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Clinch River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Tennessee’s trophy trout tailwater: the Clinch below Norris grows browns that draw anglers from three states.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
525 cfs
Air / High
99 / 99 F
Wind
E 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03528000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Clinch River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 525 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind E around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 99. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 101 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Clinch River above Tazewell.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03528000.

1,6603,7685,875525 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp99 F
High / Low99 / 73 F
WindE 6-7 mph
Pressure1013.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset07:11 / 20:00
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 99/73 F, wind 11 mph, rain 5%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Clinch River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Clinch River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Clinch River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 97 F, wind to 4 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 4 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Tennessee requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Tennessee license plus trout stamp. Slot limits and special regulations apply on parts of the tailwater: check current TWRA rules.

Access

Miller Island, Peach Orchard and Weir Dam access areas below Norris Dam; commercial shuttles for float trips.

About this water

A cold TVA tailwater below Norris Dam in Anderson County, Tennessee: one of the South’s premier trout rivers.

Fishing Clinch River: the full guide

A tailwater with a reputation

The Clinch River below Norris Dam runs cold and clear through east Tennessee, one of the South’s premier trout tailwaters. TVA’s deep releases hold summer temperatures in the trout range, and the river produces brown trout of genuine size alongside abundant rainbows. Sulphur hatches, midges and a rich sowbug population feed a fishery that fishes twelve months a year.

Fishing the generation

TVA generation governs everything: on low water the river is wadeable across broad gravel flats, fished with small nymphs, midges and dry flies during the famous sulphur hatch in late spring. When turbines run, the river rises fast and becomes drift-boat water for streamer anglers. Check the generation schedule before every trip: it is the single most important variable.

Browns and the hatches

The brown trout are the draw: fish past twenty inches are realistic, feeding on sowbugs, midges and, in season, sulphurs. Nymphing the deeper runs and swinging streamers during generation both produce. The upper river near the dam is the most technical; downstream reaches fish with less pressure. Spring and fall are the strongest seasons.

Anderson County logistics

Access at Miller Island, Peach Orchard, and the Weir Dam area serves waders and boaters, with commercial shuttles available. Norris Dam State Park and the town of Clinton provide services, and Knoxville is 30 minutes south. Generation horns sound before releases: heed them, because the river rises quickly and wading becomes dangerous.

Common questions

How big do the browns get?

Fish past twenty inches are realistic, and the river has produced trophies that rank among the best in the South.

How do I check generation?

TVA publishes release schedules: check them before every trip, because the river rises fast and changes completely.

When are the sulphurs?

Late spring, typically May into June: the river’s best-known hatch and the year’s finest dry-fly window.

Is fishing good at Clinch River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Watts Bar Lake21 miNorris Lake28 miTellico River29 miCherokee Lake47 miDouglas Lake49 miHiwassee River57 mi
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