Fishing In
The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has about 2,115 miles of streams within its boundaries, and protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the eastern United States. The Park offers a wide variety of angling experiences from remote, headwater trout streams to large, coolwater smallmouth bass streams. Most streams remain at or near their carrying capacity of fish and offer a great opportunity to catch these species throughout the year.

Fishing is permitted year-round in the Park, from 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset. The Park allows fishing in most streams. Certain posted streams are closed to fishing, to protect threatened fishes. Detailed information, including a complete list of regulations and a map of fishable park waters, is available at any visitor center or ranger station.

You must possess a valid fishing license or permit from either Tennessee or North Carolina. Either state license is valid throughout the Park and no trout stamp is required. Fishing licenses and permits are not available in the park, but may be purchased in nearby towns. Special permits are required for fishing in Gatlinburg and Cherokee.

Tennessee License Requirements

Residents and nonresidents age 13 and older must have a valid license. Residents age 65 and older may obtain a special license from the state. Persons under under 13 are not required to have a license, are entitled to the adult daily bag and possession limits and are subject to all other regulations.

North Carolina License Requirements

Residents and nonresidents age 16 and older need a license. Residents age 70 and older may obtain a special license from the state. Persons under 16 are not required to have a license, are entitled to the adult daily bag and possession limits and are subject to all other regulations.

Daily Possession Limits

• Any combination of rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass totaling 5
• 20 rockbass
• A person must stop fishing once reaching the limit.

Size Limits

• Rainbow and brown trout: 7in. minimum
• Smallmouth bass: 7in. minimum
• Rockbass: no minimum
• Trout or smallmouth bass caught less than the legal length shall be immediately returned to the water from which it was taken.

Lures, Bait, And Equipment

• Fishing is permitted only by the use of one hand-held rod.
• Only artificial flies or lures with a single hook may be used. Dropper flies may be used. Up to two flies on a leader.
• Use or possession of any form of fish bait or liquid scent other than artificial flies or lures on or along any park stream while in possession of fishing tackle is prohibited. Prohibited baits include, but are not limited to, minnows (live or preserved), worms, corn, cheese, bread, salmon eggs, pork rinds, liquid scents and natural baits found along streams.
• Use or possession of double, treble, or gang hooks is prohibited.
• Fishing tackle and equipment, including creels and fish in possession, are subject to inspection by authorized personnel.

Experimental Brook Trout Fishery

Brook trout are the only native salmonid in the park. Since the turn of the century, the brook trout has lost about 75% of its range in the park due to logging and the introduction of the non-native rainbow trout.

The park has had an active brook trout restoration program since 1987. The primary objective of this program is to restore native brook trout populations to streams with natural barriers such as waterfalls that prevent invasion of non-native trout species. To date, this program has restored nine streams, and the restoration of eight additional streams at mid-to-low elevations is planned. The park's brook trout restoration efforts have restored 11.1 miles of stream or 11% of the 97.5 miles of stream exclusively occupied by brook trout.

Stream acidity has increased 5-fold in high elevation streams in the last 20 years due to pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels. These data add urgency to the need to restore brook trout to streams at lower elevations with more stable water chemistry.

Because of the results of recent fisheries research and the success of the park's brook trout restoration effort, park management has opened sections of eight streams to brook trout fishing and harvest on an experimental basis. Four of the stream segments are in North Carolina and four are in Tennessee. The same possession and minimum size restrictions apply to brook trout in these streams that apply to trout fishing in other open park waters (maximum possession five total fish, minimum length seven inches). The three-year experimental opening began July 1, 2002.

The eight open streams will be monitored annually and anglers catch and harvest success will be periodically checked. At the conclusion of the experiment, biologists will evaluate the data and make recommendations for the future of brook trout fishing in the park.

Where's The Best Place To Fish?

The Park offers a wide variety of angling experiences from remote, headwater trout streams to large, coolwater smallmouth bass streams. Most streams remain at or near their carrying capacity of fish and offer a great opportunity to catch these species throughout the year. Fisheries monitoring activities in the park have shown that many park streams have 2,000-4,000 trout per mile. Many of these are 4"-8" rainbow trout, but in some streams brown trout 8"-20" are commonly found. As a general rule: for rainbow trout try Upper Abrams Creek; for brown brown trout try Little River/Fish Camp Prong; for brook trout hike from Clingman's Dome to the headwaters of Hazel Creek. So the reality is that the best place to fish depends on the type of experience each angler desires and the amount of walking you are willing to do. Remember, fishing pressure tends to be highest nearest the roads.