So I’m taking a family trip to the mountains next week and I’m dying to do some trout fishing with my dad . For all my hundreds and maybe thousands of hours bass fishing and inshore and offshore angling I’ve absolutely zero experience with this . Im a pretty decent fly fisherman but would probably prefer spinning because I have no clue when it comes to fly patterns . Any advise and possible easy access destinations would be MUCH APPRECIATED . Not looking for trophy fish , will be just as tickled to catch a 12 inch brook trout as I have catching white marlin and Tarpon . Also I’m strictly catch and release so not harvesting anything . Thanks so much for any info whatsoever,
Trout fishing NC
- Thread starter BobbyBReloaded1975
- Start date
Forget fly patterns. Go to a local sportsman shop near the area you are staying that sells flys and they should tell you what is hitting what and where. If you are anywhere near Cashiers, I'd suggest Brookings. They will hook up with what you need and point you in the right direction. Check out their website brookingsonline.com and click on the link of waters they fish. That ought to wet your whistle.
This is the correct answer. I do this when I can get a day away from work. What part of the NC mountains are you going to?
Cherokee Indian Reservation, Go to the top of the mountain and start at Raven Fork. I have caught Rainbows and Browns over 20".
Raven Fork River
Raven Fork River
Where in western NC are you going ? If the east side, near Banner Elk-Blowing Rock area, there is a lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock that holds some nice rainbows. Closer to Blowing Rock down the Parkway there is a park with a nice trout stream going through it but you may need to hike up the creek to get away from people. That's all I got for you. There is a Facebook group I am a part of called Western North Carolina Trout Fishing. You may get some good info there.
Pisgah National Forest on the Asheville side of Brevard on Hwy 276 has quite a few spots you can pull right up to. The river is usually stocked quite well.
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I don't think that's true. https://www.fishingduo.com/is-fishing-with-corn-illegal-the-answer-for-all-50-states/
Saw some guys using corn this weekend. Better make sure you don't have any treble hooks on those rooster tails or anything. Those are definitely illegal. I was in Blowing Rock this past week. The bite is very slow everywhere right now. We've been told to come in October for the best fishing. My buddy caught a tiny bream and small mouth bass. And they saw one small catfish. No trout.
"I look into... my fly box, and think about all the elements I should consider in choosing the perfect fly: water temperature, what stage of development the bugs are in, what the fish are eating right now. Then I remember what a guide told me: 'Ninety percent of what a trout eats is brown and fuzzy and about five-eighths of an inch long."
-Allison Moir
-Allison Moir
Many years ago a game warden told me most fish can not digest corn. If the fish swallow corn they probably will die. Corn cans is part of the litter I usually find along the river banks.
Most streams i fish don't allow corn. As noted above , it is a great bait but not great for the fish. I use small artificial lures. I trout fish about once a year so i am not the go to expert
How about next Tuesday. I'll drive and pay for the sandwiches.
Thanks so much for the info guys this is awesome . Got enough info to get me going I think we are a little north of Asheville . About 25 miles from Maggy Valley I think . I’m super excited . If I catch one all week I’ll be on cloud 9 . Is hiring a guide worth it ?? It’s a once in a lifetime trip for me so money isn’t an issue . If you guys have fished with any local guides and had great trips I would definitely down for referrals. Thanks so much .
Bobby IMHO a guide would be money well spent. They will know where to go and what the local regulations are.
We rode 276 through Pisgah Forest this weekend, lots of people fishing. That could be part of the problem, like someone else said, best to get to a place that hasn't been fished a ton, but that is a beautiful river through there.
I got a lot I'm selling in Maggie Valley if you end up loving your trip. 😁 I just put the sign up on the lot this past Saturday.
If money is not an object (and it always is with me except once in Aspen 4 years ago), get a guide. They know where to fish, what fly to tie and they have access to private waters as well. And you'll make a new friend.
Yeah brotha I think I’m going to hire one . . I’m pretty confident I can find fish anywhere when it comes to saltwater inshore since I’ve been doing it all my life but I’m totally out of my league when it comes to this . I wouldn’t know where to start or how to rig . I think a good guide is money well spent .
So if I’m going the spinning tackle route what do you guys recommend?? I’m assuming braid is out of the question when it comes to those crystal clear rivers . 8lb to 6lb test ?!! I know treble hooks are a no no . Should I be using a Fluorcarbon leader to keep from breaking off on rocks and stuff??
I have always been concerned in hooking the trouts that you were supposed to keep them as they had low survival rate after being hooked. I prefer releasing nearly all fresh water fish. You can tell the difference between raised trout & stock trout as the stock ones don’t have nearly the wear on their scale/skin
I fish both as much as I can... which isnt enough. Lol
Biggest difference is with mountain stream fishing is you want a shorter rod that will let you fish more areas and the appropriate length lines for said rod. That said, long rod is fine to start out with.
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4 lb test. Light spinning rod/reel.
Throw SINGLE HOOK spinner like rooster tails in black or panther martins in gold.
Another lure that works for me is a small slice of a black plastic worm on a tiny jig head.just let it roll with the current and slow jig it just enough to keep it off the bottom.
small shallow running plugs like Rapala's will work. I sometimes throw the very small zoom fluke to locate fish. They will rise to and chase them. I even get a substantial number of hits but very few hook sets.
There is a quote above about trout living on fuzzy things that are 3/5ths of an inch long. That's probably a large item in their diet. Remember that they spend their lives looking upstream waiting for something like that to come downstream. Wade up the river casting ahead of you. Working downstream merely spokes them in most instances.
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This is correct. Water temps are higher this year than in past years so please don't play the fish and crimp your barbs if you can. I reel it to where I can see what type of trout it is and slack the line and they can release themselves. That is, when I catch fish.
Great info . Thanks so much . I’ve heard Beatlespins and Roostertails are pretty effective but I know most roostertails have those tiny trebles and I don’t want to tear up any fish . I love the idea with the zoom flukes . Awesome thanks so much .
stores in trout country sell single hook Roostertails. There are many waters in NC where it's illegal to use treble hooks - at least during some seasons.
Trout seasons and rules for the different seasons vary from one stream to another so looks at the regs specific to where you will be fishing.
But, yeah. Avoid treble hooks.
Start by visiting this site for NC dept of natural resources, Trout Fishing (ncwildlife.org). NC has a very developed and multi layered Trout program. Use the maps on that site to see where they are managing trout waters (stocking) and learn the rules for the waters in the area you are fishing. Make sure you have a NC fishing license with a trout stamp. Then use the maps and guides on the site to locate your target water, and understand the rules for that water.
If you don't mind fly fishing the best waters will be designated delayed harvest and are fly fishing only, waters like the Davidson river, White Oak (tributary of the Nantahala) and many of the other delayed harvest waters get a very large % of the stockings. The maps will show you. You can even see how many trout, which variety, where and what day they are released.
Side note, June-Sept trout fishing is very very hard even in the mountains due to the higher water temperatures.. The delayed harvest waters are mostly fished out (intentionally allowed before water temps rise to dangerous levels for trout) in those months and new stockings do not begin again until Oct. You will have to find high mountain creeks/streams for native Appalachian brook trout (small but pretty) or fish deep in the Lakes. You can find some deep holes in the rivers where the stocked trout that survive the heat are sheltering, but they aren't biting very often. Late Fall and Early Spring are prime trout months in the mountains, the water temp is cold enuf for the trout to be healthy and the state of NC stocks during those months.
Good luck. I have fished the mountains of NC for trout over 20 years now, its my favorite past time. I have traveled a bunch to fish trout and salmon on the fly, from all of the Rocky Mountain states, into British Columbia, Alaska and also Maine, where they have the largest and healthiest native, non stocked Brook trout in the lower 48. The mountains of NC/tenn are still one of my fav spots to fish.
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Thanks so much my friend . I’ve already learned more in the last few days from you guys than I’ve learned in 45 years . When I lived in SC I spent almost every waking moment chasing Reds and Soecks so I never took advantage of that amazing fishery in NC . Kicking myself for that now that I’m 10 hours away . Like I said if i can catch 1 I’ll be stoked . I imagined the bite would be tough with the heat . Down here in the panhandle if you aren’t on the water at first light or dusk you can forget about getting bit .
Here's the best info you will get on this subject. Go to the Chatooga river. There are some locations to be accessed near the SC/NC border. This isn't wussie fishing as you are challenged by giant rocks and hard to impossible reach plunge pools. It's stocked well, and plenty of spawning going on. It the best trout river in both Carolinas. Find a map or use Google. Caught 5 pounders there and seen much bigger.
Any chance it's unrestricted? I'm looking for something I can put a camper or mobile home on.
Naw. It's just above J Arthur's restaurant on Timberline. Has to be a 1,000sf house.
There is some unrestricted land for sale that I saw, but it wasn't the most accessible looking areas. Make sure you verify and go look with your own eyes. The property lines and access is a mess in the mountains in general.
