NC options

ddd-shooter · Apr 17, 2017

Guys, I've been threatening to get my NC fishing license for a while now, finally bit the bullet and got one again. In years past, I fished the Nantahala gorge area, GSMNP, and that's about all of my NC experience.
Was hoping some of you could provide me with some good watersheds to target. Not looking for honeyholes, but best rivers to target.
I generally spin fish, but do fly fish when the urge strikes me just right.

Thanks

NCHillbilly · Apr 17, 2017

I assume you're talking about trout in particular? Pretty much all of western NC has good trout fishing. There are very few watersheds that don't hold trout. Find any river on a map, and it likely has trout, along with its tributaries and their tributaries-giving you the option of everything from big water fishing to bluelining. More water than you can fish in a lifetime in most watersheds. For example, I have lived and fished in the Pigeon watershed all my life; and in over four decades of fishing, I still haven't covered nearly all of it. And in those same decades, I have barely gotten started on the surrounding Little Tennessee, French Broad, Broad, Savannah, and Catawba watersheds.

This is a good resource to start: https://ncpaws.org/wrcmapbook/FishingAreas.aspx

ddd-shooter · Apr 17, 2017

NCHillbilly said:
I assume you're talking about trout in particular? Pretty much all of western NC has good trout fishing. There are very few watersheds that don't hold trout. Find any river on a map, and it likely has trout, along with its tributaries and their tributaries-giving you the option of everything from big water fishing to bluelining. More water than you can fish in a lifetime in most watersheds. For example, I have lived and fished in the Pigeon watershed all my life; and in over four decades of fishing, I still haven't covered nearly all of it. And in those same decades, I have barely gotten started on the surrounding Little Tennessee, French Broad, Broad, Savannah, and Catawba watersheds.

This is a good resource to start: https://ncpaws.org/wrcmapbook/FishingAreas.aspx

Thanks for the link, and yes, trout are the goal. I love trout fishing in Georgia, but the scenery and water conditions just look too perfect in most areas of NC.
I guess that's why I'm asking for advice; it ALL looks so good! I'm kinda at that stage where I see the plethora of options and freeze. Lol

Thanks for the help

NCHillbilly · Apr 17, 2017

ddd-shooter said:
Thanks for the link, and yes, trout are the goal. I love trout fishing in Georgia, but the scenery and water conditions just look too perfect in most areas of NC.
I guess that's why I'm asking for advice; it ALL looks so good! I'm kinda at that stage where I see the plethora of options and freeze. Lol

Thanks for the help

I've lived here for half a century, and I'm still the same way sometimes when I'm trying to figure out where I want to go fishing today.

jigman29 · Apr 17, 2017

NCHillbilly said:
I've lived here for half a century, and I'm still the same way sometimes when I'm trying to figure out where I want to go fishing today.

I have always had that same problem. My buddy and I started writing on paper all the streams we wanted to fish. Then when we went we would pull a name out of a hat and just go. Some held fish and some didn't. Fun reguardless.

ripplerider · Apr 18, 2017

Anyone been to the Fires Creek DH? How is it? I too have only fished the Nantahala and the Park. PM me if you want?

ddd-shooter · Apr 18, 2017

ripplerider said:
Anyone been to the Fires Creek DH? How is it? I too have only fished the Nantahala and the Park. PM me if you want?

That was one place on my radar, along with perhaps the tuckaseegee or French broad.
Then of course some smaller rivers and streams

IvyThicket · Apr 19, 2017

ripplerider said:
Anyone been to the Fires Creek DH? How is it? I too have only fished the Nantahala and the Park. PM me if you want?

Fires Creek is respectable. You have a stretch of Hatchery Supported that leads into a stretch of Delayed Harvest. Above DH is wild.

IvyThicket · Apr 19, 2017

ddd-shooter said:
That was one place on my radar, along with perhaps the tuckaseegee or French broad.
Then of course some smaller rivers and streams

You have to be careful calling it the French Broad if you're looking for the streams that hold trout. You may get sent into the wrong areas. The East and North Fork at the headwaters of the FB are great trout waters. East Fork is DH, North is primarily wild. Be prepared to bushwhack for the good areas of the North Fork.

NCHillbilly · Apr 19, 2017

Most DH waters are full of fish.

northgeorgiasportsman · Apr 19, 2017

I'm thinking I may try to squeeze in a trip to the Tuck this Saturday.

OwlRNothing · May 5, 2017

Pro Tip: Make sure you carefully read and understand NC trout regs.

NC options

ddd-shooter

Senior Member

NCHillbilly

Administrator

ddd-shooter

Senior Member

NCHillbilly

Administrator

jigman29

Senior Member

ripplerider

Senior Member

ddd-shooter

Senior Member

IvyThicket

Senior Member

IvyThicket

Senior Member

NCHillbilly

Administrator

northgeorgiasportsman

Moderator

OwlRNothing

Senior Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Share this page