Known as the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg is a little mountain town on the eastern edge of Tennessee that draws in millions of visitors every year. The town has tons of tourist attractions and eateries, and acts as a sort of base camp for visitors to its national park.
It is also home to one of the best-stocked trout fisheries in the nation. Running through the heart of downtown Gatlinburg is the West Prong of the Pigeon River, which, through proper management, produces quality rainbow trout year-round.
Gatlinburg has its own municipal trout facility. That’s where they raise rainbow trout in spillways, and release them every Thursday all year long into a couple of spots on the river. This gives anglers the chance to catch trout year-round, and even potentially catch fish weighing well into the double-digit range.
But if big stockers aren’t what you’re looking for, anglers can also explore the 700 miles of other streams in both the area and the national park nearby. There you can catch wild rainbows, brown trout, and in some higher elevation creeks, the native brook trout.
“To really appreciate fishing in Gatlinburg, you have to step back and look at the whole experience. You’re fishing one of the best-managed trout streams in the nation, where every trip could result in multiple 20+ inch trout, all while standing right below attractions like aquariums, gift shops, and restaurants. And you might even run into a black bear. It’s truly a surreal fishing experience.” – Alex Rudd Fishing
Gatlinburg Fact Sheet
- Location: In East Tennessee’s Sevier County. Located 39 miles southeast of Knoxville.
- Size: Four trout streams, more than seven miles of fishable water inside city limits. Additionally, you’ll find over 700 miles of streams and creeks in the surrounding area and the national park.
- Gamefish Fame: Rainbow trout, your main target inside the city limits. Well-stocked streams full of potential 10-pounders — and more.
- Features: Easily accessible water access from most locations inside the city. Stocked every Thursday with rainbow trout year-round.
- Lodging: With the trout streams located within the city, lodging options are plentiful. You’ll find many different hotel options inside the city limits, and mountain cabin rentals are an option for anglers who want a more secluded choice in lodging. For those who’d like a more rustic option, there are multiple campgrounds available, as well.
Tackle Recommendations
If you’re targeting the trout in the city, both spinning and fly options work very well. So if you don’t fly fish, no worries here.
For a spinning setup, any light to ultra-light rod with a 1,000 to 2,000-sized reel loaded up with five-pound test or lighter line should be plenty. Braid or monofilament works well — just be aware that if you use braid, you need to tie on a five-pound or lighter mono leader. For lure selection, in-line spinners are the usual go-to for the river, with white trout magnet grubs also doing very well. Trout baits will also work, but you must check the regulations to see if they are allowed to be used for the time of year.
And for a fly setup, any lighter-weight fly combo from a three- to five-weight will do you well. For your tippet selection, anywhere from a 4x to a 7x is recommended, depending on how the trout are feeling and what size fly you’re using. If you are the first person to get to a spot, you can use a bigger, chunkier presentation to catch fish. But if not, consider using a much more subtle approach with small flies around the size 20 range.
Suggested Spots to Fish
The Gatlinburg Spur: On the north end of the city, and a more scenic option north of the city. A stocking location that holds a good amount of fish beyond the heart of Gatlinburg.
Downtown Along River Road: In the heart of the city, and another stocking location. Fish the deeper pools near the bridges to find trout. It has easy access from the road, and there are some areas with walkways along the river for anglers who don’t have waders.
Herbert Holt Park: North of the city, across from Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin. This park has a section of Children’s Stream, where no one older than 12 is allowed to fish. There are multiple concrete piers along the stream where kids can easily fish. Additionally, the first concrete pier, the Bill Stevens Fishing Pier, is handicap-accessible and is open to handicapped anglers of all ages.
“Gatlinburg is an amazing fishery. We stock every Thursday, can’t fish on Thursdays, which makes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday some of the best days to be in Gatlinburg and fishing.” – Jacob Coalson, local guide and manager of The Smoky Mountain Angler
General Gatlinburg Tips
Make sure you have read the city’s regulations before wetting a line. Gatlinburg has its own set of regulations, in addition to the statewide Tennessee trout regulations. There is a separate Gatlinburg Trout permit needed to fish there, on top of a Tennessee fishing license.
“I would definitely read rules and regulations before coming up here, to get acquainted with what is needed, and not needed, for the area.” – Jacob Coalson
- Arrive early to potentially get free parking on the side of River Road; if not, there are several paid parking lots that cost about $20 a day.
- Winter is the best time for catching jumbo trout; the delayed harvest season keeps the big fish in the river until April. So while you won’t be able to take home a brace of trout, if you want to catch a personal best trout, the delayed harvest season is the time to fish.
- Be aware of bears. While you won’t see them every time, black bears are relatively common in Gatlinburg and have been known to do a little fishing themselves. If you do see one, never approach it, make loud noises so it knows you’re there, and back away slowly — but don’t turn your back to it.
- Check out the Smoky Mountain Angler in the Brookside Village; they are incredibly knowledgeable and have a great selection of tackle, flies, and lures. Jacob even has the flies that have been working on his guided trips marked in the fly section.
