Gypsum Pond Fishing near McCaysville, Tennessee

• Overview

  Tennessee holds Gypsum Pond, in Polk County. Height above sea level is 1,614 feet. Roughly 50 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 1.6 miles of margin, front to back. McCaysville sits 2.2 miles from the bank. The big place round here is East Chattanooga, 50 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Gypsum Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public occurrence data for Polk County names snubnose darter, redline darter and redbreast sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Gypsum Pond that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 74°F, with January the cold end at about 37°F. The season runs year-round, with the peak either side of summer. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Anyone fishing Gypsum Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Ocoee Number Three Lake, 4.5 miles away. For Gypsum Pond in particular, ask before you travel.