Fishing In The Great Smoky Mountains
If you are looking for a vacation that provides some great fishing areas, fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains is good option. You can try your hand at fishing in the many streams and rivers inside the national park as well as locations outside the park.
Types of Fishing and Where to Go
While you can find all types of fishing in the Smoky Mountains area, the area is best known for its fly fishing. When you want to catch trout and other fly fishing Smoky Mountains specialties, there are plenty of bodies of water that will accommodate this type of sport fishing.
Most of the bodies of water in the park are open to fishing, however there are some areas closed in the national park for restoration work and repopulation. Park rangers will be able to inform you of any bodies of water that are closed to fishing.
Requirements
When you want to fish in the Great Smoky Mountains, you will need to meet a few requirements. First, you will have to have a fishing license issues either by the state of Tennessee or the state of North Carolina. For the Tennessee license, anyone at least 13 years old will need to get a license from the state government’s department of natural resources. For a North Carolina fishing license, you will need to get a license from the state government if you are at least 16 years old. Those under the required ages do not need a license, but must abide by all regulations.
For open waters, there are no season restrictions, but fishing is only permitted from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.
Supplies
Since there are daily bag limits in many public fishing areas in and around the park, the supplies you can bring with you are limited. There is one fishing rod allowed per person, no bait is allowed and artificial flies and lures can only have a single hook. These supplies can be found a numerous bait and tackle shops in the area. You can also choose to take fly fishing lessons from experts who will provide you with the supplies you need to have a great day out on the water.
