South Holston River

A Sulphur hatch that never quits.

The South Holston tailwater runs roughly 14 miles below TVA's South Holston Dam to its confluence with the Watauga near Bristol, Tennessee. Cold bottom-draw releases keep the water in the low 50s°F year-round.

The Sulphur hatch (Ephemerella invaria) emerges virtually every day of the year — a quirk of the stable tailwater temperature that is unique among American trout rivers. Size shifts by month (#16 in spring, #20+ in late fall), but the bug is always on.