(WEBSITE LINKS ARE IN BOLD, GREEN AND ORANGE PRINT)
2 Entrances to the Smoky Mountains from My Bearfoot Cabins
The Smoky Mountains are home to many waterbeds full of fish. There are rivers, creeks, lakes all throughout the National Park and even fishing available within city limits of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, among others.
There are two convenient entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Bearfoot Paradise. Cades Cove entrance in Townsend is a beautiful, scenic drive through Wears Valley and takes approximately 25 minutes to reach the entrance.
Metcalf Bottoms is a beautiful picnic area and home of the Walker Sisters Cabin. This would be the back way to Gatlinburg and the shortest route to your favorite fishing spot in the Smoky Mountain streams. This entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a 15 to 20 minute drive from Bearfoot Paradise.
If you are staying at Bearfoot Adventure, you are a short 14 minute drive to Gatlinburg.
There are over 67 species of fish in the Smoky Mountains, including:
Brook Silverside
White Sucker
River Redhorse
Rock Bass
Warmouth
Bluegill
White and Black Crappie
Gizzard Shad
Flame Chub
Fathead Minnow
Fantail Darter
Walleye
Mountain Brook Lamprey
Recommended Fishing Spots
Douglas Lake (Dandridge TN)
French Broad River (Sevierville/Kodak TN)
Pigeon River (Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge TN)
Townsend Wye (Townsend TN)
Gatlinburg City Parks (Gatlinburg TN)
Cosby Creek (Cosby TN)
Fly Fishing in Tennessee
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s main fly fishing attraction is its native Appalachian brook trout. This is the only native species of trout in the park or the Southeastern United States. There isn’t any particular best time for fly-fishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Trout can be taken throughout the year. This is probably the single most important advantage in fly fishing in the Southeastern United States.
When other seasons are closed or when other trout waters are simply too cold to fish or even frozen over, you can usually catch trout in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Trout can be caught during any of the four seasons of the year in the Smokies although different strategies and techniques are required.”
I recommend you visit the Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Website. This site will not disappoint any angler.
Douglas Lake Fishing
When you fish Douglas Lake you will experience a scenic 45 minute drive from any of the My Bearfoot Cabins.
Douglas Lake is a fertile, Tennessee Valley Authority impounded reservoir with 555-miles of shoreline and a surface area of 30,600-acres. The shoreline is primarily farmland and residential, with rolling hills. Water levels fluctuate a great deal and the winter draw-down can become relatively severe. The reservoir has 12 marinas and approximately 16 boat ramps.
Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish are the most popular game fish for Douglas anglers. Sauger, walleye, and white bass also provide excellent fishing opportunities when they make their late-winter spawning runs to the headwaters. Douglas Lake’s game fish feed on an abundant supply of gizzard shad, bluegill, and various types of minnows.
Fishing Regulations and Rules
A valid fishing license or permit is required. Both Tennesse and North Carolina state licenses are valid throughout the park and no trout stamp is required. Fishing licenses and permits are not available in the park, but can be purchased in nearby towns or online (links provided by state below). Special permits are required for fishing in Gatlinburg and Cherokee.
Tennessee License Requirements
Residents and nonresidents age 13 and older must have a valid license. Residents age 65 and older may obtain a special license from the state. Buy a license from the state government of Tennessee.
Permits Can Be Acquired at these Locations when staying with My Bearfoot Cabins
Orvis (Sevierville TN)
136 Apple Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 774-4162
http://www.orvis.com/sevierville
GSM Outfitters LLC (Wears Valley, TN)
3275 Wears Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862
www.gsmoutfitters.com(865) 366-2608
The Smoky Mountain Angler (Gatlinburg, TN)
469 Brookside Village Way
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-8746
http://www.smokymountainangler.com
Little River Outfitters
106 Town Square Dr
Townsend, TN 37882
(865) 448-9459
http://littleriveroutfitters.com
Don’t forget to experience the Smoky Mountains in one of the My Bearfoot Cabins.
Availability Calendars are on the website for each cabin and are updated 24/7 in real time.
Pat and Don Kirchhoefer, owners
618-559-3915
pat@mybearfootcabins.com
https://mybearfootcabins.com
