Fort Patrick Henry Tailwater of the South Holston River 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
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout (stocked)
Rainbow Trout (stocked)
Size
Medium
Location
North Eastern Tennessee
Nearest Towns
Kingsport
Season
Year-round
Access:
Fair to Good
Non-Resident License
State of Tennessee
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Year-round
Spring:
Springtime would be great when there’s no generation.
Summer:
Fly fishing the Fort Patrick Henry tailwater is probably
best in the Summer.
Fall:
Fall is a good time to fish the tailwater.
Winter:
Warm, nice days may be good during the Winter
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 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 Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 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 The Fort Patrick Henry Tailwater (South Holston River)
When someone says they are going to fish the South Holston River Tailwater, they very correctly could be referring to the Fort Patrick Henry Tailwater which is on the South Holston River. That name isn’t common, however, it’s usually called the Fort Patrick Henry Tailwater.
This stream is found just off of Interstate I-81 at the Kingsport exit. Highway #36 to kingsport will take you across the bridge below the dam at Colonial Heights. You can access the water below the dam on either side of the bridge. There isn’t much water available to fish. As far as I know, this is the only public place you can access the river where the water is still cold enough to support trout.
There is a small parking area just before you get to the bridge and a trail that leads down to the water. There is shallower water that can be waded downstream from the bridge. There’s an angler made trail that follows the river down this same side of the bridge. The other side, is steep and you have to climb down the big rip rap rocks shown in the picture above. It also has lots of brush along the bank making it difficult to cast. The water is too deep to wade there. By the way, the only time you can fish this river wading, is when the water is off. If they are generating any, forget wading.
The one and only time Angie and I fished this river was a trip there to just see what it looked like. We had been fishing for two days up on the upper South Holston. I set my tripod up and ran some video of the stream while Angie shot some stills. In doing so, I noticed fish jumping out of the water just below us. I got the rod out and found a place I could cast over the bushes. The third attempt, I caught about a twelve inch rainbow. I got it all tangled up in the willow trees and had to get wet trying to get it un-hung but I managed to do so. It was probably funny to anyone watching. The trout continued to jump, obviously feeding on something but I never determined what it was. It could have been minnows. They moved and I couldn’t reach them again.
This stream is stocked with brown and rainbow trout twice a year currently. I do not know if it has any holdover trout or not. It appears there are plenty of fish to be caught from our one trip there. We have stopped there three times. It is only a couple of miles off the
interstate but two other times they were running water.