Little information exists about the smoky madtom, along with other members of the Noturus species, due to the high turbidity in which they spawn, preventing observation, as well as their nocturnal behaviors.

[2] The madtom is a small member of the family Ictaluridae, only reaching a maximum of 5 cm (2 in) long.

[4] In 1957, Chilhowee Dam was closed and an ichthyocide was administered to Abrams Creek, in an attempt to improve trout fishery.

[5][6] The smoky madtom was presumed extinct until in 1980, when another population was found in Citico Creek in the Cherokee National Forest within Monroe County, Tennessee.

[8] It prefers areas of transition between pools and riffles and spawns in the summer under large, flat rocks.

The area also includes large boulders for the madtom to hide under, which it has been documented to do when disturbed at night.

Human disturbances such as logging, mining, and cattle grazing can cause siltation of the water and drop the populations dramatically.

In 1984, the population was as low as 500-1,000 fish due to a combination of building the Chilhowee Dam, poisoning the creek, and degrading the stream by livestock and tourists.