the road closures and alternate routes.
These past two weeks, the Tellico River and its tributaries have seen rain events unlike anything experience in quite some time. Torrential rains pushed streams beyond their banks, moving huge amounts of debris and reshaping streambeds. While many people reached out to us with concerns of how this might impact the fishery, we're happy to report that the trout are still there and as healthy as ever.
Most fish you will find in the Tellico this time of year will be wild. A dry fly and dropper is essentially all you will need to catch trout in the main river and the tributaries until the start of Delayed Harvest. Carry a variety of attractor dry flies such as neversinks, stimulators, elk hairs, and parachutes to cover your bases. Rainbow warriors, pheasant tails, and prince nymphs all make good droppers.
With the current road closures and Bald River Bridge project still scheduled to start later this year, many folks have been asking us what the stocking schedule will look like for this year's Delayed Harvest. After consulting with the Tellico Hatchery manager, we're happy yo report that they plan on stocking all through Delayed Harvest, and some very fine brown trout at that. So, while the drive up river might take longer than normal for, don't let that discourage you from making a trip for some DH action starting in October.
We'll keep you posted on updates as we get closer to Delayed Harvest season.
ROAD UPDATE 9.01.23
First, sorry for the lack of updates and stream reports these last couple of weeks. It has been strange times in Tellico with not one, but two rain events that caused flooding and road damage in our area. We decided not to encourage folks to make the drive until we had solid information on alternate routes and a timeline for road repairs. So, here is the current state of things in the Tellico area:
1) The Cherohala Skyway (165) is still closed approx 1 mile east of town. Road crews are making repairs as of this week and tell us that the Skyway will be open to travel within the next two weeks.
2) River Rd (FS210) is closed from the Ranger Station east to North River Rd. Multiple rock slides and undercutting of the road has made River Rd unsafe for travel. The Forest Service has decided to keep this section closed until the Bald River Bridge project is complete, which should be sometime late next year.
3) North River Rd is open but pretty rough in a couple of places (pictured above). Ample clearance and 4WD is recommended. Once the Skyway reopens, this will be one of the main routes to the upper Tellico River and Green Cove
4) Wildcat Rd/Bald River Rd (FS126). Both Wildcat Rd and Bald River Rd weathered the storms pretty well. Again, ample clearance is recommended as both are unpaved forest service roads. Once the Skyway is reopened, access to upper Tellico via Wildcat Rd to FS 126 will be a viable route. Currently, you can access FS 126 by way of Smithfield Rd off of Hwy 68, south of Tellico Plains.
5) Hanging Dog Rd/Davis Creek Rd (NC). This is another route of unpaved forest roads from Murphy, NC that can get you to the upper Tellico. It is worth mentioning as we have heard that it is a decent route for anyone coming in from the south, including Chattanooga.
If you do decide to visit the Tellico River even with the increased travel time, please use extra caution on these backroads as they are receiving more traffic than usual.
Fishing report and Fall stocking information to follow in the next post.
Stream Report 8.03.23
Current streamflow- 144cfs
Water temps- 60-65° in higher elevations
East Tennessee streams continue to be blessed with better than normal water temps and streamflows thanks to frequent summer rains. Water temps are still below the 68° threshold for safe catch and release from Green Cove up to the NC state line on the Tellico, and throughout the entire length of Bald River, North River and other tributaries. Dry fly fishing continues to be great with plenty of fish being caught on nymphs as well. As summer progresses and hatches start to dwindle, trout tend to favor smaller dry flies and smaller, flashier nymphs, likely since midges and smaller caddis and mayflies tend to make up the bulk of available late summer hatches, and lower, slower streamflows give trout the advantage in scrutinizing our presentations.
Lowland rivers and lakes continue to fish great for bass, panfish and other warmwater targets. Poppers, baitfish and crayfish imitations are all producing action.
Last week was the final week of stocking on the Tellico River until DH starts on October 1st. The Tellico/Citico Daily Permit is still required until Aug 15th to fish the stocked areas of Tellico River and Citico Creek and both streams are closed on Thursdays and Fridays until after August 15th. There should be plenty of stocked trout in the Tellico for the next couple of weeks to provide some action, and of course, the wild trout are always there.