UO Fishing Report - 8/14/26
Well, that heat dome that’s been cooking our far-western neighbors has finally caught up with us. I guess it’s just our turn.
It’s downright uncomfortable out there after lunch! In terms of your own angling opportunities, most mountain trout are out, but stockers, Tailwater trout, and maybe some river bass are in! Just dial into your favorite river gauges and fly shops to know which way to head.
Catch all the details in our full report, here:
https://www.unicoioutfitters.com/fishing-reports
Set your alarms early and enjoy a few morning hours before you duck for cover from that afternoon oven. Duck into one of our two shops and we’ll help you plan your upcoming, cool-weather travels.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
Sautee: 706-878-3083. Open 8-5 daily. (2454 GA Hwy 17, Sautee-Nacoochee.)
Clarkesville: 706-754-0203. Open 8-5 from Monday thru Saturday.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
(Wes said last week’s list is still a good bet)
Dries: parachute ant, para Adams, stimulator, chubby Chernobyl for dry dropper fishing.
Nymphs & Wets:
Drowned ant, UV green weenie, root beer midge, pheasant tail, small buggers, squirmy worms in dirty water from afternoon storms.
Streamers:
Jiggy bugger, muddler, micro peanut envy.
River stripers:
Mop tail changer, bangtail, clouser.
River bass:
Crittermite, stealth bomber, Boogle bug, hairy fodder, coyote.
Bream & Carp:
Hybrid worm, carp it bomb, gill scorpion, amnesia bug, mini jig bugger.
Headwaters:
Go north, go high, and go early, or don’t go. We’ve had no recent, local reports as our bluelines have heated up. Flows are good, but temps are bad, at least on our south slopes. On my way home yesterday after closing the Sautee shop at 5PM, upper Smith and the Hooch on the lower end of the WMA both were 72F.
A real high elevation Hooch trib was a warm 68F. I ran back to that trib at 8 this morning and it had only cooled 2 degrees.
It’s time to give those little wild fish a break. Why? Here you go:
Try some north slope streams or high Smokies tribs if you’ve gotta have a mountain trout fix. Go early! Here’s Ian’s latest park intel:
Or just restock your fly box and wait for cooler weather and water,like some of us are.
Stockers:
GADNR is still providing a decent list of stocked streams for this time of year. I crossed paths with a truckful of stockers while doing a Sarah’s habitat recon this morning.
Just go early to catch the coldest water and the most willing fish. When they get warm and picky, ditch the big bugs and swing a soft hackle on 6x in front of their noses. Sometimes snacks work better than full course meals in warm water.
As always, find the 2026 master list here to find those creeks that will still get stocked late in the season.
UO buddy RSquared: “The GATU Vice Chair & I fished Coopers Creek Thursday. We found a few willing holdovers from the former weeks' stocking at this well-loved put and take fishery. Pink Squirmy Worms were working for me. We also got to check out the new bottomless culvert that USFS funded and Trout Unlimited installed on Duncan Ridge Rd. This will allow fish passage up Mulkey Creek. Always a great time in the Mountains!”
New UO buddy Kaden had some early morning luck on the Tallulah last weekend. His hot bug was a #12 chubby Chernobyl.
Private Waters:
Forget em til October. Low, warm, and in their summer siestas til fall brings cooler water temps. Call your favorite shops and guides in August to book those prime fall weekends.
Tailwaters:
UO buddy Mo: “Our trio finally managed to get on the water again after a looong dry spell. We fished the lower pool last Saturday - early morning till about lunch. As we got to work in the thick mist our usual spots produced some small browns and rainbows. Dry/dropper combo worked but Euro nymphing with a couple of small perdigons was the most productive approach. A small olive streamer jigged thru a deep hole came in second. Bigger browns remained elusive once again but a couple of decent rainbows came to hand before we made our way out of the Hooch.”
Faithful UO reporter Myles: “This morning I had a few free hours, so I decided to hit the Hooch Tailwater. It started off slow, but about 10am, the bites picked up and I made the most of it! I ended up with 42 to hand and missed quite a few, also. I took one fish picture. I was thrilled to have seen this fish, which I assume was very gravid. The usual lighter tippet and small flies did the trick. On my way out I was greeted by 2 box tortoises. Usually I only see one at a time, so it was super cool to have seen 2 together and moving.”
Feel free to contact the Hartley duo for your Hooch intel and maybe a guide trip:
Ryan Hartley: 678-468-0440
Myles Hartley: 678-900-0835
Warm Rivers:
The Hooch at Highway 115 looked promising when I crossed it at 4PM today. It was clearing and had at least 3 feet of visibility. Barring any thunderstorms in the watershed tonite, it could be a nice destination for a weekend bass float.
Check those USGS gauges for your other favorite bass rivers (Etowah, Chestatee, Tooga, etc) and see if this drier week is giving you some float-fishing opportunities, as well.
Our optimistic Helen shop manager, Wes, shares these thoughts: “North Georgia is right on the edge of some excellent river bass fishing. The frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms over the last week and a half have kept our bass rivers blown out and dirty. We caught a break locally on Wednesday with no rain, and the rivers are starting to clear though they’re not quite there yet.
If we can string together a couple more days without heavy afternoon downpours, conditions should be prime for the weekend.
Before you head out check the gauge on whatever river you’re planning to bass fish. If you see a spike, give it 48 hours to clear before making the drive.”
Ponds:
No recent reports. I saw a few bream still on the bed, with bass cruising past them during my hike around Unicoi Lake this morning. That’s a good destination for an early canoe or kayak circuit around the upper end.
Lakes:
No recent reports by our sources as the avoid boater and skier wakes, but this week’s DNR blog is chock-full of northeast GA intel:
Afar:
The pictures suggest that UO guide Sydney had a big time in the keys with her family last week. She said the fish came on flies that she tied and they “got wrecked.”
We hope your air conditioning units hold up this week as we all wait for a break in this August heat dome. Sneak out early if you need a fishing fix. Just aim for the coldest water and thickest shade you can find. Or just hang out at our Sautee store and swap fish stories. Our AC unit works well!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
