Again, last summer's drought and its effect may not be known for some time. Fiss said it's too soon to say what the effects will be at this point. He said this year's stream surveys will tell us how the adults fared, and next year will be more telling as we see how it affected reproduction.

Fiss is pretty sure low flows will aggravate problems in rivers where there is too much agricultural or urban runoff -- low flows in such rivers mean there is less water to dilute the pollutants. Basically, he said, low flows have the potential to lower dissolved oxygen and increase temperatures and concentrate contaminants.

ACCESSES TO SOME OF THE BEST SMALLMOUTH FISHING
Here are some access points for the various fisheries we've discussed.

Dale Hollow Lake
Good summer and winter fishing can found by putting in at the ramp at Horse Creek Dock near Celina.

South Holston Lake
The TWRA ramp at the Hwy. 21 bridge provides good access year 'round.

Norris Lake
The ramp near the dam on the lower end offers good winter fishing; the access at Hickory Star Marina on up the lake is good year 'round.

Tims Ford Lake
Easy year-round access can be found at Tims Ford Marina and Holiday Landing Resort.

Pigeon River
The ramp near the police station allows float trips from Newport downstream to where the Pigeon dumps into the French Broad River. Great wading can be had along the access road off the I-40 exit at Hartford. To check the generation schedule, call the Waterville Dam release schedule at (800) 899-4435.

Holston River
Good access is at the ramp near Beech Creek as well as the TWRA ramp at Surgoinsville. To check the generation schedule, call the TVA water release number at (800) 238-2264 and follow the prompts.

Nolichucky River
Anglers can access the waters upstream via put-ins in Erwin, ramps at the Davy Crockett State Park and Kinser Park. The TWRA ramp at Easterly Bridge puts you on the fishing downstream.

Buffalo River
There are outfitters along the river that rent canoes to needy fishermen. The ramp near Linden is also a good starting point.

Little Pigeon River
Good wading areas are located near a few bridges along the river between Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. You can also put a boat in at the nearby ramp on the French Broad just off Hwy. 66 and head up the Little Pigeon for good smallmouth fishing.