Current streamflow- 195cfs
Water temps- 60-68 depending on elevation
It's been a wet summer so far, and that trend is going to continue for the next couple of days, with 1.5" of rain expected this afternoon and another .5" forecasted for Friday. The good news is that the rain departs Friday night and Saturday and Sunday are predicted to be sunny and clear. We may see high or off color water at the start of the weekend, not necessarily unfishable, and the river should be clear by Sunday and going into next week.
Despite a lack of noticeable hatches lately, dry fly fishing has been phenomenal, especially for anglers who are venturing into the tributaries and targeting wild and native trout. A Parachute adams, yellow stimulator or Griffith's gnat is about all you need. We have been fishing nymphs below our dries and 90% of the fish choose to pounce on the dry fly. Temps are still in the 60-65° range in tributaries over 2,500', which is perfectly fine for sagely catching and releasing trout.
Big dry flies (hoppers, chernobyls) and nymph droppers are still the way to go on the Tellico. Most stocked trout will eat the nymph, but don't be surprised if they pounce on a big foam dry fly. Pat's rubber legs, Frenchies and perdigons are still top producing nymphs. If the water is high and off color this weekend, it will be the perfect time to throw streamers as well.
There's not much rain in the forecast for early next week, and temps will be pushing into the low 90s, so keep on eye on temps next week if you want to catch and release. Any water temps above 68° presents too much risk of trout going belly up after a hard fight, so move upstream to higher elevations until you find water temps below 68°. As of this week, temps are still fine from North River confluence upstream to the NC state line. A thermometer is an invaluable tool this time of year for finding ideal water temps.
Stream Report 7.14.23
Current streamflows- 195cfs
Water temps- 60-68
Thanks to frequent rains and cool overnight temps, Tellico couldn't be in better shape going into mid-summer. Water temps are likely pushing into the danger zone for catch and release on the Tellico below Bald River, but water temps are in the mid 60s from North River upstream, with temps getting cooler the higher you go in elevation. Water temps are fine on Bald, North, and the other tributaries.
While hatches have slowed down recently, dry fly action remains stellar on the upper Tellico and the tribs. Parachutes, Neversink caddis, yellow stimulators, and more traditional dry flies will all gain attention from wild and native trout alike. Nymphing is still the best tactic for the Tellico River and Citico Creek, though a large foam dry with a tungsten nymph dropped a couple feet below will draw strikes to both dry and nymph.
Now is a great time to chase native brookies too, if you don't mind the snakes, gnats, hornets, nettle, and other stinging and biting things that come with the summer months.
Local lakes and bass streams have also been producing well with good topwater action in the evenings.
Give us a call, shoot us a message, or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 6.22.23
Current streamflow- 238cfs, 1.43ft
Water temps- Low 60s
Current hatches:
Yellow Sallies- 14-12
Golden stoneflies- 12-8
Salmonflies- 8-4
Sulphur mayflies- 14-16
Blue-winged olives- 18-16
Tan caddis- 16-14
Tan midges- 18-20
Hot flies:
Pat's rubber legs
Weiss's possum jig
Perdigons
Hot bead pheasant tail
Prince nymph
Egg flies
Wooly buggers and other streamers
Yellow stimulator
Neversink caddis
Chubby chernobyl
We are in our 4th straight day of rain this week and we couldn't be happier! 🙌 So far we've received an accumulated rainfall of over 2.5" and the local streams and rivers are finally getting a much needed recharge. Water temps have thankfully held cool up until this point, but it's been extremely dry the last few weeks, and this amount of rain is a blessing.
We are expected to receive another .50" of rain in the next 24hrs. Streamflow for Tellico is currently sitting in the 200cfs range but expect flows to rise to 1k+ over the course of the day. We should see levels drop back to fishable flows by Saturday and Sunday. Tributaries such as North and Bald will be the first to drop and clear if your weekend plan is focusing on wild trout.
Everything should be fishing well this weekend. With the additional streamflows, I would focus on heavier attractor nymphs for the main river to get down through the current, but trout should be feeding heavily as long as you can get the flies to them. Look for pools with moderate current and pocketwater that isn't too swift (if you can't stand up in it, it's too swift for trout).
This weekend will also be a good time to throw your favorite streamers.
Give us a call, shoot us a message, or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 6.14.23
Current streamflow- 89cfs
Water temps- Low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow Sally stoneflies
Cahills mayflies
Sulphur mayflies
Golden stone flies
Salmonflies
Tan midges
Hot flies:
Elk hair caddis
Neversink caddis
Klinkhammer
Parachute Adams
Chubby Chernobyl
Pat's rubber legs
Rainbow warrior
Frenchie
Quill perdigon
We could use a good shot of rain like most streams in Tennessee right now, but thankfully, water temps are very good at the moment. Daytime highs and overnight lows have been cooler than normal, keeping water temps in the safe zone for trout on most of the river. Concentrate your efforts from Bald River confluence upstream to the NC State Line. You can probably still find trout on the Tellico downstream of Bald Rivee, but water temps are likely pushing up into the mid or upper 60s, so if you plan to release your catch, move further upstream.
The Tellico, Citico and tribs are all excellent right now albeit some of the lower gradient tribs like North and Bald, are getting pretty skinny and the trout will be more skittish than at normal stream levels. A dry dropper is your best bet for gently laying out flies with the least chance of spooking your target. A dry fly in the size 14-16 range and a similarly sized, lightly weighted or unweighted dropper is your best option on the tributaries.
Dry/dropper is also an excellent choice for the Tellico and Citico, although you will still have plenty of luck on a nymph rig, especially if you are euronymphing in the faster runs and pocket water.
There is a chance for rain this afternoon and a decent chance all next week so hopefully that will be enough to get streamflows back up to normal level. Either way, air temps will continue to be cooler than normal throughout this week and next, so we shouldn't see water temps degrade too much.
Give us a call, shoot us a message, or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 6.02.23
Current Streamflow- 144cfs
Water Temps- upper 50s to low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Cahill mayflies
Golden stoneflies
Salmonflies
Tan caddis
Mahogany mayflies
Bwos
Midges
We are fully in the midst of that sweet spot between spring hatches and summer heat. As such, the hatches are great, air temps aren't too hot, and water temps are ideal for wet wading and happy trout.
Water levels are on the low-side but remain cool and well within the safe temperature range for catching and releasing trout. Temps were measured at 60F in the late afternoon below Turkey Creek, so expect good water temps all through the Tellico River system and its tributaries.
We have seen phenomenal hatches this year. All of the big players are out: yellow sallies and cahill mayflies dominate the scene with frequent glimpses of golden stones and salmonflies and sporadic occurrences of a variety of other mayflies, stoneflies and caddis. Terrestrials are also out in big numbers and you will find action on foam beetles, ants, and small crickets/hoppers. There really is not a wrong choice for dry flies right now.
As for nymphs, both for the Tellico and tributaries, smaller, more natural nymphs seem to be the preference while streamflows are low. Tried and true patterns like pheasant tails, hare's ears and prince nymphs will all produce fish. Try tungsten headed nymphs such as thread frenchies, walt's worms and small Pat's rubber legs in the deeper pocket water on the main river to drum up the stocked fish.
The weather forecast for the weekend looks great. Not much forecast of rain this weekend or in the coming week but pop-up showers are common in the mountains, especially in the afternoons, so be prepared.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 5.18.23
Current streamflow- 300cfs, 1.59ft
Water temps- mid 50s to low 60s
What a beautiful time to be in the mountains. The birds are singing, mountain laurel is blooming, bugs are hatching and the trout are hungry. Water temps are still great and the recent rain earlier this week was enough to recharge streamflows and water levels look perfect going into the weekend. More rain is in the forecast for Saturday which may make for wet weekend plans, but we are in need of those rainy days to keep flows strong before air temps get hot so we will take what we can get.
There really isn't a bad choice of where to fish this weekend. Trout are on the feed right now, from lower Tellico all the way up to the headwaters and tributaries. Hatches of Cahill mayflies, yellow sallies, golden stones and even salmonflies are going strong, as well as a variety of terrestrials, so there are plenty of patterns that will produce fish right now.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
STREAM REPORT 5.02.23
Current streamflow- 260cfs
Water temp- low to mid 50s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Slate gray mayflies
Cahill mayflies
Golden stoneflies
Tan caddis
Hot flies:
Neversink caddis
Elk hair caddis
Parachute adams
Light Wulff
Blowtorch
Rainbow warrior
Hot bead pheasant tail
Pat's rubber legs
Copper John
Wooly buggers
Pine squirrel leeches
Articulated streamers
This coming weekend is the 3rd Annual Tellico Troutfest! Kick-off party is 5-9p Friday, Troutfest is 10-5p Saturday in downtown Tellico Plains. Hope to see y'all there!
The river conditions look great for Troutfest weekend. We've got some raining coming in over Friday night/Saturday morning, but for now, the forecast shows sporadic showers without much accumulation.
Yellow sallies and other insects are out in droves. There's a good chance that you'll find wild trout and a few stockers looking up all day long, but the best dry fly fishing will be in the afternoon and evenings when yellow sallies are most active. Terrestrial patterns such as beetles and ants should also be working as more terrestrial insects become active as spring progresses.
Water temps are cool enough throughout the watershed that trout can still be found on the Tellico River from town all the way to the NC state line. A dry/dropper rig will cover most situations from North River upstream to the state line. If you decide to fish downstream on the bigger water, heavy nymph rigs or streamers are a better option.
If chasing wild trout or native brookies on the tribs, a dry/dropper rig should be all you need to have a good time.
Give us a call, stop by the shop, or shoot us a message for the latest conditons.
STREAM REPORT 4.28.23
Current streamflow- 394cfs 1.8ft
Water temps- low to mid 50s
Hatches:
Sulphurs
Yellow Sallies
Golden stones
Slate greys
Bwos
Hot flies:
Neversink caddis
Chubby chernobyl
Elk hair caddis
Parachute adams
Walts worm
Blowtorch
Frenchies
Prince nymphs
The on-again, off-again rains of this past week have brought a decent amount of rainfall to the area, but with streamflows already below the median, the rivers are in fine shape going into the weekend. Expect the streamflows to be in the lower 300s to mid 200s by Saturday and Sunday, which are perfect levels for wading and just high enough for trout to feed comfortably. Water temps dictate that the majority of trout will be in the faster runs and pocketwater, actively seeking out a meal of one of the many insect hatches currently popping off throughout the day.
Hatches have been phenomenal lately with a multitude of mayfly and stonefly species on the water, especially in the afternoon and evenings. The first few yellow sallies have made their annual appearance, and as a result, yellow-bodied dry flies in a size 14-12 should definitely be in your fly box. Once this easily recognizable and consistent hatch kicks off, trout will be on the lookout for these little stoneflies all through spring and summer.
A wide variety of dries, nymphs, and streamers will catch fish right now, and you can find trout from the Skyway all the way upstream to the NC line with the current water temps. This is prime time spring fishing, so take full advantage of it.
Give us a call, shoot us a message, or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.