South Fork Holston River near Mount Carmel, Tennessee
While it is true that man (the specie) has messed up a lot of trout streams it is also true that man has created trout streams where there used to be only warm water fish. The South Fork of the Holston River below South Holston Dam is an example of that. When the dam was completed the cold water drawn from the reservoir above created a fishery that is in the top 100 trout streams in the US. However this was not always the case; at first the flows were either feast of famine and the water drawn from the depths lacked the oxygen required by trout. Thanks to groups like Trout Unlimited helped solve those problems so now all you have to do is catch the fish. Speaking of the fish you will catch there is enough gravel in the river that the browns can reproduce naturally so there are wild trout for those of you how are interested. However because of the spawning potential there are a few special regulations governing the river so that the maximum spawn can be achieved. The regs include not being able to keep any trout between 16 to 22 inches, only being able to keep one fish over 22 inches, and there are two sections of the river that prohibit fishing during the spawning season. The downside to this river is that fishing pressure is high thanks to easy access so fish might be a bit more leery than other rivers just because they see so many different patterns. When the generators are working is the best time to catch the big fish that inhabit the river. The best baits at this time are spinners, spoons, and crankbaits. If you want to stick to fly fishing weighted line is a must. When the generators are not running the usual trout fare will work. Speaking of usual trout fare you must be wondering about the hatches here. Well, the hatches start in March with black caddis followed by hendricksons and olives. After that comes the sulphers. During the summer terrestrials rule. Then in the fall the olives appear again. Good luck fishing!
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South Fork Holston River Fishing near Mount Carmel, Tennessee
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Details for South Fork Holston River
Species Caught Here:
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Access: Public Property
Body of Water Type: Stream
Lat/Long: 36.547600 -82.611824
Bodies of Water near South Fork Holston River
Description for South Fork Holston River, Sullivan County, Tennessee
South Fork Holston River is a stream located just 2.7 miles from Mount Carmel, in Sullivan County, in the state of Tennessee, United States, near Kingsport, TN. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including rainbow trout and brown trout here. Whether you’re fly fishing, spinning or baitcasting your chances of getting a bite here are good. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to South Fork Holston River. Alternate names for this stream include Holston River, Holston River South Fork and south Fork.
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.
Fishing Hot Spots near South Fork Holston River
"Heavy current has turned on the spotted bass bite. Try jerkbaits and spinnerbaits in current breaks..." Fort Patrick Henry Lake
"Bass can be found early in the shallows using topwater. As the day rolls on bass will get more..." Watauga Lake
"Bass can be found early in the shallows using topwater. As the day rolls on bass will get more..." South Holston Lake
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