Current streamflow- 80cfs
Water temps- mid 60s at Green Cove
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Tan caddis
Golden stones
Black midges
Blue-winged olives
Hot flies:
Trout:
Chubby chernobyls- 14-12
Griffiths Gnat- 16
Purple Haze- 16-12
Neversink Caddis- 16-12
Rainbow warrior- 18-14
Frenchie- 18-12
Walt's worm- 16-12
Prince nymph- 16-12
Pat's rubber legs- 14-10
Bass:
Bett's Poppers
Whitlock's Near Nuff Craw
Barr's Meat Whistle
Sparkle Minnows
The Tellico River got a much needed shot in the arm with overnight rainshowers the past couple of nights bringing flows up from 50 to 80cfs. Streams are still below normal flow for this time of year, with the median streamflow for the Tellico River gauge being 124cfs for this date. There's a good chance of rain for the rest of this week and on into next week, so with a little luck we'll get enough accumulation to bring water levels back up to normal.
This coming week will be cooler than the previous few weeks, with highs in the 80s and lows dropping down into the 60s in Tellico Plains. Overnight lows in the mountains will be even cooler than in town, providing relief from the heat to trout who were undoubtedly feeling the strain of low water levels and warming temps.
The hatchery is continuing to stock the Tellico River from Green Cove, upstream to the NC state line, so concentrate on this area if you hope to find stocked fish. The wild trout are still taking dry flies with gusto in the upper reaches of the Tellico River as well as the tributaries. A dry/dropper rigs should cover most situations in the trout water.
Lower elevation streams are still fishing exceptionally well for smallmouth, panfish and other warmwater species, provided you can present a fly without spooking them during low summer flows. The forecasted rain this week should help your chances of success in warmwater streams as well. We found this brute of a drum on a recent smallmouth bass trip.
STREAM REPORT 7.12.24
Current streamflow- 55cfs
Water temps- upper 60s
With low water, warming temps, and no rain in the forecast until late next week, now is a good time to consider giving the trout streams a break and targets bass and panfish in lower elevation streams and lakes. Sunfish and smallmouth are beautiful, tolerant of warmer temps, readily take a fly and are great fun on light fly rods. Summertime conditions offer great sight fishing for these species, with the chance at exciting topwater action. A variety of streamer and dry fly patterns will work for bass and sunfish. Go early in the morning or later in the evening when fish are most active. Bass and sunfish will hold tight to cover and shaded areas that provide security and a place to ambush prey.
If you prefer to target trout, there are still plenty of options, but please avoid lower elevations of trout streams where water is warmest. Take a thermometer and measure temps before you fish. If temps read above 68°, move to higher elevations and cooler water temps. You should find cool temps in elevations 2,000' and higher. Fight fish quickly and keep them in the water as much as possible if you plan to catch and release. Fish early in the day to avoid the warmest water temps.
Trout will be spooky in low, clear water, so use stealth and natural cover to your advantage. Wear neutral colored clothing, nothing bright. Make your casts count and limit false casts which increase the odds of spooking weary trout.
We have several days of rain in the forecast for next week so with some luck we will see better streamflows and cooler water temps soon.
STREAM REPORT 7.04.24
Current streamflow- 70cfs
Water temps- mid to upper 60s, low 70s in lower elevations
Hatches:
Yellow sally stoneflies
Golden stones
Tan caddis
Midges
Water conditions remain low and clear on East Tennessee streams with water temps pushing into the low 70s in in streams in lower elevations. This is a reminder to measure water temps and look for temperatures that are 68°F or lower. Fish early or late and avoid the heat of the day. Even at 68°, trout can become stressed while fighting them, increasing their risk of mortality. If you choose to fish in warmer temps and plan to catch and release, play trout as quickly as possible and avoid air exposure as much as possible. A quick pic is fine, but minimize time out of the water to a few seconds. Keeping the fish in the water is even better.
If you fish the Tellico or Citico Creek this weekend, we recommend fishing from Green Cove and upstream on the Tellico (roughly 2000' elev.) and from Doublecamp upstream on Citico, where elevation is higher and water temps are cooler. Stick to the upper elevations of tributary streams as well. Smaller tributaries at higher elevations will generally run cooler than larger streams.
Dry/dropper rigs with smaller flies and lighter tippet will produce the most fish in low water conditions. Use stealth when approaching water that you'd like to fish and wear neutral colors to blend into your surroundings and avoid spooking fish in low water.
With a little forward planning, proper handling of trout and an eye on stream temps, you can still have a great day on mountain streams in the heat of summer, just remember to keep the health of our trout populations in mind.
STREAM REPORT 6.21.24
Current streamflow- 102 cfs
Water Temps- low to mid 60s from North River upstream
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Golden stoneflies
Salmonflies
Tan caddis
Flies:
Olive walt's worm 18-14
Frenchies- purple or orange 16-14
Rainbow warrior 20-16
Neversink caddis 16-12
Klinkhammer 16-12
Parachute Adams 16-12
It's been a warm and dry week in East Tennessee. Air temps in the mountains remain in the upper 70s despite the heat in the valley thanks to higher elevations.The Tellico river and tributaries are running fairly low and clear, although stream temps from North River upstream on the Tellico River and on the tributaries have all been in the range for safe catch and release with proper handling. If you plan on fishing lower elevations of Tellico River and Citico Creek or lower sections of Bald and North River, be sure to check stream temps if you plan to catch and release. If water temps are 68° or lower, you're fine to fish, just play fish quickly and leave them in the water as much as possible. Anything above 68° and we recommend moving to higher elevations to find cooler water.
Lower streamflows usually mean better dry fly fishing, and that has been our experience this past week. A dry and dropper rig will catch fish on both the stocked sections and wild trout streams. Focus on the pocket water and faster runs where current offers overhead cover for fish, providing security, and the turbulent water provides extra oxygen and prime feeding lanes.
The forecast for the week remains dry and sunny with highs in the low 90s at lower elevations, meaning temps in the 70s and low 80s at higher elevations. There is rain in the forecast for next week, so hopefully, that'll bring some extra flow to our streams.
STREAM REPORT 6.13.24
Current streamflow-147cfs
Water temps- low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Golden stoneflies
Salmonflies
Tan caddis
Sulphur
Hot flies:
Klinkhammer 16-12
Grizzly Wulff 14-12
Neversink caddis 16-14
Garcia's Mini-hot 16-14
Chubby chernobyls 12-10
Frenchies 18-12
Olive perdigons 18-14
Walt's worms 18-12
It's been a beautiful week so far in Tellico Plains, and the forecast looks sunny and warm for the weekend. Water levels and temps are in excellent shape, and water temps will be in the low 60s thanks to cooler air temps in the mountains.
All of the big summer hatches are in full swing; yellow sallies, golden stones and sulphurs are on the water in good numbers, with yellow sallies being the most prevalent. Yellow dry flies in a size 16 or 14 to match the yellow sally hatch will produce some excellent dry fly action on the wild trout streams. Nymph rigs or dry and dropper are your best choice for the Tellico River and Citico Creek. We have had better luck on smaller, more natural nymphs instead of the big attractor patterns like squirmies and eggs.
We've been finding some quality brown trout on the river lately, and word has it that there are a few banana trout (palomino) swimming around too, so if either one is on your bucket list, this would be a great week to pursue them.
STREAM REPORT 5.30.24
Current streamflow- 359cfs
Water temps- upper 50s-low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Black Caddis
Golden stoneflies
Blue-winged olives
Hot flies:
Purple or Orange Frenchies- 16-12
Quill perdigons- 18-16
Walt's worms- 16-12
Croston's FMJ- 14-12
Klinkammer- 14-12
Neversink Caddis- 16-14
Foam-back caddis- 16-14
Yellow Stimulator- 16-12
With all of the wet weather that we've had in the past few weeks and last weekend, we've finally gotten a week of sunny, drier weather. This has the Tellico River and its tributaries in beautiful shape going into the weekend.
Water temps are excellent, in the ideal range for trout to live comfortably and feed actively. Streamflows are alsp excellent, with enough water to help trout feel secure and feed heavily but not enough to make wading difficult. There are a variety of hatches on river at any given time, with Yellow sallies and blue winged olives being the most prevalent. There is also a wide variety of terrestrial insects that occasionally make their way into the water, so a wide variety of dry flies and nymphs will get a trout's attention.
The lowland rivers and lakes are also still fishing very well, with carp and bass still keying in on cicadas. The peak of the cicada emergence has past in our neck of the woods, but there will still be enough cicadas on or near the water for the next week to have fish still seeking them out and falling for a good imitation.
There is a bit of rain in the forecast for Saturday night and Sunday morning, but this should not be enough to make a noticeable impact on streamflow for the weekend besides a possibly a slight stain Sunday afternoon.
STREAM REPORT 5.22.24
Current streamflow- 280cfs
Water temps- high 50s-low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow Sallies
Golden stones
Cahills
Black Caddis
Blue winged olives
Flies:
Neversink caddis
Purple haze
Front end loader caddis
Palomino caddis
Blue winged olive dry
Olive, orange or pink perdigons
Hot bead pheasant tails
Quill-bodied soft hackles
Prince nymphs
Walts worms
It has been a beautiful week on the Tellico River despite frequent rains, with some very consistent fishing. The Tellico and its tributaries are at the perfect levels currently for wading while still having enough flow to keep trout feeding enthusiastically.
There really isn't a bad dry fly or nymph choice right now, as long as it's in the size 16-12 range and you give a solid presentation. All tributaries and the main river are fishing very well. Yellow sallies and blue winged olives are the most consistent hatches this week, with golden stoneflies, black caddis, and other mayflies hatching out less frequently but still present on any given day.
Although we've hit hight temps in the 80s this weekir in town, air temps in the higher elevations have remained in the high 60s and low 70s and water temps are in the 50s and 60s which are optimal for trout activity.
There's scatterd rain in the forecast each day for the rest of this week and the weekend, but we don't expect it to accumulate enough to bring streamflows up for long or blow the river out this weekend.
STREAM REPORT 5.17.24
Current Streamflow: 354cfs
Water temps: Hi 50s, low 60s
Hatches:
Yellow sallies
Blue-winged olives
Golden stoneflies
Hot flies:
Walt's worms
Hot bead pheasant tails
Olive perdigons
FMJ nymph
Quill bodied nymphs
Elk hair caddis
Yellow stimulator
Parachute adams
Ausable wulff
Thanks to recent rains, water temps and streamflow levels have been fantastic all through the Tellico area's rivers and streams. Dry fly action has been very consistent and productive on all wild trout waters and the trout are not picky, as long as your fly is presented well. They will take a variety of maylfy, stonefly and caddis imitations as well as general attractor patterns. Nymphs are also producing well, especially if you're on the river after a recent rain, when streamflows may be higher and off color. Choose heavier, darker nymphs for high and off color water and smaller, more natural nymphs for clear water and lower streamflows.
Low elevation streams are heating up for bass and panfish. Streamers and poppers will work well for warmwater species.