Fishing in Gatlinburg

Whether you are new to fishing or an experienced angler, Gatlinburg and the streams of the Great Smoky Mountains are great places to cast a line. Gatlinburg waters are a perfect place to cast a line and enjoy some of the finest trout fishing in Tennessee.

The City of Gatlinburg operates a Trout Rearing Facility, which is located at Herbert Holt Park, to enable the weekly stocking of fish in Gatlinburg-managed waters. This is the only municipally-owned trout facility in the State of Tennessee. The facility is managed to maintain a trout fishery, specifically rainbow trout. Fish reared at the facility are transported, in loads ranging from 350 to 500 pounds, per stocking, and deposited into the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River every Thursday, which as a result is the only day that fishing is not allowed in Gatlinburg-managed streams and rivers.

Gatlinburg Trout Fishing License Requirements

Permits are available at City Hall and the Gatlinburg Welcome Center, located along the Spur. Permits are also available online at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com or on the TWRA On The Go App.

Non-Resident Licenses

Ages 12 and under do not require a license
Ages 13-15 will need to purchase a Gatlinburg One-Day Trout Permit (Type 097) OR a combination of the following: Non-resident Junior Hunt/Fish (Type 070), plus either a Gatlinburg Trout-Daily (Type099) or Gatlinburg Three-Day Trout Permit (Type 096)
Ages 16 and up will need to purchase a Gatlinburg 1-Day Trout Permith (Type 097) or a combination of the following: Gatlibburg Trout Daily (Type 099) or Gatlinburg 3-Day Trout (Type 096), plus one of the following non-resident licenses: 3-Day Fish All Species (Type 078), 10-Day Fish All Species (Type 080), or Annual Fish All Species (Type 081)

NOTE: There is no exemption for non-residents over 65

Resident Licenses

Ages 12 and under do not require a license
Ages 13-15 will need to purchase a Junior Hunt/Fish/Trap (Type 002) in combination with a Gatlinburg Trout-Daily (Type 099) or Gatlinburg Three-Day Trout Permit (Type 096) OR a Gatlinburg One-Day Trout Permit (Type 097)
Ages 16-64 who want to fish Gatlinburg waters will need three licenses:
- Annual Hunting and Fishing Combination (Type 001)
- Annual Trout (Type 022)
- Gatlinburg Three-Day Trout Permit (Type 096) or Gatlinburg Trout-Daily (Type 099)
- The Gatlinburg One-Day Trout Permit (Type 097) is all you need to fish Gatlinburg waters, for one day, if you do not wish to buy the annual licenses.
Ages 65 and older need an Annual Resident Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap (Type 164), Permanent Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap (Type 166) or Annual Senior Citizen Sportsman (Type 167)

NOTE: Tennessee Residents with a Sportsman’s License (Type 004) or a Lifetime Sportsman License do not need any other license or permit.

More information on TWRA Licenses and residency requirements to obtain a Tennessee license can be found at this link.

General Regulations (apply year-round)

Fishing is allowed during daylight hours only, which is defined as one half-hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Fishing is permitted with one hand-held rod and a single hook only.
All multiple hooks are prohibited.
No one over 12 years old is allowed to fish in any Children’s Stream.
Gatlinburg streams are closed to fishing every Thursday due to stocking.

Seasonal Regulations

Catch and Release Season: December 1 through March 31

Artificial lures or flies with single hook ONLY.
No *bait allowed.

*Bait is any living or dead organism or prepared substance designed to attract fish by taste or odor. For example, no fish, fish eggs, crayfish, grubs, worms, crickets, corn, cheese, bread, putty or paste-type products, and flavors/scents on artificial lures.

ALL fish caught must be released back into the stream.
Possession of any trout is prohibited, regardless of whether trout are stored in an ice chest, in a vehicle, or otherwise preserved.

Open Season: April 1 through November 30

The daily creel limit is five (5) trout per person for General Streams and two (2) trout per child on Children’s streams.
Possession of more than the daily creel limit is prohibited, regardless of whether trout are fresh, stored in an ice chest, in a vehicle, or otherwise preserved.
There is no size limit and any type of bait may be used.

General Streams

West Prong Little Pigeon River from National Park Boundary downstream to Gnatty Branch, except those sections set aside as Children’s Streams.
Dudley Creek from National Park Boundary downstream to West Prong Little Pigeon River, except those sections set aside as Children’s Streams.
Roaring Fork from National Park Boundary downstream to West Prong Little Pigeon River.
LeConte Creek from Painter’s Branch downstream to West Prong Little Pigeon River.

Children’s Streams

West Prong Little Pigeon River from the Herbert Holt Park entrance bridge downstream to the Gatlinburg By-Pass Bridge.
Dudley Creek from the Highway 441 Bridge downstream to the West Prong Little Pigeon River.
LeConte Creek from Painters Branch upstream to National Park Boundary.

Gatlinburg Trout Facility

Herbert Holt Park is the home of Gatlinburg's Trout Rearing Facility, which is Tennessee's only municipal trout farm. The facility is managed to maintain a trout fishery, specifically rainbow trout, within the city limits of Gatlinburg. Fish reared at the facility are transported, in loads ranging from 350 to 500 lbs. per stocking, and deposited into the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River every Thursday (no fishing is allowed on Thursday).

The waters around Herbert Holt Park, including a short distance upstream and downstream, are designated as "children only-" fishing. The park also provides a handicap-accessible fishing pier within this section of children only waters. The pier allows physically handicapped individuals to access the river to fish and is significant because it is the first fast-water handicap fishing pier in the State of Tennessee. The pier is restricted to children and physically handicapped persons of all ages. All other fishing regulations apply including a creel limit (only 2 fish may be kept while fishing this section of stream). All fish must be released between December 1 and March 31.

The West Prong of the Little Pigeon River is the main waterway that travels through Gatlinburg's city limits. It is accessible to fishermen from the north entrance to Gatlinburg on U.S. 441, through downtown and up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary at the southern end of Gatlinburg. There are three tributaries of the West Prong that are also included in Gatlinburg's fishable waters: Roaring Fork Creek, and LeConte Creek.

There is a second "children only" section of stream at Mynatt Park located along LeConte Creek. This section extends from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Boundary, at the beginning of the Historic Motor Nature Trail, to approximately a quarter mile downstream from Mynatt Park.