I don't think they stock the national park since the NPS is more into wild and native fish these days (I know NC has had a program to preserve the Appalachian brookies for more than 30 years and some streams have only recently been opened to fishing) , but there is stocked water in the area. The Cherokee reservation on the NC side stocks a ton, but you need a Cherokee fishing license to fish there. The walk in fishing is usually wild fish - most stocking is near the road.
My experience down there is that the fishing crowds generally aren't bad, but as everywhere depends on the season and how far you are willing to walk. There are popular spots by the roads and campsites that are crowded in stocking season and wild trout streams where you will generally be alone. In general the South doesn't have the trout/fly fishing heritage the North East does, but there are plenty of good fly fishermen down there and the sport is growing. Bass are still king, but fly fishing for trout is picking up in the mountains and you may need to get off the beaten path to find solitude. When last I looked Smoky Mtn park had 5 million visitors a year which was more than Yosemite and Yellowstone combined. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge TN and Cherokee NC are real tourist traps that handle the crowds. Still plenty of space since most Americans rarely get 100 yds from their cars and the best trout fishing is off-season for the masses.
Smokies are only a small part of the southern trout waters. The southern Appalachians starting up in MD/WVA down through VA, KY, NC, TN and down into GA have good trout fishing. The Allegheny Plateau to the west holds trout streams too, as do the Shenandoahs to the east in VA. Wild fish in the mountains, some bigger valley streams (usually have some monster browns/bows as you hit the smallie/trout boundary), and tailwaters with lots of big trout are all options. The Southern mountains don't get the trout fishing press like the northeast, but there are some gems down there.
My experience down there is that the fishing crowds generally aren't bad, but as everywhere depends on the season and how far you are willing to walk. There are popular spots by the roads and campsites that are crowded in stocking season and wild trout streams where you will generally be alone. In general the South doesn't have the trout/fly fishing heritage the North East does, but there are plenty of good fly fishermen down there and the sport is growing. Bass are still king, but fly fishing for trout is picking up in the mountains and you may need to get off the beaten path to find solitude. When last I looked Smoky Mtn park had 5 million visitors a year which was more than Yosemite and Yellowstone combined. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge TN and Cherokee NC are real tourist traps that handle the crowds. Still plenty of space since most Americans rarely get 100 yds from their cars and the best trout fishing is off-season for the masses.
Smokies are only a small part of the southern trout waters. The southern Appalachians starting up in MD/WVA down through VA, KY, NC, TN and down into GA have good trout fishing. The Allegheny Plateau to the west holds trout streams too, as do the Shenandoahs to the east in VA. Wild fish in the mountains, some bigger valley streams (usually have some monster browns/bows as you hit the smallie/trout boundary), and tailwaters with lots of big trout are all options. The Southern mountains don't get the trout fishing press like the northeast, but there are some gems down there.
