Tennessee and North Carolina's historic Tellico River basin, one of the Southeast's premier trout-fishing destinations, offers year-round fishing for wild and stocked trout in secluded mountain streams. The basin, which includes the Cherokee National Forest and the Citico Creek Wilderness Area, has 138 miles of trout streams, including 19 miles of brook-trout streams. It lies just south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is within driving distance of Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, and Nashville. Although close to these cities, the Tellico River basin remains relatively uncrowded, perhaps because they are overshadowed by the more hallowed waters of the nearby national park.

The Tellico basin, the birthplace of the famous Tellico Nymph, can be divided into three regions, each of which appeals to a different angling constituency. The first region, the Tennessee portion of the main Tellico River, is primarily for catch-and-keep fishermen, and contains both stocked and wild trout. The second region, which includes the larger tributaries to the Tellico, the Bald and North rivers in Tennessee, and the headwaters of the Tellico in North Carolina, has managed wild-trout streams, with mostly rainbow trout. The third region, the remote headwaters of the Tellico, supports the rare Southern strain of brook trout.

Several streams in the Tellico River basin have special regulations to maintain quality fishing. The Tennesee portion of the Tellico River (left and above) contains both stocked and wild browns and rainbows. The tributaries and the headwaters hold wild brook trout.

The Tellico River
One of the largest natural trout streams in the Southeast, the Tellico is big water by most standards. Although the Tennessee portion of the river is stocked weekly during spring and summer and has a liberal creel limit, large trout are occasionally taken. Brown trout of more than 20 pounds have been caught there, and each year anglers catch trophies of ten pounds or more. Excellent fishing for small wild rainbows can be found upstream from the Tellico Hatchery to the beginning of the brook-trout waters in North Carolina.

To reach the Tellico, go to the Sweetwater exit of I-75 and take Tennessee Highway 68 south. Go to the town of Tellico Plains and turn onto Tennessee Route 360. Then take Tennessee Route 165 to the Tellico River and Tellico River Road, which follows the river to the North Carolina border. The river is easily accessible along Tellico River Road.

The stocked trout waters on the Tellico begin at the Turkey Creek bridge, about 14 miles from the North Carolina line. Trout may also be found below the bridge, but that water is better known for its smallmouth bass fishing. The river from Turkey Creek to the North Carolina line is known as the Tellico-Citico permit area. It costs $3.50 a day to fish there from March 15 to September 15 (permits are available at any fishing license dealer).

While the stocking arrangement may sound like an only slightly more sporting version of a trip to the fish market, many big browns survive the summertime bait fishers, and some grow into the large trout for which the Tellico is famous. The stocking and permit season ends on September 15, and the river is open to regular license holders from September 15 through March 15. Since the weather during that time is often warm, with high temperatures in the 50s possible all winter, the water is ideal for winter fly fishers.

Jeff Cupp, Ph.D., is a freelance writer and fly-fishing instructor who lives in Cullman, Alabama.