Top 7 Fishing Spots and Guides in the Smokies

Little River runs beside Little River Road through the park toward Townsend, so getting to the water is as easy as a pulloff. The park allows fishing in all streams, with a five-fish daily limit and 7-inch minimums on trout and smallmouth bass. A precautionary consumption advisory covers Little River smallmouth, so release those.

The Smoky Mountain Angler calls itself the oldest authorized fishing guide service for the national park, with a Gatlinburg shop on Brookside Village Way and a second store in Knoxville. Guides can turn a first-timer into a fly angler or help experienced fishermen find wild trout in park streams or a stocked fish in local waters.

Cherokee stocks about 30 miles of streams on the Qualla Boundary, and its enterprise waters include the main stem of the Oconaluftee River that flows past this downtown park. You need a tribal fishing permit, sold for one, two or three days or the year, and no state license is accepted in its place. Kids under 12 fish free with a permitted adult.

At this family-owned trout farm on Blowing Cave Road, you catch rainbow trout from a stocked pond with gear they supply and no license, then have it cooked on site or take it home by the pound. Staff will bait hooks for beginners. It is the surest bet on this list for young kids who want to catch dinner.

Douglas Lake is a 30,600-acre TVA reservoir with one of the best largemouth bass fisheries in East Tennessee, plus crappie, bluegill and catfish. Walleye, sauger and white bass run to the headwaters in late winter. Low oxygen can make summer fishing tough, so the state suggests working the lower lake in less than 10 feet of water then, or waiting for fall.

This guide service fishes streams reached from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Cherokee side, including wild trout water in the national park. Trips range from a two-hour family outing to half-day and full-day wade trips and float trips. No experience is needed, and all gear and equipment are included at no extra charge.

The stocked pond at Big Rock Dude Ranch holds bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish, and it is catch-and-release with no fishing license required. Bait and poles come with the pass, and one pass covers three days, so kids can come back. Add a trail ride, gem mining or the free petting zoo on the same stop.