Clinch River

Depending on the day you come to fish, the Clinch may be the most incredible trout fishing experience you've ever had, or one of the most frustrating. During the good times some fishermen refer to the river as "The Cinch" but call it "The Grinch" during the tough times. The Clinch is the classic example of a Tennessee tailwater. Its water remains ice cold all year long and its trout grow with remarkable speed. While the food base is not particularly diverse, it is incredibly abundant. The menu for trout consists mostly of sow bugs, scuds, and midge larva. Caddis and mayflies are present in the river but their imitations do not have the day to day consistency of the sowbug and midge patterns.

The Clinch can be fished with a variety of flies, but the most productive fishers have a strong bias toward small nymphs and fine tippets. Many of the most successful flies are fished in a #18 or smaller. Sulphur mayfly and midge hatches can often provide stellar examples of selective trout. The picky nature of Clinch River trout is legendary and most of the regulars fish their own jealously guarded fly patterns. The clear, slow moving water makes fly selection very important. Be sure to come with a varied selection because what slayed them yesterday sometimes falls flat tomorrow.

A weir dam is located about a mile downstream of Norris Dam and provides aeration and controls the fall of water downstream. This weir dam creates a large, slow pool that is full of large trout. Dry fly fishing in the weir pool is not very practical as the trout tend to do most of their feeding subsurface. You may occasionally find some consistent risers but you will generally have the best results with a midge pupa rather than dry fly. Midges, scuds, and sowbugs are the most common trout foods here. The best method is to fish a small nymph pattern from a strike indicator. Since the current is extremely slow this can feel like bobber fishing in a pond. Pick a nice patch of water and make the same drift over and over. The trout cruise so one will eventually find your fly if you keep it in a good spot. Action is almost always relatively slow here, but hang on when you do hook one. Large fish are common. If this style of fishing is too slow for you, try stripping a small Woolly Bugger or head to riffles downstream. Be extremely careful when wading in the weir pool. While it is shallow enough to wade when the generators are off, there are plenty of deep drop offs. Anyone that wades far into the pool will do so by wading along a maze of rock ledges. Be sure to start wading to shore before the generators come on. Finding your way back in rising water can be tricky and the water rises quickly this close to the turbines.

Mayfly nymphs and caddis larva are present in good numbers in all other sections of the river. However, don't neglect the midges. Steadily rising fish can be good dry fly targets, particularly when sulphurs are hatching. However, Clinch River trout seem to have a weakness for emergers so don't press the issue if you can't get a take with a dry fly. Unweighted pheasant tail nymphs can be very effective when fished to risers during the sulphur hatch. Soft hackles should also find a place in your fly box during caddis emergences.

Wading

Wading options are somewhat limited on the Clinch unless you have a friend with private access. There are really only a few options. The area with the most access is just below Norris Dam. The river above the weir dam can be difficult to wade because of shallow ledges that suddenly drop into deeper water. Several fishermen prefer to fish this area with a belly boat to eliminate the risk of falling off the ledges. Be sure to head for the bank before the generators are scheduled to come on. The river is accessible below the weir dam but there are limited places to park a car.

The popular Miller's Island access and boat launch provides a good entry to the river a short distance from the dam. There is an abundance of riffles and runs here which are often kinder to fishermen than the flat water above the weir. There is intermittent access downstream of Miller's Island down to Massengill Bridge. This water is generally flat with a few shoals. The water rises and falls in about twenty to thirty minutes since the dam is not too far away.

The next easy access for the wader is at the Anderson County Detention Center in Clinton off of Highway 61. In addition to keeping track of generation schedules it is important not to get too close to the prison or you'll set off a bevy of alarms that will be sure to delay your trip to the river. This section of river has the most shoals for the wader that enjoys fishing water with some flow. The Highway 61 boat ramp, across the river from the jail, affords some access for the wader, but the water gets too deep very quickly. The water usually rises here about four or five hours after the turbines come on depending on the amount of generation. It takes about seven hours for the water to fall after the turbines turn off. Even a period of only a few hours of zero generation can provide a full day of fishing. Start by fishing while the generators are off near the dam. When the water rises leave to fish at Clinton. Sometimes by the time the water rises at Clinton the generators have turned off and the water is low at the dam again.

The Clinch is easily accessible from interstate 75. Getting off at the Norris exit puts you squarely between the dam and the lower section near the jail. Turning south on highway 61 will take you to Clinton. Turn right immediately after crossing the river over the bridge to park at the prison. To get on the upper river near the dam turn north on highway 61. After passing the Museum of Appalachia look for the left turn to Norris Dam. You will pass the Miller's Island access and ramp on the way to the dam.

Floating

The Clinch is one of the easier tailwaters to float. There aren't really any dangerous spots when the water is at a good level to float, one or no generators. The biggest threat is bottoming out on shallow riffles and ledges. The river is fishable with one generator but should be considered not wadeable. Fishing a sulphur hatch with one generator can be excellent. These are also good conditions to fish streamers.

Drift boats, rafts, and john boats are the best craft to employ if the river is generating. Canoes will work best when flow is minimal. Anyone floating in a john boat needs to use caution. There are several places that could easily separate your outboard engine from the transom if approached wrong.

Floating the Clinch can also pair well with wading. You may consider floating into a shoal and wade until the water comes up. Floating the river in a canoe or other small craft is an excellent way to gain access to productive shoals that are otherwise off limits. However, this requires a period of no generation. Once the water rises you can ride the current to your take out. Some also prefer to use canoes or personal pontoon watercraft to fish the weir pool. This takes the risk out of filling your waders from a wrong step. There is a canoe access on the weir pool. This should only be used when the generators are off. Do not, under any circumstances, try to float over the weir dam.

A long full day float may start at the Miller's Island launch and end at the Highway 61 ramp. However, take note that much of the water from Massengill bridge to the Peach Orchard boat ramp is deep and slow. The most popular float is from the Peach Orchard ramp to the ramp at Highway 61. Peach Orchard is also the best spot to launch if you plan on doing any wade fishing during periods of no power generation.

Floating from Miller's Island to Peach Orchard is relatively short and is impractical when the water is not running. If there is no generation you'll either be dragging the boat over shallow riffle or rowing through still spots. Look for one generator for this float. Float with two generators and you'll make it to Peach Orchard in only a short amount of time. These are pretty tough conditions to catch trout.

One method of floating that can be productive is to put in just before the water rises. The fish usually become a bit more active when the water rises. Action can be excellent if you can manage to stay with the crest of rising water. You may want to anchor along a pod of nice fish but you'll end up behind the rising water. It may be worth it, though.

The river is safe to float in a raft, drift boat, or john boat when two generators are pushing water, although not favorable. The best way to characterize a fishing trip with two generators is a fast boat ride. Do not expect to find any rising fish. Also, currents will generally be too deep and swift to make nymph fishing practical. This is the time to throw big, oversize streamers on a sinking line or using hardware on a spinning outfit. Fishing is usually slow under these conditions, but this is also the best time to hook up with a truly large trout. This is also the best method to hook up with one of the rare stripers in the river. Flies that push a lot of water and have lots of action will work best. Be sure to work all log jams and eddies along the bank. A larger rod such as a seven weight will make the chore of casting a big fly easier and chances are good that the fish will equal the rod.

Alternatives

The Clinch is a little over an hour from other trout water in the area. If generation schedules keep you out of the water, check to see what is happening on the Holston River. This is a little over an hour away. Also, Little River and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are approximately 90 minutes away.

Sample Pages

Mouse over pages below