After months of snow and cold weather keeping everyone bundled up inside, spring has finally arrived in the majestic Smoky Mountains and with the return of fresh foliage comes the time fishermen young and old alike look forward to most! On April 7th and 8th, the single largest trout tournament in the Smokies, the Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament, makes its triumphant return for the 20th consecutive year!
Two days prior to the first cast of the Tournament over 20 miles of local streams will be stocked with over 10,000 trout to help create the perfect event for area residents and visitors alike. From the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains Park in scenic Gatlinburg all the way to the Sevierville City Park bridge located downstream, fishermen of all ages are invited to make their way into the Smokies to find the peace and tranquility that can only be offered by the full bloom of nature in the springtime!
Prizes and Drawings
Numerous prizes, such as gift certificates, equipment, and passes for local amusements, will be on the line! And for those fishermen lucky enough to reel in either the largest or the smallest trout (though the small fry must be measured at least 7 inches!), there will be a prize of $500. Thanks to Rocky Top Outfitters, a local fishing and hunting guide service well known here in the Smokies and the host of the tournament itself since 1994, there will also be several more chances to try your luck at winning even more prizes with opportunities to enter into any of the several drawings to be held at each weigh-in!
Weigh-ins
The tournament will kick off a half hour before the sun rises over the mountains, which will be around 7:00 am on Saturday, April 7th and pause that afternoon with a weigh-in at Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge by the day’s halt time of 4:00 pm. The fun casts off once more 30 minutes before sunrise on Sunday and concludes with another weigh-in at the park at 2:00 pm. To count for the tournament all catches must be at the weigh-in station at Patriot Park on time. Only fresh rainbow trout will be weighed and the entire weight of the 2-day tournament’s catch will be used to determine winners. Participants must be in attendance during the weigh-ins to win!
Rules and Regulations
- State and local regulations will be honored, so please be sure to have or pick up a Tennessee state fishing license from the TWRA.
- Fishable waters include the Roaring Fork, LeConte Creek, and Dudley Creek.
- No more than one handheld rod with a single hook will be allowed.
- A limit of 5 trout per competitor will be enforced.
- No fishing on Friday, April 6, 2018 will be allowed.
- During the Tournament, competitors will not be permitted to fish with other fishers who have not entered in the competition.
- All competitors are subject to testing via polygraph.
- Officials of the Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament have the right to disqualify any competitor as they see fit.
Registration
To participate, tournament attendees are required to complete a registration form with Rocky Top Outfitters either online, by phone, or in person at the Smoky Mountain Angler store in Gatlinburg. There will also be a $25 entry fee for a single day’s participation or $40 for both days. Please note that group registrations are not available online. While filling out your information, please be sure to select the proper grouping for yourself or those you are applying for. These divisions are Adult (for those 16 or older) or Child (for those 15 and under) and Tourist or Local for those who reside in the area. Late registration will be accepted on Friday, April 6, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Late entries may only be done in person at Riverside Motor Lodge located in Pigeon Forge.