Overmountain Chapter Trout Unlimited
Did you know?
The Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited (OMTU) isn’t just a fishing club—we’re a cold water conservation group. Sure, many of us love chasing trout with a fly rod, but our real passion is protecting and preserving the cold water streams that make those moments possible.
Our mission is simple but important: To conserve, protect, and restore cold water fisheries in the Watauga, South Holston, and Nolichucky watersheds in Northeast Tennessee.
We’re always looking for passionate volunteers to join us—whether that’s helping out in the field, supporting local outreach, or just spreading the word in your community. Every little bit helps.
Can’t volunteer? No problem. Consider supporting our efforts with a donation. Your contribution helps us continue important work to keep these rivers healthy and thriving for generations to come.
Get involved. Make a difference. Protect what matters.
Our Next Chapter Meeting
Mark your calendars for a fun-filled day at the Overmountain Trout Unlimited Annual Picnic and Fishing Day! This year’s picnic will take place on Saturday, June 21st at 11:00 AM at Riverside Park and Playground in Elizabethton. It’s a great opportunity to relax, connect with fellow members, and enjoy some time by the river. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to OMTU, we’d love for you to join us for an afternoon of food, fishing, and good company.
OMTU will be providing food and drinks for everyone, so all you need to bring is a chair and your fishing gear if you plan to wet a line. To help us plan accordingly and ensure there’s enough food for everyone, please RSVP by June 17. We look forward to seeing you there and spending a great day outdoors with friends and fellow conservationists!
WHEN
Saturday, June 21st
11:00AM
WHERE
Riverside Park
600 W Riverside Dr,
Elizabethton, TN 37643
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Briar Creek Stream Restoration Work Day
Come out and participate in TU's strategic wood loading program to help create more habitat for Brook Trout in Briar Creek. We will be placing downed wood material in the stream channel to create wood aggregate structures. These structures increase the frequency of pools, create more gravel spawning areas, increase cover and provide more nutrients for bug life.
Volunteers will spend the first hour learning about rigging equipment and safety protocols. They will then put this knowledge into action at multiple locations in Briar Creek. Everyone will need to wear long pants and bring work gloves and footwear that can get wet. Rigging equipment, helmets and eye protection will be provided.
We will meet on site (see directions below) and plan to work from 9 am - 2 pm. Please note that Briar Creek Road is rough. Lunch will be provided. Up to 8 volunteers can sign up.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
WHEN
Saurday, June 14
9:00 AM
WHERE
From Johnson City, take Cherokee Road west to Lone Oak Road (across from Cherokee Elementary School). Turn onto Lone Oak Road and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Briar Creek Road. We will meet about 2 miles from the intersection of Briar Creek and Lone Oak.
Blue Lines Fishing Series
Discover new waters and reconnect with nature through OMTU’s Blue Lines Fishing Series. This is your chance to hike into quiet streams, cast in water no wider than your fly rod, and chase wild trout in some of the most scenic and remote parts of our region. Whether you're a seasoned angler or just starting out, these adventures offer something special.
📍 Shady Valley Outing
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Sunday, June 29 @ 12:00 PM
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Meet: Shady Valley Country Store, Shady Valley, TN
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Trip Details: Grab an early lunch at the Country Store before we partner up and head to Beaverdam Creek and its native brook trout streams.
Bring your fishing gear, sense of adventure, and a love for wild water. We’ll see you on the stream!
First Saturday Clean-up and Fishing Day
Thanks to your support during the 2025 Tail Water Round-Up, large sections of the Watauga River are now nearly free of debris. However, the Watauga Bluffs State Natural Area still requires multiple clean-ups to remove debris from a small, low-lying section. To address this, we’re incorporating a clean-up component into our First Saturday Fishing Days, allowing us to make steady progress each month.
Event Details
📍 Location: Watauga Bluffs State Natural Area
🕗 Time: 8:00 AM, First Saturday of each month
Participants will be provided with gloves and trash bags before walking less than half a mile to the river. We'll spend an hour or two cleaning up, followed by a relaxing morning of fishing near the bluffs. This area offers excellent wade fishing when there’s no generation. If generation is scheduled, we’ll still proceed with the clean-up, and participants can explore other fishing spots afterward.
For convenience, trash bags will be placed near the river below the rapid, allowing drift boats to easily retrieve them from the boat ramp downstream.
Directions
📍 Address: 3511 Steam Plant Rd, Watauga, TN 37694
Google Maps provides accurate directions, but some GPS systems may not.
From I-26 in Johnson City:
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Take the Watauga Ave exit and head northeast toward the town of Watauga.
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Travel 1 mile on E Watauga Ave, then turn left onto N Broadway at Walgreens.
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Immediately turn right onto E Unaka Ave and continue for 3.5 miles.
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Turn left onto Steam Plant Rd just before Persinger Bridge over the Watauga River.
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Follow Steam Plant Rd for 0.25 miles and then bear to the right
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The parking lot will be another 0.25 miles on the right.
Steam Plant Rd passes under Persinger Bridge and over railroad tracks. Since the parking area is small, please carpool if possible.
We appreciate your help in keeping our river clean and look forward to seeing you there!
Stony Creek Trash Trout
A Trash Trout was installed on Stony Creek in Carter County, thanks to a team effort between Overmountain Trout Unlimited (OMTU), Asheville Greenworks, and some generous donors. This floating trap is designed to catch plastic and trash before it can float downstream into the Watauga River, helping keep the water clean and healthy for fish and people.
OMTU will check and empty the trap about once a month. The project was made possible with support from Tennessee Tri-Fly and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), who helped cover the costs. It’s a great step toward protecting our local streams and keeping them clean for everyone to enjoy.
Hampton Creek Grant
We are excited to share that we have been awarded a $25,000 grant to repair the Brook Trout barrier on the Left Prong of Hampton Creek. Our gratitude goes to the FishAmerica Foundation and The Brunswick Foundation for funding this important project. We also extend our thanks to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for their assistance in securing the grant. Construction is scheduled to begin in May or June 2025.
2025 Tailwater Roundup
What a day! 138 volunteers came together to restore the Watauga and South Holston rivers, with over 110 on the Watauga, alone. This has been our largest clean-up EVER! Several large dumpsters of trash were filled with trash, tires, and other debris at several locations along the rivers.
While significant improvements were made, there is still much to do after the unprecedented damage caused by Helene. Expect to see other clean-up opportunities in the future.
After the clean-up, volunteers met for BBQ and beer at Appalachian Sun Brewery LLC, where lots of folks walked away with sweet gear and guided trips generously donated by local businesses. Organizations providing volunteers included Overmountain Chapter Trout Unlimited, Blue Ridge Guide Association, Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts, East Tennessee State University, and several local outfitters.
THANK YOU to all of our fantastic volunteers and our sponsors!
OMTU Story
Here is a video that was made by OMTU members back in 1999. It tells about the mission of OMTU and some of the past projects that we have worked on as a chapter. The narrator of the video, Paul Anderson, recently passed away so we decided to post this video in his honor. The projects that we have worked on over the years may have changed, but the mission remains the same.
