Current streamflow- 513cfs
Water temps- mid 40s-low 50s
Hatches:
Quill gordons
Tan caddis
Black caddis
March browns
Blue winged olives
Hot flies:
Blowtorch 16-12
Walt's worm 16-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-8
Pink eggs 18-14
Leeches olive or black 12-10
Pale olive or gray mayfly dries- 16-14
Tan or black elk hair caddis 18-14
Purple haze 16-12
Spring brings one of the toughest decisions you'll face all year, 'Where do I fish?' Thankfully, this time of year, there are no wrong answers. The water and weather are rapidly warming, streamflows are fantastic, and insect hatches will soon be at their peak. This means that wherever you choose, from headwater brook trout streams to the lower 'big water' section of the main river and whatever you choose to throw, from dry flies to streamers, you stand a good chance at finding some fantastic fishing over the next few months.
Some of the biggest spring hatches are just starting to kick off, and we are seeing big numbers of Quill gordons and tan caddis on wild trout streams such as North and Bald River. A handful of mayfly and caddis dry flies and a small beadhead dropper will keep you on fish all day long.
The Tellico River and Citico Creek are both back to their weekly stocking schedule, and flows are great thanks to recent rains, so both streams are primed to fish very well with a variety of nymphs and streamers from now until the remainder of spring and early summer.
Things are just heating up, but now is a great time to fish your favorite stream or explore some new water and shake off that cabin fever.
3.13.2026
Current streamflow- 513cfs
Water temps- mid 40s-low 50s
Hatches:
Quill gordons
Tan caddis
Black caddis
March browns
Blue winged olives
Hot flies:
Blowtorch 16-12
Walt's worm 16-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-8
Pink eggs 18-14
Leeches olive or black 12-10
Pale olive or gray mayfly dries- 16-14
Tan or black elk hair caddis 18-14
Purple haze 16-12
Spring brings one of the toughest decisions you'll face all year, 'Where do I fish?' Thankfully, this time of year, there are no wrong answers. The water and weather are rapidly warming, streamflows are fantastic, and insect hatches will soon be at their peak. This means that wherever you choose, from headwater brook trout streams to the lower 'big water' section of the main river and whatever you choose to throw, from dry flies to streamers, you stand a good chance at finding some fantastic fishing over the next few months.
Some of the biggest spring hatches are just starting to kick off, and we are seeing big numbers of Quill gordons and tan caddis on wild trout streams such as North and Bald River. A handful of mayfly and caddis dry flies and a small beadhead dropper will keep you on fish all day long.
The Tellico River and Citico Creek are both back to their weekly stocking schedule, and flows are great thanks to recent rains, so both streams are primed to fish very well with a variety of nymphs and streamers from now until the remainder of spring and early summer.
Things are just heating up, but now is a great time to fish your favorite stream or explore some new water and shake off that cabin fever.
2.26.2026
Current streamflow- 469cfs
Water temps- low to mid 40s
Hatches:
Blue winged olives
Winter black stoneflies
March Browns
Hot flies:
Quill perdigon 18-16
Firestarter perdigon 18-16
Micro eggs 18
Frenchies 18-12
Walt's worms 18-12
Parachute Adams 18-12
Purple haze 18-12
Elk hair caddis- black 18-14
Jigged leeches- olive 12-10
After a fantastic fall and winter season, delayed harvest is finally coming to a close. Saturday will be the last day of delayed harvest. Sunday, March 1st, marks the start of the catch and keep season. From March 1st until August 15th, the Tellico/Citico Daily Permit will be required to fish the Tellico River in addition to your regular fishing license and trout stamp. If you have an Annual or Lifetime Sportsman's license, you do not need the daily permit as it is already included in the Sportsman's license. The Tellico River will be closed from Turkey Creek confluence to the NC state line on Thursdays and Fridays for stocking from March 1st-Aug 15th. Citico Creek is closed from Little Citico Creek confluence upstream to the North and South Fork Citico confluence on Thursdays and Fridays during this time.
With weekly stockings, it won't be long until the entire river is teeming with trout, which means it will also be teeming with people, especially on the weekends. To avoid crowds, fish the river Mon-Wed or as an alternative, there are a lot of wild trout tributaries to explore. If you enjoy dry fly eats on lighter rods and fiesty wild trout, the tribs are a great alternative to the main rivers.
1.29.2026
Current streamflow- 212cfs
Water temps- mid 30s-low 40s
Hatches:
Midges
Blue winged olives
Winter black stoneflies
Hot flies:
Croston's FMJ, olive w/silver bead 16-14
Rosa's PT 16-14
Natural Walt's Worm w/silver bead 18-14
Zebra Midge olive or black 18
Jigged leeches olive or black 12-10
Griffith's gnat 18-16
While Snowpocalypse 2026 may not have met expectations, it still brought some much needed rain to the Tellico area and thankfully without the forecasted ice. There is a decent amount of snow along the Cherohala Skyway in higher elevations and a dusting along the river in shaded spots. Water temps yesterday were frigid, topping out at 35° mid-day. Expectations were low, but we caught a surprising number of fish, with a slight change in tactics to adjust to post front conditions and ice cold water temps. Trout were concentrated in deeper pools and slower runs, especially in tailouts with a little depth, where current was at a minimum.
Despite this, many fish we found were eagerly willing to feed. A double nymph rig with a midge or small perdigon on the tag and a larger nymph for weight produced the most fish. Takes were 50/50 on both nymphs. The key is to have plenty of weight to get your flies in front of the fish, since they usually won't move far when water temps are very cold and their metabolism is very slow. Jigged leeches or bugger patters would likely move a few fish if worked slowly since a big meal can entice fish to eat despite cold conditions. Don't be afraid to switch up flies often as winter trout aren't always in a feeding mood and will need the right fly and presentation to get results. We did see fish rising in sunny pools mid-day, so you may have some dry fly action if you are in the right place at the right time.
Extremely cold temps and a chance of up to 4" of snow is in the forecast this weekend, so keep an eye on conditions and keep in mind that River Road can quickly become iced over in areas, so use caution if you choose to venture out.
STREAM REPORT 11.20.25
Current Streamflow- 84cfs
Water temps- low to mid 50s
Hot Flies:
Olive Walt's worm- 16-14
Redneck pheasant tail- 18-14
Eggs- 18-14
Pat's rubber legs- 14-12
Rainbow warrior- 18-16
Hatches:
Tan midges
Blue-winged olives
The dreaded leaf hatch of early November is over, water is crystal clear, and sight fishing has been phenomenal in the Tellico delayed harvest. This is quite possibly the strongest DH that we've had in years, and we've seen some fantastic trophy browns and bows so far this fall. Big shoutout to the crew at the Tellico Hatchery for all of their hard work in providing us with a great fall and winter fishery. They really have the trophy program dialed in!
As long as streamflows remain low, light nymph or dry/dropper rigs are the best bets for success. Temps have been warm this week, so many fish are still sitting in pocket water and shallow runs. Work water slowly and keep eyes out for these fish feeding in shallow water. This weekend and next week should bring rain, and if streamflows bump up, trout will feed heavily and be less skittish. Temps will also be much cooler next week, and as water temps drop, trout will seek out deeper pools and slower water.
Alongside hatchery fish, we have been finding healthy numbers of wild bows and increasing numbers of wild browns, which we're extremely excited to see. While low water during the fall can make for some tricky fishing, it is apparently beneficial to the spawning success of wild brown trout, as we have seen numbers rise the last few years on the Tellico and its tributaries. We love to see these wild browns showing up in better numbers every year. On that note, wild browns will soon be spawning, so keep an eye out for redds in areas of shallow gravel and sand and avoid fishing for spawning fish so we can continue to enjoy a rise in wild brown trout populations.
STREAM REPORT 11.11.25
Current Streamflow- 110cfs
Water Temps- low-mid 40s
Hatches:
Blue-winged olives
Midges
Hot Flies:
Eggs- 18-14
Perdigons- 18-16
Blowtorches- 16-14
Pat's rubber legs- 12-8
Walt's worms- 16-12
Mops- 16-12
Griffith's gnats- 18-16
Purple haze- 18-14
Snow flurries and trophy trout. It's a rare day when the two align in East Tennessee. Yesterday was one of those days.
The Tellico River received a hefty stocking prior to the Project Healing Waters event this past weekend in the Delayed Harvest waters. Those fish have settled in nicely with cold water temps and good streamflows keeping them happy. To start this week, we've seen freezing temps and snow, with a decent accumulation in high elevations. A return to warmer temps the rest of this week will melt off whatever accumulation is left in all but the highest mountains.
Many trout have moved to deeper, slower pools and runs now that water temps have dropped into the mid to low 40s and their metabolism has slowed down a bit. Water temps will be coldest early in the morning. Look for trout to feed the most from mid-morning to mid-day once the sun has had time to warm the water and boost their metabolism. A variety of nymphs have been producing fish, with eggs, Walt's worms, and blowtorches being the all-stars. Blue-winged olives and midges continue to bring fish to the surface in slower pools, but the intensity of hatches and number of fish looking up will vary from day to day. A small Griffith's gnat or parachute dry fly is a good thing to have in the box in case you're lucky enough to run into a good hatch.
Forecast for the rest of the week looks good with warming temps and little chance of rain.
STREAM REPORT 11.05.25
ATTENTION: This Saturday is the annual PHWFF Veteran's fishing event on the Tellico River Delayed Harvest section. Volunteers will be guiding veterans on the Tellico River mostly in the couple of miles above and below the hatchery. These events give our disabled veterans a chance to experience fly fishing as a way of physical and emotional rehabilitation. If you see a veteran and guide, please show your appreciation by giving them the right of way and thanking them for their service.
Current streamflow- 120cfs
Water temps- low 50s
Hatches:
Blue winged olives
Midges
Hot flies:
Blowtorch 18-14
Walt's worms 18-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-10
Perdigons 18-14
Leeches and buggers 12-8
Eggs 16-12
Griffith's gnat 18-16
Parachute adams 18-16
Purple haze 18-16
The river continues to be in excellent shape and is fishing well, thanks to better streamflows going into November. Trout are less spooky with the better flows, and hatches of blue-winged olives and midges have encouraged a lot more trout to look up and potentially take dry flies. While the dry fly bite is improving, nymphs are still accounting for the majority of fish. A wide variety of nymphs have worked for us this past week, so you shouldn't have to be too selective with the patterns that you choose. A good rule of thumb is to start with bright or buggy attractor patterns like eggs and Pat's rubber legs and scale down or go with more natural patterns if trout seem uninterested in your initial offerings.
Brook trout are still in spawning mode and browns will be spawning soon, so please keep an eye out for redds and spawning fish.
STREAM REPORT 10.29.25
Current Streamflow- 205cfs
Water temp- low 50s
Hatches:
Blue winged olives
Tan caddis
Black midges
Hot Flies:
Eggs 18-14
Pat's rubber legs 14-10
Mops 16-12
Blowtorch 16-14
Rainbow warrior 20-16
Jigged leeches and buggers 12-10
Griffith's gnat 18-16
Purple haze 18-16
A slow, drizzling rain over the past few days is just what the doctor ordered for our parched mountain streams. Consistent rain on Monday brought flows up and fishing so far this week has been fantastic.
Tellico Outfitter's prodigal son, @thebigview, and I fished the main river yesterday, and trout were feeding so heavily that it really didn't matter what flies we used, they were willing to eat just about everything. However, pink eggs were the top producer of the day, most likely due to bright colors being more visible to hungry trout in the higher streamflows and fall leaves filling the stream. Wild trout made up the bulk of what we caught yesterday, but we did find a few decent holdovers.
We have not yet seen a refresher on the initial Delayed Harvest stocking from the beginning of the month, but there are still some holdover fish to be found here and there. The bump in stream flow from the recent rains will allow stocked fish to disperse from the original stocking points that they had held closely to during low stream flows, so it's a good idea to cover as much water as possible since it's unlikely that you'll find fish concentrated in pools or runs until the river gets another stocking.
While we observed some solid blue winged olive and caddis hatches yesterday, we didn't find any fish feeding on the surface, and nymphs were the way to go with the extra flows. An overcast and drizzly day is often the trigger for a good blue winged olive hatch, so look for rising fish on both stocked and wild trout waters as flows drop and fish begin looking up hatching mayflies.
The weather report for the next 10 days looks great, with cooler temps, more rain today, and another chance of rain early next week