How to Catch Fish on the South Holston River: A Guide

The South Holston is a notoriously technical tailwater, but you don't need to overcomplicate it to catch fish. Here's a practical, no-nonsense guide to where to go, what gear to use, and how to catch fish on the South Holston River.

Watch the video above for a walkthrough of the gear and tactics covered in this guide, or read on for the full breakdown.

I Just Want to Catch a Fish

Angler netting a trout while wading the South Holston River, Tennessee

The South Holston receives a lot of (well deserved) attention. The number of anglers combined with low, clear water and small bugs makes for a very challenging fishery. Pair that with approximately 15 miles of fishable water and nuanced seasonal patterns, and it can be a daunting river to approach. For a lot of people visiting the South Holston for the first time (potentially after a frustrating first outing) they just want to catch a fish.

I was lucky enough to have people to get me started (and a whole lot more), and want to pass on enough to get people hooked on the Holston in the same way that I was. This information is tailored to the wade angler looking to just catch a fish on the South Holston.

Where Should I Fish on the South Holston River?

The South Holston flows into Boone Lake, and the movements of its large brown trout population have been well documented. For an excellent description of this with a lot of nuance, track down “Survival and Movements of Large Brown Trout in a Regulated River System in East Tennessee” by Matthew Mort. If you just want to catch a fish, you should know that late spring through fall the highest fish density is on the upper river.

Misty dawn view of the upper South Holston River tailwater in Tennessee

Lucky for us anglers, there is plenty of public access on the upper river provided by TVA. If you’re looking to just plug in a set of coordinates into GPS, go here:

There are trails down both sides of the river with plenty of river access.

Is the South Holston River Safe to Wade?

It’s important to understand that you will be about a mile from South Holston Dam. They use it to generate power by releasing a lot of water. Check the South Holston Generation Schedule released by TVA. It takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour for the water to come up on the upper river once they start generating (see the Blue Ridge Guide resources page for more detail). Wading is not recommended on generation and you should be ready to get out prior to the water coming up. Make sure you understand the generation schedule before going and err on the side of caution!

What Gear to Use?

Use what you have.

Which Fly Rod?

You don’t have to have a specific rod or line to catch fish. But having said that, I definitely have my preferences. I am trying to throw long leaders with light tippet, and I find a long light rod does this most effectively. See “Euro Rod for Dry Fly Fishing: Why It's My Go-To Rod” for more detail.

Angler fighting a trout while wading the South Holston River tailwater

What Fly Line?

Use what you have, but true to weight double taper lines or lines with long tapers are most effective. Three and four weight lines definitely have advantages over heavier lines on the upper river. Our favorites are:

What Leader Should I Use?

Fish the longest leader that you can effectively cast. We often fish a 12ft 6X leader, cut off about 6 inches and then tie on 2ft to 6ft of additional tippet (we will taper longer sections). If you have difficulty casting a 12ft leader, use a 9ft leader. Some of our favorites are:

What Tippet Size Should I Use?

I wish it weren’t the case, but there is a big difference in the number of eats you’ll get when you switch from 6X to 7X. Use the lightest tippet you can. We recommend 7X. We use fluorocarbon. Sometimes we fish 8X… but you don’t have to.

What is the Best Tactic for the South Holston River?

When wade fishing the upper South Holston we recommend dry/dropper fishing for catching numbers. You will catch fish on your dry fly, but it also acts as an extremely subtle and sensitive strike indicator. Tie your dry fly to your tippet (hopefully 6.5X or 7X), and tie an additional ~20” tippet section to the bend of your hook. To the end of this tippet tie on a size 20 or 22 midge.

How do I Keep My Dry Floating?

There are various pretreatment methods and floatants you can apply first (like HighNDry Liquid Spray Floatant), but at the very least apply a good dry fly desiccant like Frog’s Fanny, HighNDry Powdered Floatant, or HighNDry Powdered Floatant & Desiccant. Do this before you make your first cast, and then as needed as you fish.

What Flies Work on the South Holston River?

Picking the right dry fly is a crucial part of dry/dropper fishing. You want a fly that is going to land quietly, cut through the air on the cast, detect subtle takes, and potentially catch a fish on its own. For us the answer is a fly we call a “Puff Plus.” This is modeled heavily after Blake Boyd’s Puff Daddy, but employs additional CDC to aid with floatation and visibility. Other sulphur patterns will work, but the Puff Plus has a lot of advantages.

Sulphur mayfly held in hand on the South Holston River, a key hatch to match

The Tailwaters Super Secret Midge is the fly that we tie on as our dropper by default. If you don’t have any in your box a Zebra Midge will catch fish too. The predominant food sources on the upper river are pretty basic: sulphurs, blue wings, scuds, and midges (yes, there are some small caddis, black flies, terrestrials… but that covers the vast majority of it). Great dropper flies include:

What Other Tactics Work Well?

Sometimes fish are just keyed in on dry flies. If this is the case we cut off the trailing midge, replace it with a dry fly, and fish two dries. When sulphurs are hatching a Sulphur Smoke Jumper is often the first fly we try switching to.

Sometimes the fish are in deeper, slower pools. In this case you can sometimes find more success by replacing your dry fly with a second subsurface fly (a midge or mayfly imitation works well) and adding an indicator. We like:

In Summary

  • Generally fish the upper river
  • Use the gear you have, but long light rods have advantages
  • Fish long light leaders and light tippet (6X at a minimum…)
  • Dry/Dropper fish
  • Use Size 20 or 22 midge to start for your dropper
Angler releasing a South Holston River brown trout caught on a fly

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I fish on the South Holston River if I just want to catch a fish?

Late spring through fall, the upper river has the highest fish density, and there's plenty of public wade access provided by TVA on both sides of the river.

Is the South Holston River safe to wade?

Only when the dam isn't generating. You're fishing about a mile below South Holston Dam, and once generation starts, it takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour for water to reach the upper river. Check the TVA generation schedule before you go, and be ready to get out well before the water comes up.

What is the best tactic for catching fish on the South Holston?

Typically dry/dropper fishing. Tie a dry fly to your tippet, add about 20 inches of tippet off the bend of the hook, and tie on a size 20 or 22 midge. The dry fly catches fish on its own and also works as a sensitive strike indicator for the midge below it.

What flies work best on the South Holston River?

A dry fly like a Puff Plus paired with a small midge dropper (a Zebra Midge in size 20–22 is a reliable starting point) covers most days. The river's dominant food sources are sulphurs, blue wings, scuds, and midges.

What tippet size should I use on the South Holston?

Fish light – 6X at minimum, with 7X fluorocarbon as the default recommendation – the difference in strikes between 6X and 7X is significant on this river. Some anglers go to 8X, though it's not required.

What fly rod and line work best for the South Holston?

There's no single required setup, but a long, light rod paired with a true-to-weight 3wt or 4wt line (double taper or longer front taper) makes it easier to fish the long leaders and light tippet this river rewards.

How do I keep my dry fly floating during a long day of dry/dropper fishing?

Pretreat with a liquid floatant before your first cast, then touch up with a powdered desiccant like Frog's Fanny as you fish. Reapply as needed throughout the day, especially after netting a fish.