Besides the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are numerous other places to catch a nice trout. Western North Carolina features miles upon miles of great trout fishing. From special designated Wild Trout Water, Hatchery Supported Streams, to full blown western style rivers that are under special Delayed Harvest programs there is truly something for everyone to enjoy.
The Nantahala River is known the world over for its great white water action, and is a place that truly exemplifies a great trout river. The Nantahala is listed as one of the nation’s top 100 by Trout Unlimited. It has also been featured in Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine, North Carolina Sportsman, Trout Magazine, and countless others. The Nantahala River is the most diverse fishery in all of the state. It is arguably one of the finest rivers in the South Eastern United States. Nowhere else can you fish so many different types of water in the same river system! From tight Mountain Laurel choked headwaters, laden with Brook Trout, to a very impressive tailwater supporting some of the baddest Brown Trout in the state, the Nantahala has something for every taste.
The Nantahala River above the power house is designated Delayed Harvest, this is a favorite among anglers because of the great action year round, and high fish counts. One can catch numerous stocked trout as well as wild trout, the excitement in this particular section is endless. Below the power house the river changes faces once again to an impressive tailwater fishery. This is the section of the river where the world class white water rafting and kayaking take place. The fishing is great year round in this section too, even during the summer months when the rafting is going on. The Nantahala here features many deep pools, numerous runs and riffles that hold truly large trout. Matter of fact the North Carolina State Record Brown Trout came from this portion of the Nantahala, weighing in over 24lbs 10oz! Talk about putting a smile on your face! The Nantahala River is truly a place worth visiting while in Western North Carolina
The Tuckasegee River is another amazing trout fishery. It was recently featured in American Angler Magazine. It begins life high in the mountains as many small tributaries that converge to form an East and West Fork, both which are dammed in their upper portions, finally converging to producing one very cold tailwater fishery that contains some of the most impressive fly fishing waters in the eastern half of the country. The Tuckasegee boasts a nice long Delayed Harvest section that is very popular among fly fishers for its high fish counts, willing and very large trout. Rainbow, Brown and Brook trout are all part of the stocking program, and it’s not uncommon to catch a Rainbow or Brook over 20 inches. This section makes the Tuckasegee River arguably the hottest river in the Southeast. The “Tuck” as it is referred to, has probably as many trout per mile as any of the western rivers of Montana and Idaho. The Tuck is very user friendly, access is great along the Delayed Harvest section with the water remaining wadeable most of the time. The Tuck is also a great river to fish from a drift boat. If you really want the ultimate experience in fly fishing this watershed, then a float trip is definitely the best bet!
The Tuckasegee below the delayed harvest section also contains trout and as the water starts to warm up further down river, you begin seeing a lot of nice Smallmouth Bass mixed in. According to a 2004 survey conducted by the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) on the fish quality in the region, the Tuck has the healthiest population of smallmouth in the entire TVA system of lakes and rivers! We do offer float trips below the delayed harvest section and the action is nothing short of impressive! There are not as many trout per mile as compared with the Delayed Harvest section, but with some bruiser Small mouth Bass lurking behind every rock and log, you’re sure to have a great time.
The nearby Oconaluftee River flows out of the Smoky Mountains National Park through beautiful historic Cherokee N. C. home to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The Oconaluftee River is a freestone river that begins life high up in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Many small feeder streams make up this beautiful river, to form one of the largest rivers that flows inside park boundaries. Once outside the park, the “Luftee” as us locals refer to it, flows inside the Qualla Boundary where it’s waters are stocked with numerous healthy Rainbow, Brook, and Brown Trout. The Cherokee Indians are long know for taking care of their natural resources, and the Oconoluftee is no exception. The Tribe stocks the Oconoluftee River and other streams located on the Qualla Boundary twice a week, so there is no shortage on trout in the waters of the Oconoluftee. The Tribe does offer fishing permits, and the daily creel limit is 10 fish with no size restriction. The previous North Carolina State Record Brown Trout came from the waters of the Luftee weighing in at 15 lbs 9oz!
