Little River - Roadside

Little River is easily the most popular stream in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and one of the prettiest trout streams in this part of the country. The river's winding nature produces many large pools and long runs. A fisherman will have to look far and wide to find a wild Appalachian trout stream that has as much to offer. In fact, the stream was counted among Trout Unlimited's top 100 trout streams in America. There is plenty of water to be fished from the convenience of a car. There is also ample opportunity for backcountry fishing. Few streams produce as many large brown trout. It could be argued, though, that other park streams could produce equal numbers of good fish if they were fished as much. Little River is the regular haunt of many of East Tennessee's best fly fishermen and its trout are among the park's best educated.

Since this stream is fished more regularly than other park streams, fly consideration is a little more critical here than other mountain streams. Traditional attractor patterns like Royal Wulffs are effective but tend to lose their potency as the season wears on. More realistic patterns will be more reliable by the time Memorial Day rolls around. Never forget, though, that an unrealistic fly presented perfectly will be far more effective than a realistic pattern presented poorly.

In the lower reaches near Townsend, Little River holds good numbers of smallmouth and redeye bass in addition to rainbow and brown trout. At the forked intersection known as the "Y", the East, Middle, and West Prongs of Little River combine before leaving the national park. This stretch of river is composed mostly of deep pools that can be difficult to wade and fish. Winter and spring flows are generally high. Swimmers and tubers will crowd this area in the summer. More productive water will be found upstream. There are occasions, however, when this piece of water can be productive. At least a few April and May evenings will yield excellent hatches or spinner falls. Often times light cahill mayflies will be joined by little yellow stoneflies. The fish may only be eating one or the other, so be sure to pay attention.

Making a left turn at the "Y" the East Prong of Little River heads upstream toward its headwaters below Clingman's Dome and Mount Collins. The East Prong is generically known as Little River. The road follows the old railroad bed that once transported timber from the area. Locals have given many of the pools and runs names, but the name you get for a pool depends on who you ask. Places like Metcalf Bottoms and the Sinks are recognized on maps. Some rapids like Bottoms Up, Mary's Rock, and the Elbow were named by whitewater paddlers and are known to a few fishermen by these names. Other places like the Baptizing Pool and Indian Head were named long ago by residents, and yes, people are occasionally baptized in the Baptizing Pool. A ranger could direct you to the Sinks but would probably scratch his head if you asked where the April Pool was.

The lowest part of the river extending from the park line to the first bridge that crosses the East Prong can be extremely tough fishing. This is the roughest section in the Little River gorge. Banks are steep, pools are deep, and the rapids are swift. Dry flies aren't as effective as they are further upstream. Streamers can produce well at times. This is one part of the river where a spin fisherman can often out perform a fly fisherman. This area is particularly tough in the summer when water temperatures occasionally exceed 70 degrees. These summer time temperatures favor members of the bass family, not the cold water dependent rainbow and brown trout. While difficult, this part of the river can be rewarding. Smallmouth bass may be caught from the same pools and runs as trout. Late winter into spring is the best time of year to fish this section. Nymph fishing is the dependable way to go, but dry flies can be effective on spring days and evenings.

From the point where Meigs Creek tumbles over its namesake falls into Little River, trout fishing can be a bit more reliable. The combination of classic dry fly pools and rough pocket water seems to favor trout over bass. Bass are present as far upstream as the Sinks, but in small numbers. Rainbow and brown trout are the only gamefish upstream of the Sinks. This is also the point that anglers should consider the starting point for reliable trout fishing in the summer months.

The Sinks is one of the most recognizable pools on the river and known to almost anyone that has spent much time on Little River. This deep pool is bounded by high rock ledges and lies at the bottom of the largest waterfall on the river. Whitewater paddlers consider it a rite of passage to run the rapids into the pool, thrill seekers jump off of the rocks into the pool, and fishermen try to imagine what swims in its emerald depths. One Wears Valley fisherman caught a 29" brown trout at the Sinks some years ago and by all accounts that fish was not the first or last big one to reside there. If you pay careful attention you will notice that the rocks at the waterfall are jagged, not smooth like other rocks in the river. During the logging era this spot was blasted to redirect the flow of the river. The rocks at the waterfall haven't been weathered for thousands of years like the rest of the river.

There are relatively few turnouts between the Sinks and Metcalf Bottoms picnic area which can make this a somewhat private stretch of water if you make the effort to walk from your vehicle. The long pools at Metcalf bottoms are popular but difficult. The water is smooth and slick and even the most careful wader can spook fish. In the summer this is a popular place for picnicking, swimming, and rock skipping. Fishermen should show up here early or late in the day when the crowds are thin and the trout more active. Also, the pools just above and just below the picnic area are worth scouting. This whole stretch of water is some of the best dry fly water to be found anywhere during the spring and fall.

About a mile and a half upstream of Metcalf Bottoms the river plunges into a gorge as it flows under Long Arm Bridge. The base of the ridge that the river traces is named Long Arm. Wading should be done with caution in this section as it contains some of the fiercest white water on the river. Some of the finest trout habitat on Little River can be found from approximately Long Arm bridge to Elkmont campground. The combination of gentle stream gradient and ideal water temperatures makes this area of the river the most prolific. There are even good populations of bait fish to satisfy the appetite of brown trout with a carnivorous appetite.

Elkmont was once a thriving logging town complete with a train station and post office. The deserted Wonderland Hotel and some empty summer cabins on Little River and Jake's Creek are the only remnants of that era. It is hard to look at this area and identify many of the places seen in old photographs taken in the 1920's. It is even harder to look at the forest surrounding Elkmont today and reconcile it with the photos of mountainsides stripped bare by log skidders.

Sample Pages

Mouse over pages below