Roaring River Park & The Boils
What to throw right now
Per-species breakdown & tactics
Pick a fish, then Fly, Spin, or Colors. Your last pick is remembered.
Best window: morning
ON THIS WATER (Roaring River Park & The Boils): Cumberland River tributary in Jackson County. The Boils is a spring complex that pushes 55-60°F water out of the bedrock — it keeps the river cool through summer when other Cumberland tribs warm out. Pools above and below The Boils are the signature water; long gravel runs connect them.
The head of The Boils pool is the high-percentage water all summer — cold spring inflow stacks smallies on the seam where it meets the warmer river current. Swing a weighted #4 olive Clouser through that seam at first light. Below the spring: tight-line a #8 rust Pat's Rubber Legs through the gravel pocket water; fish hold tight to bottom in the cool slots.
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 (Roaring River Park & The Boils): Cumberland River tributary in Jackson County. The Boils is a spring complex that pushes 55-60°F water out of the bedrock — it keeps the river cool through summer when other Cumberland tribs warm out. Pools above and below The Boils are the signature water; long gravel runs connect them.
Hop a 1/16 oz brown jig + 2" smoke craw trailer through the gravel at the head of The Boils where the cold water enters — the temperature edge does the work, all you have to do is keep contact. Lower river: twitch a #5 silver Floating Rapala dead-slow across the tailout of each pool at sunset, smashes come on the second twitch after a 5-second pause.
BAIT OPTION: Live crayfish (caught on-site by flipping rocks in the shallow gravel runs) on a #4 light-wire hook with one split shot, drifted from the head of The Boils pool through the slack tail. Outfishes store-bought softshells about 2:1.
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
- cloud cover+3
- flow band+3
Best window: morning
ON THIS WATER (Roaring River Park & The Boils): Cumberland River tributary in Jackson County. The Boils is a spring complex that pushes 55-60°F water out of the bedrock — it keeps the river cool through summer when other Cumberland tribs warm out. Pools above and below The Boils are the signature water; long gravel runs connect them.
3-4 wt and a #14 yellow Stimulator drifted through the gravel runs between pools. Redbreast hold in the soft slots below every riffle; cast 8-15 ft above the seam and mend immediately.
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 (Roaring River Park & The Boils): Cumberland River tributary in Jackson County. The Boils is a spring complex that pushes 55-60°F water out of the bedrock — it keeps the river cool through summer when other Cumberland tribs warm out. Pools above and below The Boils are the signature water; long gravel runs connect them.
Ultralight + 1/32 oz inline spinner swung through riffle-pool transitions. For consistent rock bass: 1/16 oz brown jig with a tiny craw trailer ticked along the bottom of the gravel runs.
BAIT OPTION: Red worm on a #8 long-shank under a small pencil bobber set 2 ft deep, drifted through the soft water below each riffle. The high-percentage approach with kids on this water.
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
- cloud cover+3
- flow band+3
Best window: first light
Fly approach is niche here — walleye sit deep in the lower-river pools after dark. If you try: 7 wt fast sink-tip, weighted #2 chartreuse-white Clouser swung through the deepest slot at last light.
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 hair jig tipped with a minnow in the deep pools 1/4 mile below The Boils, last hour of daylight into full dark. Walleye push up out of the Cumberland into this trib spring and fall; numbers are sparse in summer but the fish are there.
BAIT OPTION: Live minnow on a slip-rig with a 1/2 oz egg sinker, drifted through the deep pools at dusk. Bring a headlamp; the bite turns on hard 20 minutes after sunset and lasts about an hour.
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
- cloud cover+3
- flow band+3
Best window: last light
Spring run (mid-Feb through April): wade the lower river where it joins the Cumberland and strip a #4 white-chartreuse Clouser through the current voids behind sandbars. Pause kills are critical; whites smash on the pause.
6-7 wt with a sink-tip or intermediate line, 4 ft 12 lb fluoro, #4 Clouser in white-over-chartreuse. Cast into the current void behind a sand bar or rip; strip-strip-pause back through. The pause is critical, whites smash on the pause. Spring tributary run (Feb-April): wade the mouths of feeder creeks and cover water on every retrieve. Surface schools at dusk: cast through the boil, NOT at the boil, and strip fast.
Flies: Clouser Minnow #4 (white/chartreuse), Wooly Bugger #6
Olive wooly bugger or black game changer. Dark silhouette first, drop to rust nymph if refusals.
In a few hours
Spring run: 1/4 oz Roostertail or 1/8 oz silver spoon cast across the current voids at the river mouth and retrieved just fast enough to spin the blade. Once you find the school, throw to the same spot until it stops. Outside the spring run whites are rare on this river — focus on the Cumberland mainstem instead.
Medium-light rod, 10 lb braid + 6 lb fluoro. 1/4 oz Roostertail or 1/8 oz silver spoon is the classic. Cast across current, retrieve just fast enough to keep contact + spin the blade. For schooling fish at dusk: 3" Sassy Shad on a 1/4 oz head, count it down 2-3 seconds, then jig back with the rod tip. Whites travel in tight schools, once you find one, throw to the same spot until it stops.
Lures: 1/4 oz Roostertail, 1/8 oz spoon (silver), Sassy Shad 3"
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: white, chartreuse, silver
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+11
- barometric trend+10
- pre frontal surge+8
- in season+4
- wind speed+4
- cloud cover+3
- flow band+3
Next 24 hours · weather forecast
Scroll for hourly temperature, wind, and precipitation.
Latest readings
Live telemetry| Air temp (°F) | 68.3°F |
|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 100% |
| Dew point (°C) | 20.6°C |
| discharge cfs | 19 cfs |
| gage height ft | 11.27 in |
| Relative humidity (%) | 50% |
| Chance of precipitation (%) | 6% |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.00 in |
| Barometric pressure (mb) | 1,020.1 mb |
| Rain past 24h (in) | 0.56 in |
| Rain past 6h (in) | 0.00 in |
| Wind direction | ENE (68°) |
| Wind (mph) | 2.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96°F | 73°F | Unknown | — | 1% | 1,024.3 mb | nws | |
| 98°F | 72°F | Unknown | — | 3% | 1,023.4 mb | nws | |
| 97°F | 72°F | Unknown | — | 3% | 1,019.8 mb | nws | |
| 96°F | 70°F | Unknown | — | 3% | 1,015.3 mb | nws | |
| 95°F | 68°F | Unknown | — | 5% | 1,013.9 mb | nws | |
| 93°F | 71°F | Unknown | — | 15% | 1,013.2 mb | nws | |
| 90°F | 68°F | Unknown | — | 24% | 1,014.2 mb | nws | |
| 82°F | 60°F | Unknown | — | 21% | 1,016.1 mb | nws | |
| 83°F | 55°F | Unknown | — | 13% | 1,013.9 mb | nws | |
| 88°F | 56°F | Unknown | — | 11% | 1,016.6 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 |
Access points & navigation
- Brimstone Creek 36.4792, -85.6085 phone map Google OSM
- High School Ramp 36.3799, -85.6657 phone map Google OSM
- Hollemans Bend Boat Ramp 36.3166, -85.7927 phone map Google OSM
- Roaring River Park 36.3743, -85.6414 phone map Google OSM
- Salt Lick Park 36.3227, -85.7852 phone map Google OSM
- Smith's Bend Boat Ramp 36.3237, -85.7827 phone map Google OSM
- Wartrace Park 36.3602, -85.7724 phone map Google OSM
- Whites Bend Boat Ramp 36.3499, -85.7347 phone map Google OSM