The smallmouth wont come back w/o dam removal. They can live there, but they prefer warmer water than you find below those dams. They will go were they are comfy...not were they are not.
The White & Norfork tailwaters could support a wild trout fishery, but it would require a huge cultural shift and regulation change. The tourism industry would take a big haircut, that is for sure.... Plus, the potential to grow toad beast brown trout would not be there if abundant stocked trout were removed as a food source (live & entrails). Think there could be a pretty decent wild trout fishery there but it would be very different from what exists today. Would that be better or worse? I'm not concerned either way....Fish Hatcheries have to be pretty low on the list of discretional government spending. We might have to do without, and that is fine with me.