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Hiwassee River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Hiwassee River in Polk County: Tennessee's first state scenic river, a stocked trout tailwater below Apalachia Powerhouse with a catch-and-release season from October through February.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~47 F est.
Air / High
75 / 75 F
Wind
WNW 2 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Hiwassee River fishes cold and honest: earn your bites in the deep stuff. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 2 mph, steady pressure near 1022 hPa and a high of 75. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:13 AM-12:13 PM and 10:41 PM-12:41 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown troutExcellent

Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Largemouth bassGood

Below about 50°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Yellow perchGood

Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

Tomorrow: Similar at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Tennessee requires a fishing licence from age 13, from $33.00 for residents. What a Tennessee licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with TWRA before you keep anything. The season dates for Tennessee, read off the agency, are on the Tennessee seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low75 / 40 F
WindWNW 2-2 mph
Pressure1022.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:51 / 18:52
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~47 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Hiwassee River this week

The best day on Hiwassee River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:13 AM-12:13 PM and 10:41 PM-12:41 AM
Minor period
4:35 AM-5:35 AM
Sun
07:51 to 18:52
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. Below about 50°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

When to come: the Hiwassee 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
Largemouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 47 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 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 Hiwassee River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 6 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 fishing license plus trout privilege. TWRA special rules, Apalachia Powerhouse to the L&N Railroad Bridge (read 2026-10-06): catch-and-release, artificial lures only and no bait possession from Oct 1 to Feb 28; Mar 1–Sep 30, 7 trout, only 2 browns. Statewide trout limit elsewhere is 7.

Access

Hiwassee Scenic River State Park, visitor center at 404 Spring Creek Road, Delano; Gee Creek Campground (scheduled to close for renovation from spring 2027 to summer 2028).

About this water

The Hiwassee River below Apalachia Powerhouse, a 23-mile Tennessee State Scenic River in Polk County, Tennessee.

Fishing Hiwassee River: the full guide

Tennessee's first scenic river

In 1968 a 23-mile section of the Hiwassee became the first river managed under the Tennessee State Scenic River Program, and Hiwassee Scenic River State Park was established in 1972. The park describes Class II rapids and a river used heavily for rafting, canoeing and kayaking, with the primitive Gee Creek Campground beside it.

Releases and wading

TVA releases upstream can raise the river quickly, scheduled or not, the park warns. Wade fishing is possible only at low flow; at higher flows the river fills with rafters and kayakers. Personal flotation devices are required for paddling and rafting, and aluminum, glass and styrofoam are banned on the river.

Trout and other fish

Tennessee State Parks lists rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch and catfish, with trout fishing strongest from fall through late spring during the stocking season. From Apalachia Powerhouse down to the L&N Railroad Bridge, TWRA runs the river as a delayed-harvest area: from October 1 to February 28 every trout must be released and only artificial lures may be used, with no bait in possession. From March 1 to September 30 the limit is 7 trout, no more than 2 of them browns.

Common questions

Can I keep trout in October?

Not on the reach from Apalachia Powerhouse to the L&N Railroad Bridge. TWRA makes it catch-and-release with artificial lures only from October 1 through February 28; harvest of up to 7 trout, 2 of them browns, resumes March 1.

Can I wade the Hiwassee?

Only at low flow, according to Tennessee State Parks. TVA releases can raise the river fast, and at higher flows it is busy with rafters and kayakers.

Is camping available?

Yes, at the primitive Gee Creek Campground, but the park plans to close it for renovation from early spring 2027 until an expected reopening in summer 2028.

Is fishing good at Hiwassee River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Toccoa River24 miBlue Ridge Lake25 miChickamauga Lake31 miLake Nottely32 miTellico River33 miCarters Lake41 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 35.1883, -84.5025 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.