Fish Tales

Fish Tales. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rainbow and brown trout, stonerollers, hogsuckers, sculpins, river chubs, and other fish live here in the lower reaches of the Oconaluftee River. But these are just a few of over 85 species found in the Smokies. The park's streams offer multiple mixes of oxygen, temperature, flow rate, and water purity, making for diverse aquatic life. But logging before the park's creation, the introduction of nonnative species, like rainbow and brown trout, and acid precipitation have taken their toll on natives species like brook trout. Today the park's fisheries biologists strive to keep fish populations healthy and to restore native fish species to their original waters., Some species found in park waters , Rainbow trout , Stoneroller , Mottled sculpin , Brook trout , Northern hogsucker , Rock bass , Smallmouth bass, Gaining Ground , Fishing for native brook trout was not allowed in the park for nearly 30 years. This small trout was squeezed from its historic range, and its numbers were drastically reduced because of competition from rainbow trout in lower elevations and high stream acidity from acid precipitation in higher elevations. To restore brookie numbers to their former range, biologists are removing rainbow trout from certain river stretches (above). Brook trout are gaining ground, so much so that now nearly all park streams are opened to brook trout fishing and harvest., A North Carolina or Tennessee state fishing license is required to fish park waters. Before you fish ask at a visitor center for current park fishing regulations.