That's correct, there is no chance for fishing. You will not pass a single stream along the entire AT in the park. All the water sources are springs.

The upside is that there are some excellent ridge views. Shuckstack firetower is worth the .2-mile side trip. RockyTop/Grandfather Mountain offers excellent views down to Cades Cove. Clingman's Dome observation Tower is right on the trail, and if you can deal with the crowds (a parking lot is half a mile away via a paved trail), you can get excellent views, weather dependent. Newfound Gap offers good views, but the traffic is intense, even for me. Charlie's Bunion is well worth the little side trip, less than a quarter mile. Bradley's Vieww offers great eastern views. Near the norhtern end, the 1.2-mile round trip to Mt. Cammerrer is totally worth the walk if the weather is decent.

Have fun with it. Deal with the shelters as best you can. They're not terrible, but I admit that I miss my hammock badly in the morning.