Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Trophy brown trout tailwater below Norris Dam. The river tops out around 12 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Clinch River runs 451 acres with 38.9 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 13.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 9.8 mi end to end and 3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Anderson County. The nearest mapped water is Melton Hill Lake, 14 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 12 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Norris Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 1 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 12 ft. Start at Norris Dam tailrace. It's a dam tailrace holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Norris Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Norris Dam tailrace, sits near 10 ft.
Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Clinch River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Clinch River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout on Clinch River.
Norris Dam tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Clinch River is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Melton Hill Lake 14 mi · Tennessee River - Reach 3 of 3 18 mi · Norris Lake 21 mi · Fort Loudoun Lake 23 mi · Obed River 33 mi · Watts Bar Lake 35 mi · Tellico Lake 37 mi · Douglas Lake 40 mi · Cherokee Lake 41 mi · Laurel River Lake 56 mi, KY · Fontana Lake 57 mi, NC · Santeetlah Lake 57 mi, NC
See how Clinch River stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Tennessee · best brown trout lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.