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Home » Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fly Fishing Report – December 05, 2022

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fly Fishing Report – December 05, 2022

The streams are all in good shape with clear water. We received two good reports from customers fishing yesterday. There is rain in the forecast every day for the coming week. The chances are 80% today and tomorrow. Conditions should be very good today with a high temperature near 60.

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 196 cfs at 2.00 ft
(Good wading up to 250 cfs and with extra caution up to 307 cfs)

ith extra caution up to 375 cfs)

West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 63.3 cfs at 3.22 ft (Good wading up
to 75 cfs and with extra caution up to 115 cfs)

Oconaluftee River:  Rate 322 cfs at 1.62 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 750 cfs)

Cataloochee Creek: Rate 59.6 cfs at 2.40 ft. (Good wading up to 90 cfs and with extra
caution up to 145 cfs.

Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are all flowing near a normal level.

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 Now:
Streamers:
Brown Sculpin: 6
White Belly Sculpin: 6
Articulated Sculpin and Leeches: 4

Blue-winged olives: 18
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners

Slate Drakes: 10/12

nymphs

spinners

Great Autumn Brown Sedge, size 10,

pupa

adults

Needle Stoneflies: 16/18

nymphs

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