7 Tips for Trout Fishing in Gatlinburg

Anglers love Gatlinburg’s stocked trout streams and convenient access to fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Use these seven tips for a successful Gatlinburg fishing trip!

1. Get a License

Before you dunk a hook in the water, you’ll need a fishing license plus a separate trout fishing permit. Both are easy to get. Buy a Tennessee license online in advance of your trip to Gatlinburg at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com. Check on the Gatlinburg website for more details about trout permits, licenses, and where to find them in Gatlinburg.

2. Know the Rules

When can you fish? What fish can you keep? In the City of Gatlinburg, you can fish any day except Thursdays, when the city restocks trout. Start as early as a half-hour before sunrise, but you must finish by a half-hour after sunset. The city allows one hand-held rod and a single hook. 

Dec. 1 through Mar. 31 is catch and release fishing, with no bait allowed. April 1 through Nov. 30 is open season when you can fish with bait and keep your catch. The limit is five trout per person.

3. Bring the Kids

Gatlinburg has two stocked Children’s Streams where only kids 12 and under are allowed to fish. One stream is at North Gatlinburg Park and the other is at Mynatt Park.

Kids 12 and under don’t need fishing licenses in Tennessee. The same hours and rules apply at the Children’s Streams as at other local streams, with one difference: The limit on open season catch is two trout per child.

4. Get Your Gear

Forgot your rods? Find everything you need at local outfitters like The Smoky Mountain Angler, Rocky Top Outfitters, Orvis, or Greenbrier Grocery.

5. Find a Spot

City waters include Dudley Creek, LeConte Creek, Roaring Fork Creek, and the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. You’ll also want to explore streams in the national park, where brook, rainbow, and brown trout abound.

6. Book a Guide

A pro can give you a great day out finding trout in national park waters! Take a wade trip or go out on a boat. Spend a few hours with a guide, or a whole day (or more) on backcountry fishing.

7. Stay Close to the Fish

Stay in a Gatlinburg cabin and you’re close to the action. Some of our cabins perch over streams, or have fishing ponds! Browse to find your ideal fishing cabin.