Best trout fishing in the Southeast US
- The Trout Bandit
- May 10
- 3 min read
Virginia and Tennessee have many exceptional places to fly-fish for trout. Among my local waters is a series of excellent brook trout streams in Shenandoah National Park. But excellent opportunities to put trout in the net within the Southeast of the US extend beyond that to Tennessee, the Carolinas and Georgia. This blog post highlights some of those that in my opinion deserve consideration as among the most appealing.
Fishing for trout on South Holston and Watauga Rivers
In Northeastern Tennessee these two tailwaters feature prominently in the list of Trout Unlimited’s Guide to America’s 100 Best Trout Streams. I have made several visits the Watauga River and the South Fork of the Holston involving float trips with capable guides, and it was an enjoyable experience. However, if you prefer an afternoon of wade fishing, then I would recommend heading to the Watauga River Bluffs State Natural Area. When the river flow is reasonable (between 250 and 400 cfs), the fishing from this access point can be very interesting and wading comfortable.
The South Holston is, for me, the more compelling water because it is very challenging. The ‘LoSoHo’, or Lower South Holston is promising along the three-mile stretch that extends from J. Forrest Thomas boat ramp (aka, Rockhold) to the Bluff City Boat Ramp. But my experience was that it fished best early in the day and when water was flowing quickly.
The upper section of the Watauga was better for catching quantity, but of modest-sized trout. In the lower section, there were opportunities to hook up on big fish in the trophy section between the Blevins boat ramp and Persinger Bridge.
If a guide steers you toward the ‘PhD pools’ on the South Holston, I would take that recommendation with reservations. These pools are so named because of the degree of difficulty associated with simply hooking up on the resident behemoths. If you do attempt this, be extremely patient and stealthy.
Fishing for trout on Mossy Creek
It is unlikely to be a contested discussion to suggest that Mossy Creek is one of the best trout waters in Virginia. The iconic Mossy Creek facilitates both public and private sections. Generally, a guide is needed to fish the private sections of Mossy Creek, but not a pre-requisite to fishing the public water. The latter is situated in rolling agricultural land and a no-cost, landowner permit is required and can be secured via the Special Regulation Trout Waters section of the Virginia DWR website. This section is a spring-fed, limestone creek home to legendary brown trout that are very wary.
The website of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing offers access to more than a dozen private waters in the Harrisonburg, VA area from there store and online. I have been a client for more than a decade and thoroughly enjoy the dedicated private waters they make available, including Smith Creek, running through Susie Q farm, which is among my favorites.
Whichever portion of Mossy Creek you choose to fish, it pays to be stealthy.
Fishing for trout on the Rapidan River
My local fishing focuses on brook trout in Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and my favorite water there is the Rapidan River, which I believe I have fished more than any other steam in the SNP. To be clear there are parts of the Rapidan that flow though both the SNP and the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area, north and west of Syria, Virginia. I like this water because it is difficult to access without a high-clearance vehicle (which reduces pressure relative to other streams in the SNP), yet offers very accessible water spanning about 10 miles from Skyline Drive to Graves Mill in Madison County.
I prefer the section that I refer to as “between the bridges”, which I consider to be trout fishing nirvana. The climb and descent along the Rapidan fire road from Quaker Run Road off the Blue Ridge Turnpike in Syria can be a bit precarious. But it is worth the effort as some of the largest wild brook trout I have caught in Virginia have been on the Rapidan. Here, seven to eight inches is a decent fish, but I have witnessed brook trout pushing ten inches in length on this stretch of water. That is a behemoth brookie in these parts.
Tight lines!
Note: I am not being compensated by my mention of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing. I am simply a satisfied client.
Comments