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Should I go fishing?
Skip fishing here today.
Flow is high for this time of year.
No access method is recommended today. Review the live conditions below before choosing another river or day.
Check first: Water temperature is unconfirmed. Use a stream thermometer before fishing.
Fishing rating22
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Why this recommendation?
USGS shows 144 cfs. The flow has been rising about 82% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1925-2025, 81 readings) show a median near 73 cfs and the upper quartile near 119 cfs; today's flow is high for the date. Fishable water may exist, but do not rate it highly without a safe access, clarity, and wading or boat plan.
Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Usually checks again about every 45 minutes
If you go
- Check first
- Check TWRA Tellico-Citico permit and closure rules before choosing a stocked reach.
- Try
- Fish upstream through pocket water with short drifts instead of standing in the best seam.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when storms are pushing the river up, road or parking access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout, or TWRA stocked-water and special-rule details have not been checked.
Flow and weather
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- 144 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air forecast
- 70°F
- Next 24h high
- 90.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 4%
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Widespread Fog
- Wind
- 0 mph
- Weather checked
More forecast and source details
Widespread Fog
National Weather Service
Tellico Plains and Tellico River Road, Tennessee
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Tellico River at Tellico Plains
Flies for this time of year
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
- Ant PatternsFoam antView fly guide ↗
- Beetle PatternsbeetleView fly guide ↗
- Stimulatoryellow stimulatorView fly guide ↗
- Grasshopper Patternssmall hopperView fly guide ↗
See flies for every season
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
March to April
What to look forEarly mayflies, little black stones, caddis, and rising freestone trout
May to June
What to look forYellow sallies, sulphurs, Light Cahills, caddis, and pocket-water attractors
Flies to try
July to SeptemberThis season
What to look forTerrestrials, small stones, beetles, ants, and shaded pocket water
Flies to try
October to February
What to look forBWOs, midges, small stones, and slow winter nymph windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
More fishing tips
Methods, fish species and trip notes
How to fish Tellico River today.
The best Tellico days are stable, cool, and clear enough for safe pocket-water wading. If water is high or stained, fish soft edges with nymphs or small streamers and keep an exit plan close.
Low and clear
Use lighter tippet, smaller dries, and keep a low profile around shallow pockets.
Stable moderate flow
Fish dry-droppers through seams, pockets, plunge pools, and boulder edges.
Rising water
Avoid committing to midstream boulders or crossings. The river can change quickly.
Warm afternoons
Use a thermometer and switch to higher, colder water or stop catch-and-release trout fishing if needed.
Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Not recommended todayChoose another river or day
No access method is recommended in today's conditions. Review the live river and weather checks before making another plan.
Wading0/100
Not recommended today. Recheck the river, weather, and access before planning another trip.
Bank fishingNot recommended
Not recommended today. Recheck the river, weather, and access before planning another trip.
FloatingNot recommended
Not recommended today. Recheck the river, weather, and access before planning another trip.
Full river report
Is Tellico River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Tennessee before you go.
The Tellico is a classic Cherokee National Forest freestone. The public gauge is a lower-river planning reference, so pair it with weather, road conditions, and the reach you plan to fish.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Technical fishing
- Technical fishing means the fish are hard to fool, so careful casts and natural drifts matter.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Attractor fly
- An attractor fly is bright or bold. It draws a strike without copying one exact insect.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 144 cfs. The flow has been rising about 82% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1925-2025, 81 readings) show a median near 73 cfs and the upper quartile near 119 cfs; today's flow is high for the date. Fishable water may exist, but do not rate it highly without a safe access, clarity, and wading or boat plan.
HeatUse caution
The current NWS air forecast is about 70F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 90F. This is an air forecast, not a water-temperature reading. This gauge has no live water temperature. Fish early and check the river with a stream thermometer.
Public alertUse caution
An active public alert is in effect near this forecast point, so the score is capped at caution until conditions are checked. NWS alert: Dense Fog Advisory issued September 13 at 3:38AM EDT until September 13 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Morristown TN.
SeasonHelps
Fall: Cooler water, leaves, and small-stream tactics can be good when flows are stable.
Fishing usefulnessHelps
Skip or pivot when storms are pushing the river up, road or parking access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout, or TWRA stocked-water and special-rule details have not been checked.
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports Tellico River at Tellico Plains with USGS 03518500 as the official backstop. Stable, cool, clear water is best. High or stained water should shift the plan to edges or another river.
Skip or pivot when storms are pushing the river up, road or parking access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout, or TWRA stocked-water and special-rule details have not been checked.
Start with TWRA rules and trout information, the RiverReports/USGS trend, USFS Tellico access information, weather, and one legal roadside or forest access choice. Fish pocket seams and shaded edges before moving upstream.
If Tellico is high, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare Hiwassee River for a larger tailwater, Little River for another freestone trout plan, or Watauga River for a technical tailwater option.
Tellico River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.
Before you go
Check TWRA statewide rules, fishing rule exceptions, trout stocking information, and Tellico-Citico permit or closure language before fishing.
Where to access the river
Tellico Plains orientation
Use town as the services base before driving forest roads.
Tellico River Road area
Roadside access is the core plan, but confirm road, campground, and seasonal status.
Bald River and smaller stream context
Useful nearby water, but treat smaller stream rules and conditions separately.
- Confirm Tellico-Citico permit rules before fishing during the permit season.
- Do not assume every pullout is legal or safe. Posted land and road conditions still matter.
- Rain and narrow roads can turn a simple plan into a high-water safety problem.
Sources and report details
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Tellico River report is maintained from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency regulations and trout information, TWRA exception sources, U.S. Forest Service Cherokee National Forest access information, RiverReports and USGS Tellico Plains flow data, weather, media-credit, and mountain freestone planning sources.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Quick questions
What should I check first before fishing Tellico River?
Check TWRA rules and permits, USFS road status, USGS or RiverReports flow, storms, and water temperature.
Where should a first-time visitor start on Tellico River?
Start near Tellico Plains and the Tellico River Road area, then match the exact reach to current TWRA rules.
Can I wade Tellico River?
Often, but only when flows are stable and safe. Avoid crossings during rising or stained water.
What flies should I bring for Tellico River?
Bring the seasonal fly box, then adjust size, weight, and color to the water level, clarity, temperature, and fishing pressure you find.