Fly Fishing the Watauga River. Kevin Howell

      Watauga River (Northeast Tennessee)

       Location: The tailwater section of the Watauga River is located in northeast Tennessee, about 1 hour from Asheville, NC; 2 hours from Knoxville, 3½ hours from Charlotte, NC, and 6 hours from Washington D.C. You can fly commercially to the Watauga via Asheville or Tri Cities, Tennessee.

      The Watauga River begins its 60-mile journey high in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the northwest face of Grandfather Mountain. The Watauga flows northwest through the community of Valle Crucis in Watauga County before crossing the Tennessee state line, where it forms Watauga Lake. After leaving Watauga Dam, the river is immediately impounded again by Wilbur Dam, which provides the flow for 20.6 miles of tailwater fishery before emptying into Boone Reservoir.

      Both Watauga and Wilbur Dams are regulated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Wilbur is a deepwater-release dam. As a result, the Watauga in the summer averages 51 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit. The TVA maintains a guaranteed minimum summer flow schedule for recreational use. The Watauga covers a large drainage basin, and heavy summer storms can cause the Doe River (which enters the main river near the town of Elizabethton) to flash and pump mud into the river. Depending on the size of the rainstorm, the river may be fishable in 12 to 24 hours, or it may take as long as 48 hours. Water flows are driven by power demand, rainfall, and the whims of the TVA. So anglers must always be vigilant for changing water levels. Even though generations are scheduled, they are sometimes modified. Fall drawdowns of Wilbur and Watauga Reservoirs create the largest and longest generations of the year.