Clinch River near Kingston, Tennessee
When Norris Dam was created in 1936 it was hoped that the cold water released from the lake would support a nice trout fishery, which is why rainbow trout were stocked. However all that came of that was a put and take fishery because the river was either raging ice cold water or barley a trickle depend on what they were doing at the dam. Not to mention oxygen levels were low. Needless to say that's not an ideal environment for trout. Fast forward to 1984; Trout Unlimited and other groups like TWRW worked to implement a minimum flow (200fps) and they added baffles to the turbines so the water would have enough oxygen for trout. Guess what? It worked; the river is now in the top 100 trout streams in the US. In fact the Clinch River produced the state record brown (28lbs 12oz) and a 38 inch 32lbs brown trout was found dead by a Trout Unlimited member. If you are interested about what makes the fish here so large a study show the trout’s diet is 70% midges, blackfly larvae 20%, and the rest makes up the last 10%. The best fishing spots here are riffles and long pools. For tackle try using a 6X tippet that is 12 feet long or longer tied to a strike indicator connected to a size 18- size 20 flies. Then throw a big, long 50+ft cast upstream. That technique and tackle works when the water is low. When the water is high throwing crankbaits, spoons, and spinners on spinning tackle works the best. Lastly you may or not be pleased to know that there are no special regulations governing the river. If you are planning on wading you will have to avoid the times when the generators are running so most people use boats. Good luck fishing!
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Clinch River Fishing near Kingston, Tennessee
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Details for Clinch River
Species Caught Here:
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Access: Public Property
Body of Water Type: Stream
Lat/Long: 35.863407 -84.531876
Bodies of Water near Clinch River
Description for Clinch River, Roane County, Tennessee
Clinch River is a stream located just 1.8 miles from Kingston, in Roane County, in the state of Tennessee, United States. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including brown trout and rainbow trout here. Whether you’re fly fishing, baitcasting or spinning your chances of getting a bite here are good. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to Clinch River. Alternate names for this stream include Pelisipi River, Clench River and Clinches River.
For Fishing License purchase, fishing rules, and fishing regulations please visit
Tennessee Fish & Wildlife.
Please remember to check with the local Fish and Wildlife department to ensure the stream is open to the public. Now get out there and fish! Check out our
Fishing Times chart to determine when the fish will be most active.
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