Burgess Falls
What to throw right now
Per-species breakdown & tactics
Pick a fish, then Fly, Spin, or Colors. Your last pick is remembered.
Best window: after dark
Not a practical fly target most days. Heavy Clouser dredged deep is the novelty play.
In a few hours
Anchor a bait rig at the tailout of the plunge pool where the deepwater current slows. Channel cats stage there in summer evenings.
BAIT OPTION: Chicken liver in a mesh bag or a chunk of cut shad on a #2 circle hook with a 1 oz egg sinker, fished tight on the bottom of the plunge pool's deep slack. Sundown into full dark is the window.
Heavy spinning or baitcasting combo, 50 lb braid + 30 lb fluoro leader. For drifting: 7/0 circle hook on a 3-way swivel with a 2-3 oz sinker; bait the hook with cut skipjack (largest available, palm-sized chunks for trophy fish). Drift broadside across the channel edge or anchor upstream of a creek mouth and let the bait sit. Post-rain flush is the trigger; first 24 hours after a 1"+ rainfall puts big fish on submerged wood.
Lures: Cut skipjack on 7/0 circle hook, Cut shad on 6/0 circle hook, Stink bait on treble (channel only)
Cut bait on bottom rigs. Put scent in the current seam and wait.
In a few hours
- Chartreuse Highest visibility in green-stained water. First pick for walleye, sauger, and crappie when stain sets in.
- Orange / flame red Sauger and walleye locate by sight even in stain. Bright contrast beats natural finishes head to head.
Engine pick right now: natural, bloody
Guide pick for stained water (fall): bloody cut shad, blackened liver, chartreuse dip bait
Catfish hunt by smell first. Color barely matters, contrast and scent do. Dark baits with bloody scent win in stain.
Full color matrix for stained water
- barometric trend+10
- pre frontal surge+8
- in season+4
- wind speed+4
- flow band+3
- cloud cover+2
Best window: morning
ON THIS WATER (Burgess Falls): Falling Water River below a 130 ft cascade. The plunge pool at the base is the prime water; downstream is short pocket water and shallow gravel runs before the river slows toward Center Hill backwater.
Fish the seam where the falls' whitewater meets the slack on river-right at the head of the plunge pool — smallmouth stack there for oxygen all summer. Downstream, every plunge-pool tailout is worth one quartering swing with a Clouser before moving on.
6 wt rod, floating line, 9 ft 3X tippet for streamers / 4X-5X for dries. Standard rig: weighted #4 olive/white Clouser or #6 rust crayfish, cast quartering upstream into the head of a current seam, mend hard upstream, then strip-strip-strip as the fly tumbles past you. Pro move: tight-line nymph a #8 rust crayfish (Pat's Rubber Legs) through pocket water with no indicator, feeling for the tick. Strikes on a swung fly come on the dangle; let the fly hang in the seam for 3-5 seconds before recasting.
Flies: Clouser Minnow #4 (olive/white), Wooly Bugger #6, Crayfish #6 (rust)
Olive wooly bugger or black game changer. Dark silhouette first, drop to rust nymph if refusals.
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (Burgess Falls): Falling Water River below a 130 ft cascade. The plunge pool at the base is the prime water; downstream is short pocket water and shallow gravel runs before the river slows toward Center Hill backwater.
Cast a 1/4 oz brown jig into the foam line at the head of the plunge pool and let it sink before the first hop. Below the pool: walk the shoreline downstream and pitch a 1/16 oz hair jig into each pocket between boulders — one or two casts each, then move.
BAIT OPTION: Live crayfish or a chunk of nightcrawler on a #4 light-wire hook with one BB shot, drifted from the head of the plunge pool back through the slack. Outproduces lures right after a rain when the river is stained.
Medium 6'6" rod, 8 lb braid + 6 lb fluoro leader. 3/8 oz football jig + rust craw trailer hopped along bottom seams; the strike comes between hops on slack line. Wade upstream of pocket water + fan-cast each likely lie. For trophy fish at sunset: floating Rapala #5 in silver twitched dead-slow across the tail-out of a pool with long pauses, bigger fish smash on the second twitch after a 5-second pause.
Lures: 1/16 oz brown jig + 2" smoke craw trailer (bottom-tick presentation), 3/8 oz crawfish jig hopped along bottom seams, 4" soft swimbait (smoke) dead-drifted, Floating Rapala #5 (silver) twitched at sunset
Black and blue jig or chartreuse spinnerbait tight to cover. Stained fish hold on wood and rock edges.
In a few hours
- Chartreuse Highest visibility in green-stained water. First pick for walleye, sauger, and crappie when stain sets in.
- Orange / flame red Sauger and walleye locate by sight even in stain. Bright contrast beats natural finishes head to head.
Engine pick right now: rust, olive, shad
Guide pick for stained water (fall): black / blue jig, chartreuse / white spinnerbait
Bass see red and green well and chase high-contrast silhouettes in stain. Black and blue reads as a shad or bluegill profile when detail drops out.
Full color matrix for stained water
- preferred time of day+15
- pre frontal surge+10
- barometric trend+10
- in season+4
- wind speed+4
- flow band+3
- cloud cover+2
Best window: morning
ON THIS WATER (Burgess Falls): Falling Water River below a 130 ft cascade. The plunge pool at the base is the prime water; downstream is short pocket water and shallow gravel runs before the river slows toward Center Hill backwater.
3-4 wt and a #14 yellow Stimulator dapped into the gravel pockets downstream of the plunge pool. The fish are small but eager; the high-percentage water is the shaded slack along the south bank.
3-4 wt short rod (7'6"-8'6"), 9 ft 5X tippet to a #14 yellow Stimulator or #16 black ant. Cast across-current 8-15 ft above the target water; mend immediately so the fly drifts dead. Tail-outs and riffle-pool transitions hold the best fish; rock bass especially love the soft slot below the riffle. Last light is the high-percentage window; trout-style hatch matching matters less than just having a buggy silhouette in the seam.
Flies: Yellow Stimulator #14, Black Ant #16, Small Beetle #14
Small chartreuse bugger or soft hackle under an indicator. Twitchy strips.
In a few hours
ON THIS WATER (Burgess Falls): Falling Water River below a 130 ft cascade. The plunge pool at the base is the prime water; downstream is short pocket water and shallow gravel runs before the river slows toward Center Hill backwater.
Tiny 1/32 oz inline spinner cast across the downstream gravel runs and swung through the soft spots. A #6 Beetle Spin works the same lanes for kids.
BAIT OPTION: Red worm on a #8 long-shank under a small bobber set 2 ft deep. The most reliable family-fishing approach on this river.
Ultralight 5'-6' rod, 4 lb mono. Cast a 1/32 oz inline spinner (silver or black) up + across, retrieve just fast enough to spin the blade. Land it at the head of the riffle and let the current swing it through. Beetle Spin works the same way for sunfish; smaller is better. For rock bass specifically: a 1/16 oz brown jig with a small craw trailer ticked along bottom outproduces moving lures.
Lures: Red Squirmy worm #12 OR olive damsel nymph #12 under a tiny pencil bobber, 1/32 oz inline spinner, small Beetle Spin
Beetle spin or tiny jig tipped with wax worm. Slow roll past beds.
In a few hours
- Chartreuse Highest visibility in green-stained water. First pick for walleye, sauger, and crappie when stain sets in.
- Orange / flame red Sauger and walleye locate by sight even in stain. Bright contrast beats natural finishes head to head.
Engine pick right now: yellow, black, natural
Guide pick for stained water (fall): chartreuse, yellow, pink / white
Sight feeders in shallow water. Small and bright beats big and natural except in the clearest spring pools.
Full color matrix for stained water
- preferred time of day+15
- barometric trend+10
- pre frontal surge+8
- in season+4
- wind speed+4
- flow band+3
- cloud cover+2
Best window: first light
Fly approach is marginal here — the plunge pool is deep and dark and walleye sit at 15-20 ft. If you commit: 7 wt with a fast sink tip, count down 8-10 seconds at the head of the pool, then short strips through the deepest scour.
7 wt with a Type 3 sink-tip; 6 ft 12 lb fluoro to a #2 Clouser. Wade or boat the mud-line seam, cast across to clear water, mend once upstream, then let the fly swing into the dirty water. Walleye + sauger ambush from the dirty side. Strip-set, no rod lift. Walk the mud line at dusk, the bite turns on hard at last light and is over within 90 minutes.
Flies: Clouser Minnow #2 (chartreuse/white)
Niche on fly. Heavy chartreuse Clouser trolled along 20 to 30 ft ledges.
In a few hours
Vertical-jig a 1/4 oz white hair jig tipped with a minnow in the deepest part of the plunge pool at dusk. Fan-cast a 3/8 oz blade bait if the wind lets you keep contact. Best window opens about 30 minutes before full dark.
BAIT OPTION: Live minnow on a slip-bobber rig set to 12-15 ft, drifted along the inside edge of the plunge pool. Park-friendly and effective; check Burgess Falls State Park hours.
Medium-action 6'6" spinning rod, 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluoro. Cast a 1/4 oz hair jig (or 3/8 oz blade bait if the current is stiff) across the seam, count it down 3-4 seconds, then swing it through with the rod tip high so you feel every tick. Late evening: switch to a silver floating Rapala twitched dead-slow through dusk eddies, wakes that don't move trigger huge strikes.
Lures: 1/4 oz hair jig (white) tipped with minnow, 3/8 oz blade bait, Floating Rapala (silver) drifted on dusk eddies
Bottom-bouncer plus chartreuse crawler harness along contour. Slow troll 1.0 to 1.5 mph.
In a few hours
- Chartreuse Highest visibility in green-stained water. First pick for walleye, sauger, and crappie when stain sets in.
- Orange / flame red Sauger and walleye locate by sight even in stain. Bright contrast beats natural finishes head to head.
Engine pick right now: chartreuse, silver
Guide pick for stained water (fall): chartreuse, orange, fire tiger
Walleye eyes gather light. They feed low-light and see chartreuse and orange deeper than any other colors.
Full color matrix for stained water
- barometric trend+10
- pre frontal surge+8
- in season+4
- wind speed+4
- flow band+3
- cloud cover+2
Next 24 hours · weather forecast
Scroll for hourly temperature, wind, and precipitation.
Latest readings
Live telemetry| Air temp (°F) | 67.4°F |
|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 100% |
| Dew point (°C) | 21.7°C |
| discharge cfs | 23 cfs |
| gage height ft | 4.28 in |
| Relative humidity (%) | 56% |
| Chance of precipitation (%) | 5% |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.00 in |
| Barometric pressure (mb) | 1,020.0 mb |
| Rain past 24h (in) | 0.71 in |
| Rain past 6h (in) | 0.00 in |
| Wind direction | ESE (118°) |
| Wind (mph) | 3.3 mph |
Reading freshness
Source update lag| Barometric pressure (mb) | 0 min ago openmeteo |
|---|---|
| Wind (mph) | 0 min ago openmeteo |
| Cloud cover (%) | 0 min ago openmeteo |
| Air temp (°F) | 0 min ago openmeteo |
| Rain past 24h (in) | 2753.1 h ago openmeteo stale |
| Rain past 6h (in) | 0 min ago nws |
Hatch matcher · this month
Active aquatic insect emergences & suggested imitations.
Tailwater staple; year-round on Caney Fork
Weeks 14-39 (Apr-Sep) on Caney Fork tailwater; matches South Holston schedule per shop consensus + thermal profile.
Cool overcast afternoons
Next few hours · best species
Prime windows for active feeding over the next 12 hours (CDT).
7-day forecast
Composite spot scores over the coming week.
10-day weather & pressure outlook
Extended NWS meteorological outlook.
| Day | High | Low | Wind | Cloud | Rain % | Pressure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94°F | 70°F | Unknown | — | 0% | 1,024.3 mb | nws | |
| 96°F | 70°F | Unknown | — | 3% | 1,023.7 mb | nws | |
| 96°F | 70°F | Unknown | — | 3% | 1,019.9 mb | nws | |
| 94°F | 69°F | Unknown | — | 6% | 1,015.6 mb | nws | |
| 95°F | 67°F | Unknown | — | 7% | 1,014.3 mb | nws | |
| 92°F | 68°F | Unknown | — | 16% | 1,013.6 mb | nws | |
| 88°F | 67°F | Unknown | — | 25% | 1,014.3 mb | nws | |
| 81°F | 59°F | Unknown | — | 23% | 1,016.1 mb | nws | |
| 82°F | 54°F | Unknown | — | 15% | 1,013.9 mb | nws | |
| 86°F | 57°F | Unknown | — | 12% | 1,016.4 mb | openmeteo |
Trends · 7 days
Hover chart points for telemetry details. Gold dot represents latest reading.
Barometric pressure (mb)
Water temperature (°F)
Fishing regulations (TWRA)
Statewide creel and length limits. Confirm the current rule on TWRA before you keep a fish.
These are statewide defaults only. Many waters have their own creel, size, or season rules that override this list. Check the water you are fishing on TWRA before you go.
TWRA fishing regulations · Water-specific exceptions
Statewide defaults (19 rules)
| Species | Rule |
|---|---|
| Alligator Gar | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately. |
| Black Bass (includes Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Alabama And Coosa) | No more than 5 black bass per day in any combination may be taken. | None |
| Catfish | Only one (1) catfish over 34 inches may be harvested per day. No harvest limit on catfish less than 34 inches. |
| Crappie | 15 | 10 inches |
| Lake Trout | Only 2 of your 7 total trout may be lake trout. | None |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 36 inches |
| Paddlefish | Paddlefish may be harvested from April 24 through May 31. Daily creel limit is 2 fish per day with no size limit. Culling is prohibited. Exceptions on Center Hill, Cherokee, and Watts Bar reservoirs. |
| Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) | 20 | None |
| Redear Sunfish Or Shellcracker | 20 | None |
| Region 1 Crappie Exception: Unless Otherwise Noted For Specific Waters. | 30 | None |
| Rock Bass Or Redeye And Shadow Bass | 20 | None |
| Sauger Or Sauger/walleye Hybrids | 10 | 15 inches |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | No harvest allowed. Must be returned to the water immediately. |
| Skipjack Herring | 100 | None |
| Striped Bass Or Hybrid Striped Bass (any Combination) | 2 | 15 inches |
| Trout (all Trout Species Combined) | 7 | None |
| Walleye | 5 | 16 inches |
| White Bass | 15 | None |
| Yellow Bass, Bluegill, Warmouth, Bream, Bullheads, Pickerel, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, And Nongame Species | no limit | None |