Current streamflow- 105cfs, 1.33ft
Water temps- mid to high 60s
Hatches:
Golden stoneflies
Yellow sallies
Salmonflies
Tan caddis
Hot flies:
Chubby chernobyl
Elk hair caddis
Neversink caddis
Rainbow warrior
Quill perdigon
Walt's worm
Jigged leeches
I had the good fortune of helping @connerz_517 land this absolute behemoth of a brown trout earlier this week! Conner presented the fly and fought this fish like a pro after we spotted it holding at the head of a fast run. Congrats Conner! The Tellico River continues to clear and drop this week after the past month of rain, presenting more opportunities to sight fish for trophies. As water temps warm and water levels drop, look for these fish in faster runs and pocket water, which provide oxygen and security for trout in warmer months. Trout will often sit in knee-deep water during the warmer months, so no spot is off the table.
Dry and dropper rigs work very well in pocket water, with a foam bodied dry fly such as a chubby chernobyl being a good choice to imitate both the golden stoneflies and salmonflies that are hatching now as well as provide a good 'float' to drop a heavy nymph behind and really scour deep into the pockets and runs. Nymphing is always a good choice, but you may want to drop the weight of your nymphs down a bit as water levels continue to drop.
Dry flies are still the way to go on the wild trout tributaries and brook trout streams. Yellow is the best color option throughout the summer as trout are seeing a variety of insect hatches with bright yellow adults, namely yellow sallies, golden stoneflies, and Cahill mayflies.
As water temps warm, be mindful of fishing when temps are at their highest, especially in lower elevations. It is best to spend your time fishing in the mornings and evenings and avoid midday when temps are highest to prevent stressing trout by catching them in warm temps if you plan to catch and release.
It's going to be a hot week, so keep an eye on those water temps. It looks like we've got a chance of some rain and slightly cooler temps next week.
sTREAM REPORT 6.20.25
Current streamflow: 305cfs, 1.6ft
Water temps- low to mid 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Cahill mayflies
Golden stoneflies
Tan caddis
Salmonflies
Hot flies:
Neversink caddis
Klinkhammer
Chubby chernobyl
Pat's rubber legs
Walt's worm
Blowtorch
Quill perdigon
The rainy season continues, with streamflows and water temps in better shape for mid-June than we've seen in a very long time. This means that almost the entire length of river is still very much fishable with temps in the ideal range for trout to be feeding aggressively with little risk of temp-induced stress. The lower part of Tellico River, between Bald River and the Skyway, may be reaching the upper threshold for temps soon, since the next week is drier and hotter than weeks prior. If you decide to fish the Tellico downstream of Bald River Falls and plan to catch and release, please take the time to check water temps. If water temps are higher than 68°, it's time to move upstream until you find temps below 68°. Finding suitable temps will ensure that the trout you catch and release do not face a higher risk of going belly up due to warm water temps.
With the streamflows still higher than normal, we would recommend focusing on heavier nymphs to get your flies down through the current and in front of the fish. Heavy Pat's rubber legs, Walt's worms and heavy eggs have been some of our favorites this week. Dry flies are the way to go on the tributaries. Hatches have been great and wild bows and brookies are more than ready to pounce on a well presented dry fly.
STREAM REPORT 6.13.25
Current streamflow 580cfs
Water temps- mid 60s in lower elevations, high 50s to low 60s in higher elevations
Current hatches:
Cahill mayflies
Yellow sallies
Golden stoneflies
Tan caddis
Sulphurs
Hot flies:
Parachute cahill 14-12
Parachute sulphur 16-14
Elk hair caddis 16-12
Hair-winged drake 14-12
Bwo & Hendrickson flymphs 16-14
Pat's rubber legs 12-10
Walt's worm, olive or natural 16-12
Jigged leeches, olive or black 12
This past week, we've been fishing our mountain trout streams from the headwaters to below Bald River Falls and making up for lost time now that River Road is finally reopened. We can honestly say that with the cooler spring and frequent rains that we've had so far this year we have not seen stream conditions this perfect going into June in the 6 years since we opened the shop. In years past, by mid-June, water temps have warmed to the point (68°+) that trout are beginning to stress in most of the Tellico below the Bald River confluence. This year, water temps are still solidly in the mid-60s all the way to town, meaning that the whole river is still in the prime temp range to support trout. With consistent rain, streamflows are also in a great place to keep water temps cool and consistent.
We expect these conditions to remain for the next week or two. We are now experiencing air temps in the low to mid 80s with 90s on the way, but as long as rains keep flows up, the temps will remain relatively cool. We'll continue to monitor water temps and keep folks updated once we start to see temps rise above 68° in the lower elevations.
With higher flows, heavy nymphs are the best bet for the Tellico River. For wild trout streams, your favorite dry fly of choice will do the trick. There's enough variety in hatches and terrestrial insects at the moment that trout will pounce on just about anything that's presented well.
Now is a fantastic time to get out and enjoy some incredible spring weather and great fishing, no matter what stream or species you choose to target.
Stream Report 5.30.25
Current streamflow- 359cfs
Water temp- low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Golden stoneflies
Tan caddis
Sulphurs
Hot flies:
Neversink caddis 16-12
Purple haze 16-12
Chubby Chernobyl 14-12
Walt's worm 16-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-10
Quill perdigon 18-14
The river looks perfect, bugs are hatching, trout are biting, and RIVER ROAD IS FINALLY OPEN! This marks the first weekend that River Road and the Bald River Bridge have been open in 21 months! No more hour long drive!
Anglers now have nearly 10 additional miles of river to explore from North River confluence downstream to the Ranger Station. While this lower section can warm up a bit in the hotter months, with the cooler spring we've had so far, water temps are great and there should be plenty of fish in the newly opened section that have barely been touched in the last two years.
The lower section of Tellico is nearly double the size of upper Tellico since it picks up both North and Bald River. Streamers are a great choice in this section as well as heavy nymphs, especially Pat's rubber legs and other stonefly patterns.
The entire river and tributaries should be fishing very well this weekend. Hatches are going strong in all streams, and the dry fly action should be fantastic on all wild trout streams.
Come on up, check out the new Bald River Bridge, admire the beauty of the falls, and enjoy a short drive and a great spring day on the water.
Stream Report 3.03.25
Current streamflow- 178cfs
Water temp- low to mid 40s
Hatches:
Quill Gordons
Blue winged olives
Winter black stoneflies
Dark gray caddis
Hot Flies:
Parachute Adams 16-12
Parachute hare's ear 16-12
Griffith's gnat 18-16
Rainbow warrior 18-16
Hickey's auto emerger 18-16
Walt's worm 16-14
Tungsten eggs 14-12
Micro eggs 18-16
While the river experienced a fairly steep drop in temps over the weekend, mayflies and caddis are still hatching in sunny pools during the warmest part of the day, and the trout were in hot pursuit. We landed a great number of fish on a variety of flies, with most of the wild trout and holdover stockers committing to smaller nymphs and emergers. This is likely an indication of them keying in on smaller caddis and blue winged olives, which were the predominant insect emergences today. We did see trout rising to caddis and quill gordons mid-afternoon, but the majority of trout were taking subsurface patterns.
With colder air temps being projected for the coming week, focus your efforts during the middle of the day when temps are warmest, spurring mayfly and caddis hatches. Trout feeding patterns closely follow insect activity during the colder months.
You can expect similar conditions on the wild trout streams such as Bald or North, with the best activity occurring mid-day.
We'd like to extend a reminder to all of the people who come up and enjoy a day of fishing on the Tellico River. Please take your trash with you. The amount of broken and wadded up line we saw today was pretty heartbreaking. Help us take care of our wild places, and if you pack it in, pack it out. If you see litter on the river, please do your part and take it with you. Thank you.
Stream Report 2.27.25
Current streamflow: 234cfs, 1.34ft
Water temps- upper 40s
Hatches:
March browns
Quill Gordons
Blue-winged olives
Winter black stoneflies
Tan caddis
Hot Flies:
Parachute March brown 14-12
Parachute Adams 16-12
Griffith's gnat 18-16
Klinkhammer 16-12
Walt's worm 16-14
Blowtorch 16-14
Rainbow warrior 18-16
Pink eggs 14-12
Jigged leeches 12-10
After weeks of snow and then rain and then snow again, we finally had a beautiful week and some warm temps in the mountains. Both flora and fauna are as ready for Spring as we are, and the river and mountains were alive with activity this week. Multiple hatches are kicking off throughout the day, with fish mostly keying in on Quill Gordon duns. A simple parachute Adams coaxed many trout to the surface, both wild and stocked.
Besides the hatches, plenty of fish were eager to take a variety of nymphs and streamers this week. The usual pink eggs, squirmies, and mops will produce fish, but you may find more fish on slightly more natural presentations such as Walt's worms and perdigons.
It may be a good weekend to start exploring the wild streams as well. Rainbow trout spawn in March and early April in our southeastern streams and are starting to put on their brightest colors in preparation. Hit these smaller streams in the middle of the day for the best shot at catching an mayfly hatch and finding trout looking up for dry flies.
Just a reminder that catch and keep season and weekly stocking starts March 1st, which is this coming Saturday. You will need to purchase your Tellico/ Citico daily permit for each day you wish to fish in the stocked sections of Tellico River and Citico Creek. A 'Sportsman's' type license also covers the daily permit. Don't forget that stocked sections are closed on Thursdays and Fridays for stocking.
BRIDGE UPDATE: From all available information, it sounds like the Bald River Bridge project will be completed by late March/early April and River Road will be reopened at that time. We will keep you up to date as we receive more detailed information.
The shop will be back to regular hours starting this weekend.
Stream Report 2.13.25
Current streamflow- 1700cfs
Water temps- mid 40s
The river is running pretty high after heavy rains the last couple of days. River levels are dropping quickly, but there is another 1"+ of rain in the forecast between Saturday and early Sunday morning. According to the extended forecast, it looks like we are also diving back into below freezing overnight temps next week with up to 2" of snow now being forecasted for the middle of the week. Stark contrast to the t-shirt weather that we all enjoyed just a week ago. This has been one rollercoaster of a winter!
It may be a better weekend to tie flies and prep your gear for warmer days. On the bright side, spring isn't too far away. It's just one of the many perks of living in East Tennessee.
stream report 1.24.25
Current streamflow- 188cfs
Water temps- low 30s
Hatches:
Midges
Winter black stoneflies
It's been quite a while since we've last posted a report, and for good reason. Like most other mountain streams in the state, the Tellico and its tributaries are currently locked in ice. Anchor ice has formed on the bottom and sides of runs and rapids, and many pools are mostly if not completely frozen over. To make matters worse, both detour routes are still ice covered and treacherous to navigate. We would strongly advise not making the trip up river until weather warms and the roads thaw, for your safety. Even for those willing to brave the road conditions, river conditions will make fishing tough at best.
Unfortunately, most of the other mountain streams in the state are experiencing similar conditions. You may be able to find better conditions in our tailwater fisheries, if generation schedules allow.
This coming week will bring warmer temps along with some rain, and conditions should greatly improve by next weekend. Until then, it may be a good time to whip up your favorite patterns and get those fly boxes filled in preparation for warmer days.