Overview of Fly Fishing the Oconaluftee River
One of the major streams of the Smokies, the Oconaluftee River features deep pools, fast riffles, and hidden pocket water stretches. Anglers will find wild rainbow and brown trout in the lower reaches with native brook trout found in headwater tributaries. Access is excellent as the stream flows along highway 441. Fly fishing the Oconaluftee River is the best way to catch fish.
One of the better brown trout streams in the Park on par with Little River, Deep Creek, and Hazel Creek, the Oconaluftee River is a great place to catch a trophy. The lower portions flow through Cherokee tribal lands as the river winds towards a meeting with the Tuckasegee River. The tribe does an excellent job of stocking their portion of the stream if you want to fish stocked water. For purposes of this page, we will focus strictly on the portion of the Oconaluftee lying within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Lower Reaches: Cherokee to Smokemont
The lowest few miles of the Oconaluftee River in the Park features many large pools, riffles, and deep runs. This is big water by Park standards and one of the better places in the whole Park to find larger trout. Trophy brown trout and wily rainbows inhabit this section. The dry fly fishing can be extraordinary, but on most days nymphs will produce more fish. Streamers can turn a big brown or two if you stick to the program.
Because of the pressure on this section, try downsizing your flies. Another favorite strategy is to use sparse dressings on your dry flies. Parachute Adams with minimal hackle are a tried and true favorite. Small pheasant tail nymphs are a great choice either as droppers under the dry fly or fished deep under an indicator. Big stonefly nymphs are a favorite choice to target large browns.
Watch out for elk while fishing this stretch. The Oconaluftee herd frequents this stretch of water. I’ve often been working along the bank, focused on the water, when suddenly I see a bedded down elk just a few yards away. Most of the year they won’t bother you. However, the big bulls in particular should be given their space.
The Middle Reaches: Smokemont to Kephart Prong
This portion of the Oconaluftee starts to get smaller in a hurry. The addition of water from Bradley Fork just below the Smokemont Campground doubles the size of the stream. Above there, the gradient mostly stays low, but the stream is dramatically smaller. Pocket water abounds and large pools become less frequent. Rainbows and browns are still the dominant species, but the average size starts to drop a little. Still, don’t be surprised if you hook a big brown. I’ve seen fish over 20 inches a lot higher on this drainage than most people would think.
The only tributary of note in this stretch is Collins Creek. The picnic area here is a nice place to relax and enjoy lunch without crowds. There are some trout in Collins Creek, but don’t expect too much. It is a very small stream with tight casting conditions. This isn’t more than a novel place to wet a line unless you like crawling through rhododendron.
Access is still decent in this stretch, but the distance between roadside pullouts begins increasing. Make sure you know where your next exit point is when you get in the stream. It just might be farther than you think. Steeper sections also become more and more common, and the long flats of the lower river fewer and farther between.
Utilize a dry fly with a nymph dropper most of the year on this section of water. Most of this stream is just the right depth for this method. The occasional deep pool might be worth tying on a nymph rig for, but you’ll be back in pocket water immediately. In summer, try a yellow Stimulator or Neversink caddis on top and a bead head caddis pupa or bead head pheasant tail on the bottom.
The Upper Reaches: Above Kephart Prong
This is a particularly fine section to enjoy fly fishing the Oconaluftee River. The gradient quickly gets steeper as you head upstream above Kephart Prong. Plunges, pools, and pocket water abound. A few brook trout start mixing in and the chance for a Smoky Mountain hat trick (or slam) of a rainbow, brown, and brook trout is a distinct possibility.
A dry/dropper rig continues as the best way to fish this section. A single dry fly isn’t a bad idea either. Knowing your in and out spots are even more important as there are long sections without good access to the road. A large landslide in this section a few years ago made a great natural ramp up from the creek. For several seasons it was a great place to get in and out. However, it is now severely overgrown with briers and is best left to the wild critters.
To me, this upper section is ideal for a 4 weight or lighter. I often use a rod in the 1-3 weight range on these small streams along with a small box of dry flies. Still, a few small bead head nymphs as a dropper can make or break the day, so don’t ignore subsurface offerings either.
Fly Fishing the Oconaluftee River With a Guide
If you want a fly fishing guide to show you around, the crew at Trout Zone Anglers is glad to help! One of our favorite rivers in the Smokies, the Oconaluftee River has something for everyone. If you want to push your skill set, this is a good place to head hunt larger brown trout. If you want to search for risers, we can probably find a few fish looking up. If small stream pocket water fishing is your thing, we can do that as well!