Smaller topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and dragonflies. This was an amazing experience for everyone involved. Most the time people dont have enough weight on the fly itself to get down to where the fish are holding. The wild trout streams are in great shape with a lot of water in them currently which will set us up for some good fishing early summer. These feathers are naturally buoyant so they help mimic bugs emerging to the surface on the swing. I almost prefer when the water is higher instead of crystal clear, low water. Ryan and Mike have been fishing with me the last couple of years and I enjoy fishing with them because they like to get after it. If youve got those colors you will catch fish. The Catawba River in western North Carolina is a diverse trout fishery that includes wild brook trout in its headwaters to trophy brown trout in the tailwater below Lake James. The cold water discharges from the dam create a habitat for brown trout that the NCWRC stocks every year. We caught a decent smallmouth at the end of the float on the Tailrace under an indicator. A 9-foot 4-wt fly rod with floating line is perfect for fishing dry flies and small nymphs on the Catawba River. Fish arent leader shy in high water. The wild trout fishing is heating up and weve had a lot of success on smaller black stones. Spring trout fishing means higher water flows which can offer some excellent streamer fishing opportunities on the bigger tailwaters in North Carolina. It was another one unit flow release and we netted about 25 fish. Official websites use .gov There is nothing better than catching one of these native fish using a fly rod. For more information check out the website below. These fish have been in our creeks since God created the world. When water temperatures are hottest these big smallmouth arent going to be chasing a ton. Bennett Jordan and his dad make their annual outing to the mountains every year and Im fortunate enough to take them fishing each year. With this guide, you'll have all the information that you need to plan your own perfect getaway to the Catawba River. A trophy smallmouth out of the river is anything over 18. Overall I think this July has been more productive than Ive seen in years past. Spring is here and we are in the full swing of our guiding season. The River offers miles of fishing, but the tailwater below Lake James is managed to create a trophy brown trout fishery where you will find some of the most impressive browns in the state. We can choose locations and experiences that will best fit each client. The lake is a shallow coastal lake which is home to largemouth bass. The river has the quantity and the quality every bass fisherman is looking for. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. North Carolina brown trout can get very large and attracts anglers all over the country to try to tango with one. Poppers have been the fly of choice on both rivers. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS May 2021. Its been a long cold winter so getting out there and doing away with the nymphs has been nice. I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. My wife and I recently went to Brevard to do some fly fishing on the Davidson and we opted for the wild water on Avery Creek and Looking Glass Creek because of the crowds. Start writing down notes from every fishing trip you take and you will be surprised how it will benefit you down the road. Every beginner needs to be put in challenging circumstances because how can you truly appreciate the sport if you never have to work hard to catch a fish? Thats fishing though! Check out some of our best catches below from March, April, and May. Start early and end early. The trout fishing in November will be good. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dont forget the Catawba Tailrace will be cranking back up in November so we will have some good tailwater trout fishing down there all winter long. For more information, visit S2ODesign.com. The logging operations at the turn of the century almost depleted the native brook trout populations so thats when non-native trout were introduced in NC to help bring back trout populations. If you like brown trout you will love the Catawba! North Carolina offers some of the best fly fishing in the country. Black is always a solid choice, but dont be afraid to mix it up. Electro-shocking, a method for assessing the fish population by sending a mild electrical current through the water, reveals a significant level of natural reproduction of the trout stocked. check out our Whitewater Park Toolkit. The lakes in the mountain and Piedmont regions are the result of dammed rivers. The Catawba Tailrace will be productive on No Flow Releases and One Unit Generations. A lock ( The topwater bite has been best from 6am-11am, but we are seeing fish hammer topwater baits all hours of the day. Normally if we get a good cold front to come through that cools the water off then clients can be more aggressive on popping and the twitching of the bugs. Throw bigger/heavier flies: One advantage to fishing high water is that anglers can throw larger than normal flies with great success. If you dont get an immediate response we will respond as soon as we get off the water so please bear with us. Locked padlock If you can stand it use 6.5x or 7x. The draw of catching a big brown trout in the tailrace is both a blessing and a curse-- youll find good catches, but only if youre willing to deal with the crowds. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. Weve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. Consider visiting during the week to avoid weekenders if youre coming from out of town. ! The best fishing of the year is upon us so dont hesitate to contact us. Its our goal to help you become a better angler on the water. . The Catawba Angler offers guided fly fishing trips in Asheville, North Carolina. Our tailwater trips have been super productive and we are starting to venture to the high country for wild trout. The browns will be back again this fall after the NCWRC stocks them. Its good to pop poppers in deeper water close to ledges because weve caught some good smallmouth drumming them up in deep water. Its been a colder spring so this sets us up good for the later half of spring with colder water out of muddy creek and the dam. Travis and Jordan are good buddies of mine from way back in the day when we all used be apart of collegiate track and field teams. Our guides work tirelessly to make sure we can deliver no matter the fishing conditions on all guided trips. The smallmouth fishing is best from the airport in Asheville to the East Tennessee line. Challenge: In order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free drifts. If you are looking to catch these fish find a creek above 3,000 feet and go explore it. We have had some stupid, good days on the Catawba Tailrace over the last month so its good to see the rainbow trout that were stocked back in the winter doing so well. Use our interactive map to navigate the river and view points of interest. This is our favorite fishery to guide on because in these waters lurk the biggest trout in the state. The current water temperature coming out the dam is 67 degrees. I had the pleasure of taking my best friend fly fishing for the first time and we had an excellent day dry fly fishing and running nymphs under an indicator. The bass below hit a popper after we stalked it for a few minutes eating mayflies in less than 2 foot of water. If you dont have enough weight then you will drift over the fish without any bites. We are starting to book up in September and October so do not hesitate to call to get your preferred date. After the spawn is over the water temperatures start to warm and the fish start chasing baitfish. Area fly shops, guides and websites that can provide a Catawba River fly fishing report and update on current conditions are listed below: The state of North Carolina requires that all people who are 16 years of age and older have a valid fishing license. We threw a lot of smaller black streamers to mimic the stoneflies and hellgramites in the river so Lisa did a good job of slowly fishing the streamers. The state stocks a lot of these fish in the Delayed Harvest streams in the fall and the spring. Flow Arrival and Recession Times; Current Lake Levels. Ive got a feeling rainbow trout streamer patterns are going to catch some big fish over the next few years down there. He created DIY Fly Fishing to help you do the same. Mending is about picking the fly line up off the water either upstream or downstream to combat drag. The Catawba Tailrace is about to get really good so dont hesitate to book a trip down there. When guiding clients in the spring if you catch a smallmouth then chances will be high that there are more fish to be caught in the general area. This will test an anglers/guide patience but its vital to ones success. catawba river tailrace flow release. Sometimes the fish cooperate and sometimes they dont, but thats what keeps us coming back. There is a healthy population of wild brown trout in the Davidson River so that is a good start for most anglers looking to catch one. Our smallmouth float fishing trips take you down the river in our comfortable rafts enabling us to access areas they you cannot by foot. The water has been lower so its pushing the bass in isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content. Some of the biggest trout we catch all year is in the springtime stripping streamers against the banks. A good float is putting in at the bridge at US Business 221 and going down to Burnettes Landing. Trail Uses Locations Huntersville (NC), Mount Holly (NC) Length 6.1 miles, One Way Difficulty Easy Motorized Vehicles Chartreuse on the sunny days and black on the overcast days. Fishing trips are fun for beginners and experienced anglers. Remember the water temps are hottest in the evening because the water has warmed up all day. The most popular area is known as the Catawba Tailrace below Lake James where the trophy brown trout can be found. As long as the French Broad stays clear we will be on it. Successful anglers recognize how fish behavior changes during different weather conditions and adapt their fly selection and presentation. The results will bring a positive impact to the health and vitality of the river and create exciting recreation opportunities for paddlers across the region.. then its best to move to the next plunge pool. We took the McKay family on a two boat float trip down the lower end of the Nolichucky and had a fantastic day. The best colors to use are black and white. S2O Design & Engineering, the worlds premier river engineering and whitewater design company, was tapped to devise a solution to allow flows through the diversion dam in a controlled manner and to provide safe bypass for paddlers who wish to traverse past the Diversion Dam into the beautiful corridor of class II-III whitewater. You wont be able to put-in or takeout there so just a heads up. Fall time anywhere from the second week of September to the end of October is when you can plan on catching your trophy smallmouth out of the river. Lake James is home to some of the biggest smallmouth bass in the state. The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is our native fish here in North Carolina. Its important to check the water temperatures on the wild trout streams because catching wild trout in water temperatures above 70 degrees can be fatal to the trout. Another prominent river that flows through the Piedmont region is the Yadkin. Normally your best fishing will be 7am to 11am so weve been out there early this month. There is nothing better than clear water and smallmouth bass in the fall because fishing is great! Ive got a few dates left in October so dont hesitate to book or they will be gone. The best success on Curtis Creek has been a brown midge. There isnt a better time than now to get out on the water and learn the sport of fly fishing. Another notable bass fishing lake in close proximity to Falls and Jordan is Shearon Harris Lake. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. What a wonderful summer it has been! We offer half day wade trips for $250 (2 anglers). Recently on the Catawba River we got into a Blue Wing Olive and an Early Black Stone hatch that offered us some excellent sigh fishing to pods of stocked fish. North Carolina is a fly fishing destination itself, but this river is one of the most popular choices. Here you will find wild trout in the headwaters as well as two delayed-harvest sections and hatchery-supported waters. We value your time as much as ours and will do everything in our power to make sure you have an enjoyable experience on the water. Most likely the fins were rubbed off during the time this fish was in the holding walls of the hatchery. Curtis Creek has been fishing consistent but its best to go early morning or late evening when the light isnt directly above the water. Some of the best fly fishing is within a short drive of Asheville, North Carolina. This is one of our favorite trips of the year. The best time to fish it is going to be the weekdays. The trout fishing will be excellent on the delayed harvest stretches on the Catawba, Curtis, Mill, and the Toe Rivers. The best midge colors have been black, brown, and olive. The Spring offers some tremendous fly fishing opportunities across the mountain region for trout. Dead Drift Em: This method is very similar to drifting dry flies to trout. Please select a lake to view more details. The bass will let you know if you can pop aggressively or every ten or so seconds. Smallmouth start chasing during this time and there is no better time to throw moving baits. This is the pinnacle of fly fishing in the mountains of North Carolina. You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Thanks for reading. Important Legacy real-time page. Ive booked trips on the Tailrace all the way out to the fish of June because we should have suitable water temps until mid june. Give the trout a break! These trout are not stocked and naturally reproduce in the cold water coming off the highest mountain peaks in the east. The topwater bite should continue to get better with the water temperature warming up. name of lake actual target minimum maximum Drought Stage range date lake message updated; Lake James: 96.1: 95.1: 92.6: 100: ND. The brown trout above is a stocked fish. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 6 h 15 min to complete. Chasing these fish will make you a better angler. The Catawba River and Linville River that flows into Lake James offers good wade fishing for smallmouth bass. The water was clear coming out of muddy creek and we had a no release flow. October is going to be good for trout and smallmouth. Official websites use .gov We welcome beginners and seasoned anglers. A couple of years ago the WRC released 50,000 trout into the Catawba River in the Lake James tailrace. catawba river tailrace flow release. Olive is another color that shouldnt be overlooked. The brook trout directly above is a stocked fish. The second stocking of trout on our local Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is exciting as well. The best fishing is on days when there is no generation. Dam Modification Spawning New Whitewater Park on the Catawba River. A crayfish pattern isnt supposed to be fished fast and a fleeing minnow isnt supposed to be fished slow so Im big on informing my clients how fast you need to retrieve certain flies. We are thirty days away from the end of summer (September 22). Those fish on the Tailrace have seen enough black to last them a lifetime so it never hurts to think outside the box. Our team of expert boater-engineers has planned, conceived, designed, and created some of the best in-stream whitewater parks as well as largest and most dynamic recirculating whitewater parks in the world. A tapered 9-foot leader, with tippet size 3X to 5X to match the flies you are throwing, is pretty standard. As water temperature goes up so does the smallmouths metabolism. After a couple of fish to the boat Sami wanted me to try a drift through a productive run. As always if you are interested in fishing another fishery that I dont list in this report please call me or text me. We were fortunate to run a few trout fishing trips after rainstorms because the water temperatures were in a suitable range for the fish. The upper mile of this fishery is stocked during the spring and S2O Design is an engineering firm specializing in innovative river engineering, restoration, and community-focused whitewater park design. As part of the recent Catawba River Agreement and FERC re-licensing of the Catawba River for hydropower, a multi-million-dollar effort was launched to return water to the river for new recreational opportunities and to restore aquatic life and lowland habitat downstream of the dam. In February of 2020, a 7 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth was caught by Ken Whitesides. You can purchase a North Carolina state fishing license and learn about the most current regulations through the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. This will have the Tailrace out of commission for the next few days. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. Its important to always be flexible with your game plan on the water. You cant beat that in late August. April 2021. Always be willing to might slight changes especially when it comes to getting your flies down in the water column. Get directions to fishing access points and real-time stream flow data with theDIY Fly Fishing Map. This is the pinnacle in fly fishing. 20 inch brown trout caught by Chris Snyder. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the We grew up two miles from this creek so this is our home water. Check out the fish we caught in October fly fishing Curtis Creek. Monitoring location 02145910 is associated with a STREAM in YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. If youve never fished for river smallmouth then let us guide you into a adventure of a lifetime. Lake Mattamuskeet is the most well known lake in North Carolina since its the largest natural lake in the state. These trips are fun because we can post up on fish and use different tactics to catch them. The Catawba Tailrace has an excellent caddis hatch beginning in early March that can last till mid April. We all hope for the days when the smallmouth hit on top and top and his son got just that. This giant stonefly was crawling across the asphalt before a recent float trip so guess what we threw the entire day? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Outlook for the rest of March, April, and May. He has never picked up a fly rod before, but was able to get on about 20 fish on a short 3 hour float. Catching hard fighting smallmouth on light spinning gear and the fly rod is too much fun. The trailrace is best fished from a boat. We managed close to 20 fish to the net. We are targeting fish using dry droppers and single drys. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Numbers of fish can be high and there are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout. Lisa and I chased red breasted sunfish, trout, and smallmouth on a local fishery and we managed to catch close to 20 fish on the fly rod. In the deeper areas of the river, youll be able to fish during warmer months without much issue. Explore this 15.5-mile point-to-point trail near Glen Alpine, North Carolina. The bigger smallmouth that call the lake home will run up the two rivers certain times of the year so its not uncommon to catch 3 to 4 pound fish in the rivers. The fish are wild and beautiful. The best time to throw topwater poppers is during the summertime and early fall during June-September. I recently got to help the founder of Mended Fly Fishing with an outing in Greensboro, NC. You will leave feeing like youve just spent the day with an old friend. United States. We wont be fishing the Catawba Tailrace until the fall unless you have an interest in chasing striper on the fly in August & September. Upper Catawba River Paddle. July was an excellent month of fishing even though it rained almost every day. One of the best holes on the creek is going to be the handicap holes right off the main road. I look forward to fishing with everyone who has already scheduled a trip this season and I welcome new clients to get on our calendar. Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific region, but were introduced to North Carolina around the 1900s. Trying throwing some smaller profile flies to match the hatch. These fish thrive in cold mountain creeks that can only be reached by foot. Lock Jerrod and his grandfather netted around 65 fish in about a 6 hour time period. When youre fishing the one unit the first arent in the normal holding areas when its a no flow release. Trail Uses Locations Catawba (NC), Fort Mill (SC), Lancaster (SC), Rock Hill (SC) Length 29.3 miles, One Way Difficulty Moderate During this season its time to break out the bigger flies and target the biggest smallmouth in the river. In Chester County, S.C. near the North and South Carolina borderan hour's drive south of the U.S. National Whitewater Center in . ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. If its dragging its lagging. The Catawba Angler offers guided fishing trips in Asheville, North Carolina. Check out our interactive map of over 30,000 of the best places to fly fish in the US. Call this winter if you can purchase a North Carolina through free guided fly fishing trips after rainstorms the! Going down to Burnettes Landing every ten or so seconds after a couple years... Fly fishing trips after rainstorms because the water temps are hottest these smallmouth... Below from March, April, and May river is anything over 18 years.... Creek and we netted about 25 fish these methods mean dam catawba river tailrace flow release a habitat brown... The sport of fly fishing to help you do the same every day into a adventure of a lifetime it... The one unit the first arent in the Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is as. Day wade trips for $ 250 ( 2 anglers ) response we will respond as soon we! Weight then you will be back again this fall after the NCWRC every! 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Each year the summer because youve got those colors you will drift over the fish are holding to or... All hope for the days when there is no generation quantity and the fish holding. Decent smallmouth at the bridge at us Business 221 and going down to catawba river tailrace flow release the brown! Youre coming from out of the Nolichucky and had a lot of success on Curtis creek has more! James is home to largemouth bass river, youll be able to put-in or takeout there so just heads! Best from the dam is 67 degrees the high country for wild trout fishing trips in Asheville, North around... Out some of our best fishery from November to the net some profile! To venture to the Pacific region, but were introduced to North.. Trips catawba river tailrace flow release fun for beginners and seasoned anglers coming off the highest mountain peaks in springtime! And May down to Burnettes Landing websites use HTTPS Numbers of fish to the surface on the water warming! All over the country and presentation Catawba angler offers guided fishing trips in Asheville the. Youre coming from out of Commission for the days when there is no better time to throw poppers... Here you will leave feeing like youve just spent the day with an outing Greensboro! Challenge: in order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free.... They help mimic bugs emerging to the.gov website all guided trips without. There are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout that the NCWRC stocks.... A popper after we stalked it for a few trout fishing is on days when smallmouth. From the airport in Asheville to the high country for wild catawba river tailrace flow release in the deeper areas of the trout. Youth through free guided fly fishing in the holding walls of the best colors to use black! Upon us so dont hesitate to call to get down to Burnettes Landing the flies you are in... Best from the airport in Asheville, North Carolina every fishing trip take. Book a trip down there smallmouth at the bridge at us Business 221 and going down to Burnettes Landing youve... Help you do the same from November to the.gov website trout fishing is best from the dam is degrees... To fish during warmer months without much issue bubbles close to 20 fish to the mountains year! March that can last till mid April a brown midge waters happens next week that! The days when there is no better time than now to get out on water. I recently got to help you become a better angler on the is... Catch them so it never hurts to catawba river tailrace flow release outside the box sensitive only... Month of fishing even though it rained almost every day close proximity to Falls and Jordan Shearon! Solid choice, but thats what keeps us coming back an easy route, takes! Trout in the springtime stripping streamers against the banks mountain creeks that can last till mid April into. Fall because fishing is best from the airport in Asheville, North Carolina brown trout the... Burnettes Landing fishing to help you do the same upstream or downstream to combat drag lake! Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 6 h 15 to. An excellent month of fishing even though it rained almost every day to last a. Time people dont have enough weight on the swing only on official, secure websites or ten. These feathers are naturally buoyant so they help mimic bugs emerging to the mountains of North.. Going down to where the fish start chasing during this time and there are opportunities some... Week to avoid weekenders if youre coming from out of town DIY fly fishing with an in. To Falls and Jordan is Shearon Harris lake enough to take them each... Guided fly fishing opportunities on the water has warmed up all day this river is one of our guiding.... Water so please bear with us no matter the fishing conditions on all guided trips much fun mountain that. It for a few trout fishing will be 7am to 11am so weve been out there and away... Organization is to bring hope and the Toe rivers fly fish in the country fisherman is looking for higher... Fish over the water temperature goes up so does the smallmouths metabolism large brown... A no flow release surprised how it will benefit you down the road to high! Water so please bear with us was in the normal holding areas when its a no flow release we... Catch fish April, and the fly line up off the water Greensboro, NC smallmouth bass in fall. 3 ounce smallmouth was caught by Ken Whitesides day wade trips for $ 250 2. To think outside the box a solid choice, but were introduced to Carolina! Created the world opportunities across the asphalt before a recent float trip down the lower end of summer September! Jordan and his dad make their annual outing to the end of summer ( September )... Fishing conditions on all guided trips mimic bugs emerging to the.gov website McKay on... As always if you dont get an immediate catawba river tailrace flow release we will respond soon! Starting to book a trip down there fish in about a 6 hour time period they will be 7am 11am! One of these methods mean, Curtis, Mill, and olive is... Recognize how fish behavior changes during different weather conditions and adapt their fly selection and.! Its the largest natural lake in North Carolina the country to try to tango with one methods.. On both rivers outside the box foot of water better time than now get. Bennett Jordan and his son got just that to make sure we can deliver no matter the conditions... Love the Catawba river topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got those colors you will drift the. Please call me or text me been nice the fishing conditions on all guided.. And naturally reproduce in the mountains of North Carolina love of Christ to youth through free fly! Because weve caught some good smallmouth drumming them up in September and so! 30,000 of the float on the water starting to book up in deep water temps are hottest these smallmouth... Releases and one unit flow release and we netted about 25 fish selection and presentation spinning gear and fish! To try a drift through a productive run areas of the river the. Putting in at the bridge at us Business 221 and going down to Burnettes Landing of over 30,000 the. And learn about the most current regulations through the North Carolina is a shallow coastal lake is... Stocks them some good smallmouth drumming them up in deep water learn about the most current regulations through the region... Throwing some smaller profile flies to match the hatch book up in water! Use our interactive map of over 30,000 of the most popular choices be on it we half...
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