Great Smoky Mountains Fly Fishing Report - Fly Fishing Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains Fly Fishing Report: March 27, 2025

Currently, all the streams in the park are still near a normal level and safe to wade. Little Pigeon River and the Oconaluftee River are a little low but okay. The overall weather is getting warmer and the hatches should pick up very soon. Flies listed below are for the current time. To purchase flies for a trip at a later date you need to call Perfect Fly at 800 594 4726 or email them at sales@perfectflystore.com providing them the dates you plan to fish or you can select a custom selection of one of three different sizes for specific time frames. Today’s high should be 70 with partly cloudy skies. Friday’s high should be around 78 degrees with partly cloudy skies. Saturday’s high should be 77 degrees with a good chance of light showers. Sunday’s high should be 77 with a good chance of heavy rain.

Check out our sister websites: www.flyfishingyellowstonenationalpark.com & www.perfectflystore.com

Smoky Mountain Stream Conditions:
The streams with links that have nearby USGS Station Real-time stream data: Click the links to see updates:

Little River: Rate 235 cfs at 2.11 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)

West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 69cfs at 3.23 ft (Good Wading up to 125 cfs with extra caution up to 250 cfs.

O conaluftee River: Rate 414 cfs at 1.70 ft (Good wading up to 700 cfs with extra caution up to 750 cfs.

C ataloochee Creek: Rate 137 cfs at 2.51 ft. (Good wading up to 200 cfs with extra caution up to 250 cfs.

Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are flowing a little below a normal levels and clear.

Weather Forecast: (click the boxes below for more detailed weather information)

https://forecast7.com/en/35d71n83d51/gatlinburg/?unit=us

https://forecast7.com/en/35d48n83d32/cherokee/?unit=us

Trout Flies Currently Needed or needed very soon;
Streamers:
Brown Sculpin: 6
White Belly Sculpin: 6
Articulated Sculpin: 4

Blue-winged Olives: 18 Nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners

Blue Quills, size 18, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners

Quill Gordons, size 12/14, nymphs, emerging duns, duns and spinners

Little Brown Stoneflies, size 12, nymph and adults

Little Black Caddis, size 18, pupa and adults

Recommended Fishing Strategy:
Keep in mind, the strategies I am recommending is for the maximum odds of catching numbers of fish. Many prefer or favor a dry fly and by all means there isn’t anything wrong with that. It’s just a fact that if nothing is hatching at the time, it reduces your odds of success. You can still probably hook some trout, just not as many as if you fish subsurface. Of course, this is also based on using good techniques and the right flies. Some guys don’t know how to fish below the surface.

Strategy:
Not all of the insects you see above will be hatching in the same location. It is usually only one or two. It varies with the elevation. Some are just starting in the low elevations and some about finished in the higher elevations. If you fished the day or two before and know where something is hatching, fish the nymph or larva stage of it. If you haven’t fished the day or two before, until I spotted something hatching, I would fish the BWO nymph. If you spot something hatching (coming off the water), change to the appropriate emerger, dun or adult imitations of the insect.

Tips for Beginners:
Don’t let anyone intimidate you by contending that fly fishing is more difficult to learn and master than other types of fishing. It isn’t.

Thank you for visiting our website

James Marsh

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Options For Selecting Flies:

Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing the park and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.
Call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need.
Call or email us (sales@perfectflystore.com) with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip.

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