Now until 6 pmRainbow trout
The bite peaks at 78.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Rainbow trout range 45–68°
From the northwest
Sunset 5:27 pm
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Waning crescent
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Tennessee regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Rainbow trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Smalling bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges: 14" minimum, 2 trout a day, no bait.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Watauga Quality Trout Fishing Area
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
No water reading here right now. Brown trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Smalling bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges: 14" minimum, 2 trout a day, no bait.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Watauga Quality Trout Fishing Area
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
Names brown trout, rainbow trout, which people fish for here. It covers the whole state, so it may not describe these waters.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories
The Watauga below Wilbur Dam near Elizabethton — a sister tailwater to the South Holston with big wild browns and stocked rainbows in cold, clear water. Floated and waded, with a designated Quality Trout Fishing Area.
TN: this is the Quality Trout Fishing Area (Smalling bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges) — 14" minimum, 2 trout a day, no bait. The rest of the river is 7 a day. Watch TVA generation flows.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Watauga River you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Watauga River is listed on this site for 2 commonly-targeted species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Watauga River against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Watauga River has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. TN: this is the Quality Trout Fishing Area (Smalling bridge down to the CSX railroad bridges) — 14" minimum, 2 trout a day, no bait. The rest of the river is 7 a day. Watch TVA generation flows.
state agency regulations apply at Watauga River. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Watauga River is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
