Fall Fly Fishing Report – Hazel Creek Brown Trout Run
There’s a special magic that settles over Hazel Creek this time of year — the crisp mornings, the golden light filtering through the trees, and the quiet anticipation that something big is about to happen. That “something” is the annual brown trout migration out of Fontana Lake, and it’s underway right now.
Each fall, as water temperatures cool and daylight hours shorten, large lake-run brown trout begin pushing upstream into Hazel Creek. These powerful, buttery-colored fish are driven by instinct to move up into the creek to feed aggressively in preparation for the spawning season ahead. It’s one of the most exciting and fleeting windows of the year — a chance to connect with truly trophy-sized browns in one of the most beautiful and remote valleys in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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These trout are big, smart, and hungry, making them the ultimate challenge for dedicated anglers. Streamers that imitate baitfish or sculpins are top producers right now, especially early and late in the day. Nymphs and attractor patterns drifted deep through the runs can also bring heart-pounding strikes from fish fresh out of the lake.
Our Hazel Creek guided day trips are in full swing, but spots are very limited — this incredible brown trout migration only lasts a few short weeks. Once spawning begins and water temps drop further, the window closes fast.
If chasing wild, lake-run brown trout in the backcountry is on your bucket list, now’s the time.
Fly Fishing the Smokies will not fish to actively spawning trout or fish over spawning beds. We practice only ethical fly fishing and catch and release only. Conservation is our number one goal. Preservation of our fisheries for decades to come is priority.
Call today to reserve your Hazel Creek trip!
(828) 421-6378
Fly Fishing the Smokies – Guiding anglers to the legendary fall brown trout of Hazel Creek since 1999.