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Fishing

Anglers interested in boat fishing for bass, stripers and other warm-water fish will find the many Tennessee Valley Authority reservoirs excellent. Cold-water trout fisheries are managed below many of the reservoirs. 

Stocked trout streams provide opportunities for anglers who catch and release as well as those who wish to harvest trout for consumption. Rainbow trout averaging 8 to 12 inches are stocked in many streams, typically between March and September. The most popular stocked trout streams include Tellico River, Citico Creek, Paint Creek and Beaverdam Creek. Wild trout, rainbow, brown and native brookies are present in most of the mountain streams above 1000 feet in elevation.

Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide and Tennessee Fishing Guide provides complete information and details regarding seasons, limits, licenses and permits. These guides are available at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) offices, Forest Service offices and many sporting goods outlets. 

Contact TWRA:

Report game violations:

  • Polk and McMinn counties: Region III, 1-833-402-4699
  • All other Cherokee National Forest counties: Region IV, 1-800-831-1174

Search for Fishing Opportunities

Showing: 1 - 10 of 54 results

Allen Branch Pond
Fishing Outdoor Science and Learning
 Try your luck at fishing for bass, bluegill and catfish from the shoreline or one of the fishing piers on this 2.5 acre pond.Enjoy a walk around the accessible quarter-mile…

Backbone Rock Recreation Area
Site Open
Fishing Picnicking
Backbone Rock Recreation Area is located along Beaverdam Creek in northern Johnson County. Backbone Rock gets its name from a spur ridge on Holston Mountain that abruptly ends at a bend in Beaverdam…

Big Bend
Site Open
Fishing Hiking
Big Bend offers plentiful parking for those who are looking to fish the Hiwassee River. 

Big Oak Cove Campground
Site Open
Fishing
Looking to camp where you can wake at the crack of dawn and start fishing? The cool waters of the Tellico River just feet away will ease you to sleep each night. This is one of several small…

Birch Branch Campground
Site Open
Fishing
Looking to camp where you can wake at the crack of dawn and start fishing? This is one of several small campgrounds on Tellico River Road (FS Rd 210). This campground offers 5 campsites with a picnic…

Cardens Bluff Campground
Site Open
Water Activities Fishing
Located on a bluff overlooking the 6,430-acre Watauga Lake, Cardens Bluff Campground offers more than 40 sites, primarily for tent camping. There is a bathhouse with showers and flush toilets. No…

Chestoa Recreation Area
Site Open
Fishing Picnicking Hiking
 Chestoa Recreation Area is an accessible day-use area on the banks of the Nolichucky River south of Erwin.It is a take-out for whitewater rafters who ride the river from Poplar, North Carolina…

Childers Creek Trailhead
Site Open
Fishing Hiking
Childers Creek is a parking area for those to access the Hiwassee River and the John Muir Trail. 

Chilhowee Recreation Area
Site Open
Biking Fishing Picnicking Water Activities Hiking
Located in the Chilhowee Recreation Area, Chilhowee Campground offers more than 70 campsites, electric hookups, RV sites, tent-only sites and multiple bathhouses. The campground is usually open from…

Last updated July 30, 2026

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