LIMESTONEDRIFTCREEK, RIVER AND LAKE FISHING, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARDAccess & Rules · No. 21-2
River · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Sevier/Blount County, TN
Little River — The Sinks & the Wye
Where the park’s rules stop and Tennessee’s different smallmouth slot limit starts — an approximate, GIS-derived point, not a surveyed line — plus the gauge reading.
THE LITTLE RIVER INSIDE THE PARKBoundary point GIS-derived · see note below
Where the park’s rules stop
The river leaves the park approximately 35.668° N, 83.715° W, about ¾ mi below the Townsend Wye — a GIS intersection (NPS boundary polygon × USGS hydrography flowline), not a survey. Above it: park rules (7-in min, 5 combined/day). Below it, TWRA: “Little River — Rockford Dam upstream to the GRSM boundary. 13–17 in PLR for smallmouth, one over 17 in/day.” If exactly where you stand matters, call the park — not this card.
Gauge — USGS 03497300
28 Sep 2026, 3:15 PM ET: 73.1 cfs, 1.45 ft, 16.2°C (provisional). Day-of-year median (62 yr): 91.0 cfs — this reading is below median, inside the ordinary range. Not a clarity reading — a gauge does not measure turbidity. Read live before you go: waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-03497300.
The boundary is an estimate, not a survey
This point decides which agency’s rules govern your catch. It is GIS mapping evidence, not a legal survey. If it matters to your trip, call the park’s backcountry office, (865) 436-1297, or TWRA, before you act on it.
LIMESTONEDRIFT
LITTLE RIVERThe Sinks, Tremont & the West Prong
Getting there
The Sinks: a small pull-off at a waterfall on Little River Road, roughly 12 mi from Sugarlands, 8 mi from the Wye — NPS warns visitors have drowned there. From the Wye, Laurel Creek Road passes Tremont Road (Great Smoky Mountains Institute) and gravel Upper Tremont Road to the Middle Prong Trailhead. Parking tag required for any stop over 15 minutes.
Campsites near the Wye & West Prong — NPS GIS layer (25 Aug 2026)
Site
Elev
Cap
Cables
Status
#19 Upper Henderson
2,864 ft
8
1
Closed (bear cables) (NPS)
#28 Marks Cove
3,456 ft
12
2
Unverified
#18 West Prong
1,601 ft
12
3
Unverified
Unverified = last recorded by NPS’s campsite layer, not reconfirmed by the current closures page — only #19 is named on it. #18 sits on the river with a fire ring and bear cables, per NPS. Recreation.gov permit required, $8/person/night + $6 fee.
Regulations, in brief
One hand-held rod, single-hook artificials, up to two flies on a leader. 7-in minimum, 5 fish/day combined plus 20 rock bass (park side). No bait, no treble/gang hooks. TN or NC licence, no trout stamp. A 1983 federal text differs on hours, brook trout and the rock-bass allowance — nothing we read says which governs.
Not verified: TDEC’s consumption-advisory substance/limit; TWRA bait and treble-hook rules below the boundary.
Sources: NPS — Fishing, Current Cautions & Closures, GRSM Backcountry Campsites GIS, boundary FeatureServer; USGS — 03497300 metadata & day-of-year stats, NHD flowline; TWRA — Statewide Fishing Regulation Exceptions; 36 CFR 7.14 and 2.3. Conditions change. Verify closures, the flow and the boundary before you travel. Revised September 2026.
limestonedrift.comAlerts and the water page
Water alerts. Monitoring for Little River is not active. Check the official sources before your trip. limestonedrift.com/alerts/?w=little-river