Did you know Tennessee is home to more than 300 native species of fish? Many of them can be found right here in the Smoky Mountains! As we discussed in our last blog, the Great Smoky Mountains provide some of the most enticing fishing the east coast has to offer. We have fishermen come from all over to try their hand at catching the trout, bass, and other fish that call our waters home. 

One of the most notable and sought after of these is the Brook Trout which is the only native trout to our waters. The most determined fishermen gear up with their fly outfits and trek up into the backcountry of the park to find isolated mountaintop streams that the Brooks populate which is important as they have not always been easy to find and much of their habitat was affected at one point by the logging industry and the introduction of Rainbow Trout before the establishment of the national park. Thankfully, repopulation efforts spanning the last few decades have been successful in helping Brook Trout make a comeback. 

If you’re looking to try your hand at catching a Brook, the perfect starting place for fisherman of all skill levels is the Tremont Institute located about 20 minutes from property. It offers ease of access to one of the local streams our trout call home, but it is also one of the more commonly fished areas, so it tends to be more pressured. Streams at higher elevations do not face these conditions, and the fish are closer to their natural state. The trout that live in these areas are significantly smaller because they’ve evolved to survive in these kinds of extremely cold and clean streams in the higher elevations. This makes for challenging, memorable, and rewarding expeditions out in the backcountry of the Smokies 

Heading in the other direction as the river flows away from the mountains into the valley, you’re going to find a variety of other species of fish like Rainbow or Brown Trout and different kinds of Bass.  Trout spend most of their time hunting in the waters that surround rapids waiting for food to drift down to them. Trying these places first when fishing unfamiliar areas will provide the best chance at landing one of the highly sought after Rainbows.  

For bass, Smallmouth tend to spend long amounts of time in the sunny pools of Little River and get a copper look about them making them easy to spot when fishing. Largemouth, however, can be far more elusive. Depending on location and conditions, the Large and Smallmouth bass can end up competing in size. (This might sound odd, but their names are actually a reference to how their mouths are shaped, not their physical size.) Others you might encounter include the smallest of bass, the Red Eyed Bass. Their size can be deceiving as they are the most aggressive of the three and will hit nearly any lure that comes their way. All our species of bass tend to congregate around tributaries, downed trees, and brush along Little River, so look for those as you find your spot. Additionally, the further you travel from the headwaters of the mountains, the larger the fish tend to be.  

Once again, thank you for joining us, and best of luck out on the water!