The following Great Smoky Mountains hatch chart is in no way meant to be exhaustive. Rather, my intent is to offer a set of general guidelines on what to expect when fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For example, notice that the charts suggest blue-winged olives hatching throughout the year. While this is true, the specific species and corresponding size may vary widely from month to month and season to season. Another example is that I don’t list nearly all of the species of caddis, but only those that I feel are particularly note-worthy or important to fishermen.
Abrams Creek is an rather unusual exception that offers more hatches than listed below on our Smoky Mountains hatch chart. Check out the page dedicated to Abrams Creek for more information. As you explore the pages dedicated to individual streams, you will see some exceptions to the Smoky Mountain hatch chart below mentioned. For more information on the specific hatches, I recommend visiting James Marsh’s Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains website and specifically check out the hatch charts.
Finally, the “Flies for Hatches” page here will help you learn more about what flies to use. You will find suggestions on how match each hatch as well as what sizes are important. Look for common themes. For example, we often use a Pheasant Tail nymph to imitate a wide variety of small dark nymphs. If you want a professional to take you fishing and introduce you the finer points of matching the hatch here in the Smokies, consider booking a guided fly fishing trip with us.
Smoky Mountains Hatch Chart
