Welcome to our Smoky Mountains Fishing Home Page
The Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border. There are several tourist destinations in this mountain range and some of them provide some very good fishing opportunities.
Home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Smoky Mountains are home to some excellent fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass and even some muskie. The many rivers and streams provide exciting fly fishing opportunities in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Tennessee
Tennessee is home to some of the best places to visit if you’re looking to visit the Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg is the place to go if you want to go visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and some of the scenery outside the park is unbelievable. Pigeon Forge is full of entertainment and dining to go along with some beautiful views as well. Sevierville is home to some awesome outdoor recreation and maybe the best fishing in this area. Take a look below to learn about all the towns in Tennessee that surround the Smoky Mountains.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It will most likely be crowded going through this town, so when you visit here, don’t plan on getting through here in a hurry. The scenery is amazing and the fishing can be very good as well. Trout are stocked here regularly, but make sure you know the regulations in the park because there are special regulations for fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a popular mountain town for tourism. Located in east Tennessee and north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is a lot to do in this area. The city’s population was 17,889 in 2020. Sevierville is known for its shopping. galleries, boutiques, antique malls, flea markets and its outdoor stores. For anglers, there is some very good fishing available for smallmouth bass and trout. Rainbow trout and brook trout are caught on the West and Middle prongs of the Little Pigeon River. Downstream, these rivers join to help create an awesome stretch of smallmouth bass fishing on the Little Pigeon River that runs through downtown Sevierville. Nearby, Douglas Lake is also a good fishing lake. Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappie primarily, however, you will also find spotted bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and bluegill in the lake.
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a very popular tourist town. There is so much entertainment in the town and just about everything you could possibly need on a vacation. The only downside is that with all the awesome fun things to do and great places to dine comes with tons of people, so there will be plenty of crowds if you come here during the summer. The West Prong of the Little Pigeon River flows through town and anglers can catch smallmouth bass and trout in the river. Access is a little tricky through Pigeon Forge though, so don’t plan on having tons of easy access points to fish. There are some good spots though where trout are stocked.
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is a small town in eastern Tennessee. The town is located 17 miles south of Knoxville and it is the county seat of Blount County. The population was just under 32,000 people in 2020. It is a nice mountain town to visit, but is about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Anglers fish Greenbelt Lake and the area creeks and streams. Trout fishing is popular in the area streams.
Elkmont, Tennessee
Elkmont is a national historic district in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It used to be a popular logging and vacation destination in the early 1900s, but now it is considered a ghost town. For many people, it is still worth a visit on their trip to the Smoky Mountains. Elkmont is about 8 miles away from Gatlinburg. There is a campground in this town and it is right on the Little River, which is home to some pretty good trout fishing.
Townsend, Tennessee
Townsend, Tennessee is a city in Blount County, Tennessee and it is located on the western side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is one of the park’s main gateways, however, it is definitely less crowded and slower-paced than the neighboring towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The Little River runs through the center of the town and anglers fish the river for a variety of trout.
Cosby, Tennessee
Cosby is a small mountain town located on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. This town is about 40 miles northeast of Gatlinburg and is one of the first settlements in East Tennessee. Cosby is a quiet town with easy access to the park and lots of outdoor activities.
North Carolina
While more of the towns surrounding the Smoky Mountains are in Tennessee, there are a couple towns worth checking out if you want to visit the mountains from the east coast. North Carolina is a beautiful state and the towns of Bryson City and Cherokee give people access to some beautiful sight seeing, fishing and other outdoor recreation.
Bryson City, North Carolina
Bryson City is a small mountain town that borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with unique shops, galleries, plenty of lodging and restaurants. Anglers fish for a variety of trout in the area rivers and streams. Fontana Lake is a huge lake that also gives anglers some excellent fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, walleye, muskie, trout, crappie, catfish and more.
Cherokee, North Carolina
Cherokee is a small town with miles of trout streams. The nearby Great Smoky Mountains is home to a variety of outdoor recreation. The town provides visitors plenty of places to stay, dining and more.
