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.
Upcoming Events
Our Next Chapter Meeting
Northeast TN Trout Update
Join the Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited on Tuesday, October 20 for our monthly chapter meeting featuring special guest speaker Jim Habera with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
Jim will be sharing updates on several important topics affecting trout fisheries across Tennessee and right here in Northeast Tennessee, including:
Tennessee’s Coldwater Hatchery System — Learn about the statewide coldwater hatchery system and changes taking place within the program.
Brook Trout Reintroductions — Hear the latest updates on efforts to restore native Brook Trout to local streams.
2026 Electroshocking Studies — Jim will discuss results from this year’s electroshocking surveys conducted across the region and what those studies are telling us about our local trout populations.
Dinner begins at 6:00 PM, with a short business update at 6:45 PM and the presentation to follow.
We hope to see you there!
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 20
🕕 Time: 6:00PM
📍 Location: Food City (920 N State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City, TN)
Todd Burleson Memorial Cleanup
Come out and join us as our chapter volunteers team up with the residents of the Roan Mountain area to clean up the Doe River and it's tributaries. Everyone is invited to help out with this effort. Bottled water, gloves and garbage bags will be provided. The Burleson Family will be providing breakfast and lunch for all of the participants and we will be giving away some prizes.
📅 Date: Saturday, September 26
🕕 Time: 8:30 AM
📍 Location: Erik Anderson Park (118 Carter St, Roan Mountain, TN 37687)
OMTU Fall Camp Out
Overview:
Join Overmountain Trout Unlimited for our fall camp out in the Smokies! Anglers of all experience levels welcome. We will have fishing opportunities at numerous local wild trout streams including the Little River, Abrams Creek, and Middle Prong watersheds inside the park. All fishing in Great Smoky Mountains NP requires either a TN or NC fishing license, and any vehicle parking inside the park requires a tag. Some will fish the larger, more accessible waters that are near the campground (Little River) and others will hike short distances (1-4 miles) to more remote areas for small stream brook trout fishing in streams such as Anthony creek, Lynn Camp Prong, Sam's creek, and many more. All experience levels are welcome, and we'll happily spend time with beginners who'd like to learn how to fish small streams.
Gear:
We recommend bringing a 7'6" 3 wt for some of the smaller waters or up to a 10' 5 wt for tight-line nymphing the largest body of water, Little River. An 8' or 9' 4 or 5 wt will do an excellent job covering all bases. This time of year, it may still be possible to wet wade, but plan on being a pair of waders. It tends to be drier in October, and dry fly fishing the October caddis can be great. If rain falls before or during the trip, nymphing or streamer fishing can truly come alive as well.
Need gear? Let us know in the RSVP at least 5 days in advance of the event, and we'd be happy to provide boots, waders, or fly rods or flies for you and your company.
Logistics:
Participants are encouraged to stay at Little Arrow Outdoor Resort where we will have dinner together Friday and Saturday nights.
Visit http://www.camplittlearrow.com/ or call (865) 448-6363 reserve your individual tent site, RV site, yurt, or cabin. OMTU will not hold a group reservation, so accommodations should be made directly with the host on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please register HERE so we can get a head count for planning the dinners
📅 Date: October 30 - November 1
📍 Little Arrow Outdoor Resort (118 Stables Dr, Townsend, TN 37882)
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.
Roan Mountain
📅 Date: Sunday, October 4
🕕 Time: 12:00 PM
📍 Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center
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Trip Details: Meet up at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center in Roan Mountain, TN at 8 AM before partnering up and carpooling to the many tributaries of the Doe that house native brook trout.
First Saturday Fishing Days
Who: Fly fishers of all ages and skill levels
What: A few hours of relaxing fishing, most likely on the Watauga River or larger streams within a 30 min drive of Elizabethton.
🗓 Date: Saturday, October 3
🕕 Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: O'Reilly Auto Parts (500 N Sycamore St, Elizabethton, TN 37643) and decide on which river or stream based on conditions the day of.
Please reach out to us if you are a new fly fisher, need gear, or want to learn more!
Thank You, Tailwater Roundup Volunteers & Sponsors!
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who came out on March 14 to support this year’s Tailwater Roundup. Because of your hard work and dedication, we had an amazing turnout of 98 volunteers who helped remove over 10,000 pounds of trash and more than 2,000 pounds of tires from the South Holston and Watauga Rivers.
The impact you made on our local waterways is huge. These rivers are special places for so many of us, and it takes a committed community like this to help protect and preserve them.
A big thank you to the Elizabethton Moose Lodge for hosting our after-party and giving everyone a place to relax and celebrate a job well done.
We also couldn’t do this without the incredible support of our sponsors.
Please help us thank and support the businesses and organizations that made this event possible:
828 Flies
AFTCO
APES
Asheville Fly Fishing Co.
Blue Mountain Fly Fishing
Blue Ridge Guide Association
Bojangles
Burger King
Carter County Solid Waste
Chetola Resort
Cortland
Douglas
Due South Outfitters
Elk Creek Outfitters
Fly Desyne / Megafin Flyfishing
Flying Soho
Hares Ear Flyfishing
Hickory Tree Grocery Store
High Country Boats
High Country Guide Service
Holston Distributing
HUK
Hunter Banks
Love Graham Vintage
Mahoney's
Northern Safety
OMTU
Orvis
Pure Fishing / Hatch / Filson
R.L. Winston Rods
Riverfeet Fly Fishing
South Holston River Company
South Holston River Fly Shop
South Holston River Lodge
Southern Drifters Outfitters
Speckled Trout
Stone Fly Co
Sullivan County Solid Waste
Tailwaters Fly Shop
Tailwaters Lodge
The Fly Box
Trophy Waters Guide Service
TVA
VA Creeper Fly Shop
Watauga River Lodge
Because of all of you, this was one of the most successful cleanups yet. We’re already looking forward to next year.
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.
