Finding Obey River Trout
Locating trout on the Obey River is typically the easiest part of the equation. Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery is situated just below Dale Hollow Dam. With a fish hatchery right on the river, this tailwater receives heavier stocking rates than many of our tailwaters. The lake above is worth exploring as well for smallmouth bass and other warm water species.
Catching the Trout
A professional Obey River fly fishing guide is probably the best way to fish this river. This is because wade access is very limited on this small tailwater. A drift boat or other small watercraft enables anglers to reach some of the less pressured sections of this trout stream. That said, you can find a few fish on your own most likely.
To catch Obey River trout, we suggest sticking to nymphs and midges on low water and maybe add some streamers to the mix on high water. Occasionally we even like to fish dry flies. The neat thing about this river is that it gets a variety of bugs. We regularly see caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies on this little trout stream in our float sections. There is lots of access immediately below the dam, but not much wading available here. If you look around a little, you’ll find some spots to wade, but don’t expect too much.
The Fishing
On the Obey River, most of your catch will be on the smaller side. We catch a LOT of fish in the 8-12 inch range. That said, it also harbors a few secrets. We’ve caught brown trout approaching 20″ and rainbows at least that large. We’ve also seen MUCH larger brown trout, but they are few and far between. In other words, this is probably the last river we would recommend to consistently target trophy fish. Instead, this tailwater is all about numbers. We won’t say exactly how many we’ve caught in a day here, but it is a lot of fish. If you just want to relax in a drift boat and catch plenty of trout, then talk to us about a trip to this neat tailwater near Celina, Tennessee.