GSMNP

[shane cavitt]

The Great Smoky Mountains (especially the park) is one of my favorite places. I have visited there on a handful of occasions, but never since I started fly fishing. I am in the planning stages for some of my fishing trips next year and I would like to go to the Southeast in addition to just the West this year. I am really most interested in fishing and exploring the park area. My question to all of you who live in the area or have experience in the area is when is the best time to go? Is it the Spring in late April, May and early June or do you prefer the late September-October time frame?

Also, i recently read about the Hazel Creek Fish Camp trip put on by the Rutter’s R&R Fly Fishing. Sounds interesting and reasonably priced. Does anyone have any experience with this trip?

[pete osborne]

Shane,

My personal preference is to fish the park in the fall.

[seth knight]

Shane, if you look under the archived podcasts there is a really good podcast on the smoky mountains park. Even if you don’t find the answer to your question there is a lot of good info

[jeff s]

I manage to fly fish in the park 3-4 times a year.

[douglas mc.]

Is it the Spring in late April, May and early June or do you prefer the late September-October time frame?

Best months in my opinion are April, May, and October. Hazel is nice, but there has been quite a bit of bear activity in a few of the campsites this year forcing the park service to close them, so, if I was planning a trip from out of State, I would definatley have a plan B and C.

[Zach Matthews]

Shane –

If you lived locally and could spend the time to really get familiar with the area and its rivers, I would say the fall; there are large fish in the Park and they are most accessible in the fall, and it is beautiful then.

However, to me the real appeal of the Smokies is not the chance to catch yet another planted brown trout, however large: it is the opportunity to target native brook trout in their natural environment.

[lawrence underwood]

I’ll give a hearty second to Zach’s advice.

[steve yates]

Late March to early June the fishing is usually on fire. If you go before schools get out for the summer you will have a lot less company. You can do the Hazel Creek trip yourself with minimal planning. Pick up one of the fishing guides to the park, they have enough information to get you started in just about direction you want to go. Just about every major watershed and tiny rivulet has fish in it.

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