Roaring River Park & The Boils

86 excellent scored 40 min ago how is this scored?
Bass 86
Water: River
Location: Jackson
Target: Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sunfish
Nearest Access: Roaring River Park & The Boils (36.36670,-85.71670)
Sun: 6:26 AM – 6:49 PM (CDT)

What to throw right now

Fly anglers
HATCH-MODE FLY SETUP: 6 wt rod with floating line, 9 ft 3X-4X tippet. Hatch-on smallmouth on rivers eat dries you'd throw at trout: #10-12 Stimulator or Chubby Chernobyl, often with a #14 rust-color Hare's Ear dropper. On lake smallmouth, a #4 Game Changer (perch finish) twitched along rocky banks at first light covers more water. Cross-current + dead-drift on rivers, twitch-and-pause on lakes.

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.
Spinning / casting anglers
HATCH-MODE SPIN SETUP: medium-light spinning combo, 8 lb braid + 6 lb fluoro leader. River: 1/16 oz brown jig + 2" smoke craw trailer ticked along bottom seams, smallies hammer it during the hatch as they key on emerging caddis nymphs. Lake: tiny 1/16 oz hair jig under a slip-bobber rig drifted along rocky shorelines. Surface action: 1/8 oz Yellow Magic popper twitched dead-slow with 5-second pauses.

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.

Per-species breakdown & tactics

Pick a fish, then Fly, Spin, or Colors. Your last pick is remembered.

Best window: morning

HATCH-MODE FLY SETUP: 6 wt rod with floating line, 9 ft 3X-4X tippet. Hatch-on smallmouth on rivers eat dries you'd throw at trout: #10-12 Stimulator or Chubby Chernobyl, often with a #14 rust-color Hare's Ear dropper. On lake smallmouth, a #4 Game Changer (perch finish) twitched along rocky banks at first light covers more water. Cross-current + dead-drift on rivers, twitch-and-pause on lakes.

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

Fly
92%
Lure
100%
Bait
6%
Hatch: 83% (BWO (fall)) Peak hatch. Surface bite is on now.
Why this score
  • preferred time of day+15
  • pre frontal surge+10
  • barometric trend+10
  • in season+4
  • wind speed+4
  • cloud cover+3
  • flow band+3

Next 24 hours · weather forecast

Scroll for hourly temperature, wind, and precipitation.

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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.

Midge Sizes 18–24
Recommended patterns: Zebra Midge #20, Griffith's Gnat #20, WD-40 #20

Tailwater staple; year-round on Caney Fork

Sulphur Sizes 14–18
Recommended patterns: Sulphur Comparadun #16, Pheasant Tail #16, Yellow Sally

Weeks 14-39 (Apr-Sep) on Caney Fork tailwater; matches South Holston schedule per shop consensus + thermal profile.

BWO (fall) Sizes 20–22
Recommended patterns: RS2 #22, Parachute BWO #20

Cool overcast afternoons

Next few hours · best species

Prime windows for active feeding over the next 12 hours (CDT).

Wed 1:00 PM
Sunfish (midday) 84
Wed 2:00 PM
Sunfish (midday) 81
Wed 3:00 PM
Sunfish (afternoon) 73
Wed 4:00 PM
Sunfish (afternoon) 77
Wed 5:00 PM
Smallmouth Bass (afternoon) 81
Wed 6:00 PM
Smallmouth Bass (afternoon) 79
Wed 7:00 PM
Sunfish (last light) 89
Wed 8:00 PM
Smallmouth Bass (after dark) 93
Wed 9:00 PM best window today
Smallmouth Bass (after dark) 95
Wed 10:00 PM
Smallmouth Bass (after dark) 88
Wed 11:00 PM
Smallmouth Bass (after dark) 92
Thu 12:00 AM
Smallmouth Bass (after dark) 89

7-day forecast

Composite spot scores over the coming week.

TREND SPARKLINE (7-DAY BITE SCORE) Score Range: 0 - 100
Wed Sep 16
78 good
Wed Sep 16
77 good
Wed Sep 16
73 good
Wed Sep 16
71 good
Wed Sep 16
76 good
Wed Sep 16
81 excellent
Wed Sep 16
79 good

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

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)
Statewide creel and length limits by species
SpeciesRule
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

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