Cumberland & Holston River Fly Fishing Report: Late-May Optimization
Welcome to our latest Cumberland and Holston Fishing Report. It has been another stellar week of fly fishing across our regional tailwaters. While the dry fly action on the Holston River remains identical to last week’s excellent bite, the Cumberland River is offering spectacular low flows that open up incredible opportunities from one end to the other. Plus, with rain in the forecast, the fishing is set to stay awesome – provided we get steady showers rather than a sudden downpour, as too much rain in a short window can quickly blow out the rivers.
Cumberland River (Burkesville, Kentucky)
Conditions: The lower flows are officially here, and just as predicted, the river is fishing absolutely great! Last Thursday we did see the average 24-hour outflow rise to 7,000 CFS, but the stellar weekend fishing more than made up for that. On the upper half of the river, the water clarity has been incredible. Getting to visually track brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout chasing down anything that moves in that clear water has been nothing short of spectacular.
The Strategy: With the drop in volume, the fish are active and aggressive. If you are targeting the clear upper sections, keep your eyes on the gravel bars and anywhere you have moving water. Fish Caddis, Sulphur and Stone Fly Nymphs under an indicator close to the bottom. Make sure to impart lots of action and hold on. Streamer fishing yielded the best results in the middle of the river. Fish Timber with moving water. Be ready for fast, visual takes.
Top Fly Patterns for the Cumberland
Fly Selection:
Cased Caddis (Sizes 14–16)
Black Woolly Buggers (Classic trigger pattern)
Double Deceivers (For hunting trophy browns)
La Fontaine’s Sparkle Pupae Emerger (Olive, Size 14)
Purple Collar Frenchies (Sizes 14–16)
Sulphur Comparaduns (Sizes 14–16)
Holston River (Blaine, Tennessee)
Conditions: The Holston is holding steady water-temperature wise. This has the insect life significantly further ahead than what we are seeing on the Cumberland. As you probably know, we are currently navigating a drought in East Tennessee. TVA’s winter power generation left us with low water levels, and the lake is still sitting at 1,058 feet—which is ten feet below summer pool. Although I am skeptical, there is a strong chance of the region seeing significant rain over the next ten days. Given the fact that weather forecasters get paid to be correct fifty percent of the time, I am not changing any plans to go dry-fly fishing a few days this coming weekend!
The Hatch & Strategy: We are experiencing a full-blown Sulphur and Caddis hatch in Blaine, TN. This is technical, “match-the-hatch” fishing at its finest, and success comes down to reading the rise forms. Pay close attention to how the trout are feeding: splashy risers are still keying heavily on caddis and Sulphur emergers, while fish sipping smoothly are taking Sulphur Duns or Caddis flies right off the surface film. Bring your “A” game—it is getting incredibly fun and beautifully perplexing out there.
Recommended Holston River Flies
Tan CDC X Caddis size 16 and 18
Olive CDC Caddis Size 14
La Fontaine’s Sparkle Pupae Emerger in Tan and Olive Size 14 and Sixteen
Sulphur Comparaduns Sizes 14 & 16
Sulphur Yellow Puff Daddies in Sizes 14 and 16
Pro-Tip: Pick Your Battles
We are seeing some incredibly high-quality fish coming to the net on both rivers right now, but maximizing your success this week comes down to adapting to the water and picking your battles.
On the Cumberland River, the strategy is entirely dictated by the flows you chase. When they are running higher water, drop everything and chase it—the streamer fishing right now is nothing short of amazing and offers some of the most explosive, highly visual takes you will see all year. On the flip side, when the flows drop, shift your focus to the gravel bars and heavier current areas to consistently pick up fish on nymphs.
When you find yourself in a dry-fly situation, don’t just rush in and cast blindly at the first splashy rise form you see breaking the surface. Give the pool a few minutes of quiet observation. If you wait it out, you will often find a much larger, trophy-sized trout feeding rhythmically on the Sulphur Duns right behind the smaller fish chasing the caddis emergers.
This is hands-down one of the absolute best times of the year to be out here. The daily temperatures are perfect, the hatches are prime, and the fish are taking full advantage of the heavy protein in the water. Get out there and get in on the action!