fishing and river reports

august 24, 2026

deep into summer here on the cumberland. bugs have been thin the last few days but generally speaking, getting pretty good hatches of midges in the mornings with baetis and sulphurs and some caddis from late morning to evening. flows have been good for drift fishing. nymphing is the best tactic right now for catching fish, and a plethora of the usual suspects have been good to great most days. lots of hopper/dropper fishing happening right now, and that’s mainly what we’ve been focused on. not ideal bank flows early in the day for terrestrial bank fishing, but nice trout can be found holding in the middle of the river on structure and shelf cuts. not seeing a lot of interest in the topwater stuff but when you do usually a quality fish. dropping a pheasant tail or midge off the back will keep you entertained in the meantime. best topwater fishing seems to be first light, and then again after the fog burns off in the late morning and early afternoon.

here are a few helpful generalities to keep in mind. river level and generation schedule can make or break your day. fishing is generally good until the water reaches a certain level in the afternoon. at some point (3+ generators at plateau), the river level becomes too high and swift and the fish tend to spread out and become difficult to find. usually best to get out early and take advantage of the morning and early afternoon. those are typically the best fishing times. location and drift more important than fly selection! in bigger water don’t get caught fishing too far into the main channel. most fish will be concentrated near structure and along seams near the bank, particularly areas with rocky depth changes. as the river level drops, they will move to slots and pockets out in the river. any number of different beadhead nymphs will do just fine. most of the standard generic trout patterns will work at one time or another. even though the river is big, the fish eat small. #1 mistake most new anglers to the river make is fishing flies that are too large. the fish on the cumberland, even the big ones, make a living eating midges, blackfly larva, and tiny sowbugs and scuds. give them what they want and they will find it!

please practice and encourage catch and release fishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! take care of the trout so we can see them again tomorrow!!!!! be courteous and respectful to your fellow anglers. we are all in this together!