Anglers that possess the skills to be routinely successful on her can catch fish anywhere in the world.
The South Holston River tailwater is arguably the finest trout stream on the east coast. It regularly yields fish that rival those of Arkansas's White River, New Mexico's San Juan River, and Montana's Big Hole River. With consistent flows, constant cold temps, a high level of dissolved oxygen, the rainbow and brown trout that are found throughout this river are healthy and strong. The South Holston’s brown trout population is entirely wild. Rainbow fingerlings are stocked in certain sections, but these probably end up in the belly of some nocturnal 8 lb brown trout after a mid-night snack!
The South Holston River contains 5000-6000 trout per mile within its 14 mile course between South Holston Lake and Boone Lake, and offers every type of stream feature during low water: long glassy pools, deep runs, ledges that fish like pocket water, shallow riffles, and long seams. The fly fisherman that wants to fish dry flies year round will enjoy year round hatches of sulfurs, blue wing olives, and a variety of midges. Nymphs always are popular flies when imitating the mayflies, midges, craneflies, black flies, and scuds that call this river home.
The river starts at the bottom of the South Holston Dam, the largest earthen dam at its time of construction. From their it flows southwest to eventually empty into Boone Lake.
