Citico Creek Tennessee Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout (some wild and
stocked with holdovers)
Brown Trout (some wild and stocked
with holdovers)
Size
Medium
Location
Southwestern North Carolina
Nearest Towns
Tellico Plains
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Tennessee
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The season runs year-round
Winter:
Trout can be caught on warm days during the Winter.
Spring:
Spring is the best time for fly fishing Citico Creek because of the higher water levels and hatches.
Summer:
Summertime is usually too warm for good fishing at least on the hottest days. The uppermost tributaries may be cool enough to fish during most summer days.
Fall:
Fall is certainly the most beautiful time to fish the stream.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Citico Creek Tennessee Citico Creek is located in the Cherokee National Forest in western Tennessee near the North Carolina border. It flows into the Little Tennessee River at the upper end
of Tellico Lake. It is necessary to have a Tellico/Citico Creek trout permit to fish the main part of the stream.
Citico Creek is formed by its North and South Forks in the Unicoi Mountians. The Cherohala Skyway follows the southern boundary of the Citico Creek Wilderness watershed. The creek contains some wild trout in its uppermost locations but it’s also hatchery supported. It is well stocked very regularly from Little Citico Creek to the Citico Creek Wilderness boundary. Forest Service Road 35, known as Citico Creek Road, follows along the stream for almost its entire length. It starts following the creek just below the confluence of the North and South Forks. There are several small tributaries that probably contain some trout but we have not fished them.
Citico Creek is usually very crowded on weekends. Bait fishing is allowed and the weekly stocking of trout keeps the stream buzzing with the bait guys. I would not suggest fishing during the weekends on this stream.
Catching the stocked rainbows is easy with almost any fly you choose. I watched my brother catch three in a row on an in-line spinning lure within less than ten minutes. Angie caught one on a fly while that was going on. We have fished the upper parts of the stream a couple of times and done well each time. Most of the fish were stocked rainbows. We have only caught one brown trout from this stream but we haven’t fished it over a day if you added all the times we have fished it together. We usually stop and make some cast when we drive through area from the North River from the Cherohala Skyway on our way home from fishing. I feel confident, if someone worked at it more than we have it would produce some good fish. We have not fished its North or South Forks but we have been told by knowledgeable Citico locals that would be the best bet for fly fishing the Citico Creek for its wild trout.
The river is about medium size with some long pools, some of which are quite deep. Short riffles and runs connect the pools. It’s beautiful along the river when it isn’t crowded with bait anglers on the weekends.