Tazewell/New Tazewell Area fishing

[Chiflyguy]

Looked at a half done house and a couple acres this past weekend, offer accepted so now I need to find some fishin spots.
Mostly a fly fisherman, smallmouth are my first love as well as walleye, trout, panfish and ive been musky fishin a few times in Ontario Canada.
Looked at the Clinch River, Big Sycamore Creek , and the Holston River.
Any of the residents here got some advice?

 

[sll]

As far as walleye fishing near Tazewell the winter/spring fishing is good in the Clinch as they make their annual spawning run upstream. Norris Lake is better in the late spring/summer months trolling bottom bouncers. Lot of good smallmouth fishing in both the Clinch and Holston rivers.

 

[Chiflyguy]

As far as walleye fishing near Tazewell the winter/spring fishing is good in the Clinch as they make their annual spawning run upstream. Norris Lake is better in the late spring/summer months trolling bottom bouncers. Lot of good smallmouth fishing in both the Clinch and Holston rivers.

How about Big Sycamore creek?
Used to love fishing for sauger and walleye on the Illinois River all year round.
In the winter, would bring a snow shovel in the boat.

 

[sll]

Big Sycamore is a large feeder creek to Norris Lake. As mentioned before, the walleye/sauger will make a run upstream from the main lake about February for the spawning ritual. They like to run as far up the tributaries (Creeks/Rivers) as they can and water depth will allow to spawn. You have to remember that our lakes here are drawn down 30-40 feet in the winter months......not sure where you are originally from but I would bet you are not used to seeing that on your lakes. As the water level and water temps rise in late winter/early spring those species of fish follow the lake's backwater as far as they can for the most part. Think of it that about 80% of those fish will reside in 20% of the water during that time. After the spawn run is over they will start migrating back into the main lake as water temps rise so there is usually a bigger percentage of walleye/sauger in the main lake during the late Spring and Summer months.