A Mountain To A Fish

The iv,000 miles of cool, clear mountain streams and the many lakes in the Blue Ridge Mountains offer anglers more fishing opportunities than can be found in whatsoever other state in the Southeast. The region supports one of the most diverse angling habitats in the world. In these ancient southern Appalachian mountains you'll find:

Fly Fishing

Wing fishing enthusiasts come up for the native brook trout and for the dark-brown and rainbow trout that thrive in the many stocked streams. N Carolina'southward mount trout streams are considered to be the finest in the eastern United States.

Western North Carolina Wing Fishing Trail

The commencement and only fly fishing trail in the United states of america, the WNC Fly Fishing Trail, is situated in Jackson County and features some of the best trout waters in the Great Smoky Mountains. The trail marks fifteen splendid spots for catching brook, dark-brown and rainbow trout. Catch the spirit of catching the fish on this YouTube Video, produced past the Jackson County Travel and Tourism Dominance. Graham County, in the far west, is likewise a magnet for wing fisherfolk. Download a Graham Canton Fishing Trails map here.

Trout is King in N Carolina Mountain Streams

It is the trout that reigns supreme, however, and many streams are stocked from three state trout hatcheries in the region which raise more than than half a million brook, brown, and rainbow trout annually. The largest of these is the Bobby Northward. Setzer State Fish Hatchery virtually Brevard. Visitors can encounter the hatchery and the neighboring Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, which features a hatchery raceway exhibit that describes the trout production process in item.

Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians

Visit this museum in Bryson City with exhibits showcasing the history of the sport in the Southeast, too equally types of gear, gamefish, regional fishing waters and more.

Still-Water Fishing in Mountain Lakes and Ponds

For those who prefer even so-water fishing, largemouth bass, whitefish, catfish, pike, and bluegills grow in the region's myriad lakes and ponds in North Carolina's Blueish Ridge mountains. In deepwater lakes such equally Fontana Lake, northern fish such as walleye, muskie, and smallmouth bass are also favorites.
Excellent deep water fishing can be had on the Fontana Reservoir side by side to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A Visitor Heart offers interpretive exhibits on the creation and history of the historic Fontana Dam.

Other easily attainable lakes with good fishing include:

Lake James State Park (between Morganton and Marion, NC)
Lake Lure (Lake Lure, NC)
Julian Toll Memorial Park Lake (well-nigh Boone, NC)
W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir (about Wilkesboro, NC)
Lake Chatuge (near Hayesville, NC)
Santeetlah, Cheoah & Calderwood lakes (near Robbinsville)

Fishing in Cherokee Waters

On the Qualla Purlieus, the Cherokee Fish and Game Management bureau regularly stocks the nearly 30 miles of streams and half dozen acres of ponds that are operated every bit a tribal business, adding nigh 400,000 rainbow, brook, and brown trout to the existing population of native fish.

Trout season opens the last Sat of March and continues through Feb 28 of the following year. Angling is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset.

Although no state license is needed anglers must obtain a Tribal Angling Permit bachelor at nearly two dozen Cherokee businesses. The daily creel limit is x per allow holder.

Fishing Opportunities for Children

A number of angling events for children are sponsored by the The states Forest Service, the NC Wild fauna Resource Committee, and local businesses to help kids larn line-fishing basics such as casting, knot tying, tackle choice, catch-and-release, and boating safety. These events offer kids an opportunity to fish for a number of stocked game fish, including mountain trout. The events are complimentary and prizes are awarded, including lifetime fishing licenses, rods, reels, tackle, and fish identification guides.

Fishing Derbies

Every August, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians sponsors the annual Talking Copse Children'due south Trout Derby at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds. More 1,000 children participate annually in this gratis upshot, which includes wing-tying exhibitions, fish-cleaning stations, nutrient, music, door prizes, and trophies.

Troutacular! is the state's newest mountain heritage trout festival, held in June in the communities of Bakersville and Spruce Pino, both of which take been named Mountain Heritage Trout Waters Cities in N Carolina.

Commercial Trout Line-fishing

Commercial fee-angling trout ponds offering not-sport line-fishing for those those who like to fish but who are physically unable to manage the wilder waters of streams and rivers. They are groovy places to have kids as well. Most fee-line-fishing trout ponds require anglers to keep and pay for all of the fish they catch. The ponds are usually stocked with rainbow trout and prices mostly range from $2.50 to $iii.50 per pound. Anglers do not need fishing licenses or trout stamps to fish in these fee-fishing ponds, nor do they take to adhere to size or creel limits when fishing in fee-angling ponds.

Licensed by the NC Section of Agriculture, operators of these commercial enterprises usually supply the poles, bait, and the cleaning of the fish that are defenseless. The NC Wild animals Resource Commission tin provide more than information on fee-fishing trout ponds, as well equally other types of fishing in Western North Carolina.

Western North Carolina Fishing Facts

The Bluish Ridge Mountains of North Carolina offering abundant line-fishing opportunities for anglers of every skill. Literally hundreds of miles of mountain streams, rivers, lakes and ponds provide excellent fly fishing and still-water fishing.

Angling in National Parks

There are more than than 300 miles of streams in the North Carolina region of the Bang-up Smoky Mountains National Park. Many are in wilderness areas inaccessible by road. A valid N Carolina or Tennessee fishing license is required to fish anywhere in the park.

70-five miles of streams and 66 acres of ponds are located within the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor in N Carolina. A valid North Carolina line-fishing license is required, and because in some places special regulations apply, persons wishing to fish in these waters should read the rules printed on signs posted at lake shorelines and along stream banks.

Fishing in State Parks

Two State Parks offer more than 26 miles of trout waters: Stone Mountain Land Park near Wilkesboro and South Mountains State Park nigh Morganton. The basic country fishing license and the special trout license are required to fish these water, and special procedures and fees may be required on certain streams.

Fishing in Cherokee Waters

Approximately 30 miles of streams and half dozen acres of ponds are open up to public angling on the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary (Cherokee Indian Reservation), adjacent to the Bang-up Smoky Mountains National Park, near Bryson Urban center. A tribal permit is required.

Prime Time for Mountain Fishing

May and June are the prime months for trout fishing in the North Carolina mountains. Water temperatures in the streams rise to 50 to 55 degrees, and the fish become more active and plentiful. Insects on the surface of the h2o too come up to life, which in turn stimulates the fish to bite.

Where to Discover 'Em

An excellent resources for finding places to fish (and boat) is the Take Me Line-fishing website of the nonprofit Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.

While some prime angling spots are well-kept local secrets, there are plenty of splendid opportunities to experience the solitude and privacy of a deep woods fishing experience in the Nantahala National Forest, the Pisgah National Woods, and the Smashing Smoky Mountains National Park. Many spots are inaccessible past vehicle, and to reach some of these places, one might have to make a long hike or difficult climb. The reward may be not only a truly unique angling experience but as well great views, peace and quiet, and a trout sizzling over a campfire.

Less adventuresome anglers can enjoy quality trout fishing in many of the lower acme streams and rivers. Experienced guides and outfitters are available to help lead visitors to the all-time line-fishing holes around.

NC State Line-fishing Licenses

Licenses are required to fish the waters of the Northward Carolina mountains. The NC Wildlife Resource Committee issues a diverseness of licenses, based on residency and frequency of use. Brusk-term, annual and lifetime licenses are available. Detailed data on types of licenses and fees can exist constitute on the Commission'southward website. Licenses tin be purchased online.

Resource and Information

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fish & Game Management
PO Box 302
Cherokee, NC 27819
1-800-438-1601

Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery
PO Box 728
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

Pisgah Center for Wildlife Teaching
PO Box 1600
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
(828) 877-4423

(The Bobby N. Setzer Hatchery and the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Educational activity are located i mile off Usa 276 in the Pisgah National Forest near the town of Pisgah Forest.)

NC Wild animals Resource Commission
Segmentation of Inland Fisheries
1721 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
(919) 707-0220

Learn More

Check out the Due north Carolina'due south interactive fishing map.