Similar to Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Waccamaw is shallow. Chasing these fish will make you a better angler. Weve been chasing river smallmouth on the French Broad, Toe, and Catawba Rivers all summer long. Remember to still use light tippet this time of year. Springtime dry fly fishing in western North Carolina! What was cool about catching this fish is that Ive had a few encounters with it over the last few years where I see it chase out smaller fish we hook. If you are interested in this mission and know of a kid who could benefit from Mended Fly Fishing then please reach out to Patrick Hayes (Founder) or myself. Water data back to 1895 are available online. We have had clear water on the French Broad River so I have been out there every day chasing those big smallmouths that have some big appetites this time of year. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. The topwater bite should continue to get better with the water temperature warming up. Big smallmouth are usually compared to big brown trout. With this guide, you'll have all the information that you need to plan your own perfect getaway to the Catawba River. When the water is clear weve been having great success on flies which we will go into detail of what has been working and what we can expect the rest of the summer. My favorite time to fly fish for smallmouth is the end of June to September. Check out our interactive map of over 30,000 of the best places to fly fish in the US. Trout fishing has been fantastic this month and will continue to be good the entire month of May! Important Legacy real-time page. They stock some big brown, brook, and rainbow trout in Curtis so a lot of clients that we take fishing normally catch their personal best here. The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina and is home to 4 lakes which include W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, High Rock Lake, Badin Lake, and Lake Tillery. Once this happens the bite turns on. These waters get the most pressure, but if you are willing to think outside the box a little bit then you can catch fish. Its flat out hunting for big bass on the fly. We welcome beginners and seasoned anglers. The water has been lower so its pushing the bass in isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content. Working with engineers at the Czech Technical University in Prague, S2O Design also created a 1:20 scale physical model of both channels to study a range of flow conditions, and fine tune and validate that the design will meet the projects stringent design and performance parameters. We look forward to seeing you on the water. Ken is an avid fisherman of 40+ years who loves to explore and find new places to fish. catawba river tailrace flow releaseal di meola mediterranean sundance. Brian and I hit a local delayed harvest stretch after a heavy rainfall the night before and it was tough fishing to say the least, but Brian stuck with it and netted some good fish towards the end of the trip. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Less is more when it comes to retrieving smallmouth flies during the summer time. Smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting fish we have around the mountains of North Carolina. The dead drifting approach is going to be best when targeting smallmouth bass in the low, clear water throughout summer. Remember the water temps are hottest in the evening because the water has warmed up all day. Below are some recent pictures from our most recent outings. Happy fishing! The Catawba Angler offers half day and full day bass charters on the lakes and rivers of western North Carolina. The Catawba Angler offers dry fly fishing trips on our mountain creeks for wild trout in the the Spring. Smaller topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and dragonflies. The browns will be back again this fall after the NCWRC stocks them. These guys put a lot of time on the water which is the best teacher of all. While guided fishing trips are plentiful, anglers can bring their own boat or rent one if they want to fish this area. Once the water temperatures get around 70 degrees on the trout streams we will solely focus on the warm water species such as smallmouth, largemouth, and carp. We look forward to fishing with you. There are more wild rainbow trout in the wild trout streams than any other species. We welcome younger kids as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Our tailwater trips have been super productive and we are starting to venture to the high country for wild trout. The French Broad River consistently produces 4 pound smallmouth year after year on our guided bass fishing trips. S2O Design also commends American Whitewater, who represented paddling interests across the basin during the FERC relicensing process and was responsible for spearheading the effort to open up this reach of the Catawba River to boating. The mend is very important when fishing from a raft or drift boat. Check out the fish we caught in October fly fishing Curtis Creek. Chartreuse on the sunny days and black on the overcast days. Three canoe/kayak launches create a 6.1-mile blueway stretch in this section. These feathers are naturally buoyant so they help mimic bugs emerging to the surface on the swing. We had a great day and we managed to get a good trout as well. Sometimes the fish cooperate and sometimes they dont, but thats what keeps us coming back. There were lots of laughs and good times had on the lake. Fish are actively feeding and preparing themselves for the spawn which is a good time to cast crayfish, hellgrammite, and baitfish patterns. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the Ever since Ive been guiding Ive kept a log of notes from every day Ive fished. After a few years of scouting and many trips down the river we have started guiding the Pigeon River for smallmouth bass. Water data back to 2018 are available online. Visitors can find some lodging in the area, especially along the I-40 corridor. There are a lot of hatches going on throughout the day and it makes for some good dry fly fishing. Use dark/flashy flies: A big black stonefly or a flashy beadhead egg is hard to beat when the water is up. Another notable bass fishing lake in the coastal plain region is Lake Waccamaw. Once the bass school up it creates competition for food so you will find more than one fish chasing your streamer back to the boat. The areas along I-40 are expanding with increased access and parking, so it is likely that we will update this information in the future with additional options for fishing locations on the Catawba River. We will go into more details about that when the time is right. We were fishing in front of rainstorm which dropped about an inch of rain down in the foothills. We strive to provide the best fishing experience in western North Carolina by making sure we exceed our clients expectations on and off the water. More than 100 years ago, the Great Falls-Dearborn Diversion Dam was built on the Catawba River for a hydroelectric plant, which created the Great Falls Dearborn Reservoir but also de-watered the 2.25-mile Long Bypass Reach below the dam. Seclusion: We rarely see anyone else on the wild trout streams. Long, accurate drifts without drag can entice big smallmouth to come up from the depths to eat. In the deeper areas of the river, youll be able to fish during warmer months without much issue. The caddis are out and about, but we still havent gotten the blanket hatches we always anticipate so if you are still interested in experiencing some of the best dry fly fishing of the year then give us a call. Be sure to check local fishing regulations before you go so that youre not fishing in a restricted area. There arent many striper in the Tailrace, but if you are looking to grind and catch your first striper on the fly then we welcome you. After the first weekend of June fishing wont be great on the Delayed Harvest stretches because on June 4th anglers can harvest the fish. S2O Design is led by engineer, Olympian, and three-time World Cup Kayak Champion and Freestyle Kayak Champion Scott Shipley. Throwing dry flies to rising brown trout is hard to beat! Weve had our best success on the Catawba River since there is more flow on it than the smaller mountain creeks. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. Smallmouth start chasing during this time and there is no better time to throw moving baits. 7 days 30 days 1 year Change time span Book your trip today! These fish are less pressured and more willing to eat during this time. Get directions to fishing access points and real-time stream flow data with theDIY Fly Fishing Map. To learn more about the smallmouth fishing around Asheville click the learn more link at the bottom of this page. The days we have been on the French Broad have been tough, but not impossible. Topwater will continue to be good the rest of the summer. The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is our native fish here in North Carolina. The good news about hiring one of our guides is that we know where these big fish hold year after year so we can place clients in these areas giving them the best chances at catching a trophy smallmouth bass. The second stocking of trout on our local Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is exciting as well. For fly fishers its hard to beat squirmy worms, mops flies, and eggs. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 6 h 15 min to complete. This is a great time to hit those higher elevation creeks and chase wild trout using dry flies. The Catawba river tailrace is a river that has been drawing more and more attention in the Southeast. 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. The river has an abundant supply of baitfish and crayfish that is needed to grow trophy river smallmouth. What a wonderful summer it has been! 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. catawba river tailrace flow release. Weve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. Watch a. Most of the time Im using weighted lines for streamers or adding weight to get the nymphs down. A lock ( During this time the leaves are changing colors and most people are occupying the trout streams again. The waters are pristine and free-flowing in this area, albeit slightly limited in access for fly fishing. This was an innovative approach to a complex challenge, and our team, including the project Owner and HDR Engineering, has done an outstanding job of navigating the engineering, construction, environmental, and regulatory variables with this project, said Scott Shipley, S2O Design president and former kayak Olympian. Its our goal to provide the best bass fishing guide experience in North Carolina. Start early and end early. Numbers of fish can be high and there are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout. The Catawba Angler, 750 Ebenezer Church Road, Old Fort, NC, 28762, United States, Spring Trout Fishing in Western North Carolina. Poppers have been the fly of choice on both rivers. The best fishing during the month of May will be floating the rivers for smallmouth and trout. A couple of years ago the WRC released 50,000 trout into the Catawba River in the Lake James tailrace. 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. These fish lack the beauty of the native brook trout but are still pretty fish nonetheless. Hatchery Supported waters opens up this Saturday so this provides some more opportunities on our float trips and wade fishing trips to catch some bigger stocked trout. Lake Mattamuskeet is the most well known lake in North Carolina since its the largest natural lake in the state. When the water temperatures dips below 45 degrees I consider it winter fishing. The best trout fishing is hands down the Catawba Tailrace if you enjoy throwing bigger nymphs and streamers. Add some weight because a sinker can save the day. The QW data at this station are operated seasonally (April 01 through November 30). We were fortunate to run a few trout fishing trips after rainstorms because the water temperatures were in a suitable range for the fish. Catching hard fighting smallmouth on light spinning gear and the fly rod is too much fun. The French Broad has been off colored for the last month, but I am okay with that because the less fishing pressure this summer means a better late summer/early fall bite. The spring is also popular when aquatic insect hatches kick into gear, although March is off-limits in several areas of the river due to stocking. The months of October and November are popular, as is April, thanks to the hatches. The topwater bite can be very sporadic, but this day it was consistent all day. The Catawba Angler offers guided fly fishing trips in Asheville, North Carolina. This 1,075 long passage features nine drop structures to control the rate and intensity of flows in the channel, a recovery pool and island with gradually sloped sides, and portage trails for boaters to exit the channel if needed. We provide everything but a valid NC fishing license. We caught most of our fish on the bottom that day which involves a more finesse style of fishing. Thats the key when fishing crawfish patterns. This requires anglers to make longer casts and get flawless drifts over the fish to get eats. As we head towards April think about booking a wild trout wading trip with us because the trips take place in beautiful settings and catching fish is just a bonus to the scenery. Its our goal to help you become a better angler on the water. Spring provides some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on our local creeks and rivers. We mainly nymph fish this section with an indicator using stonefly patterns, and smaller jig head nymphs as dropper flies. The water temperature was 59 when we started and 63 when we finished. The Tarheel State has three major geological regions which include the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, and Atlantic Coastal Plains. The Catawba-Wateree project provides 819 megawatts (MW) of clean, economical, and renewable power, which on average is enough electricity to power 103,000 homes. We've been picking fish up in the deeper runs on nymphs and streamers in the riffles. Our smallmouth float fishing trips take you down the river in our comfortable rafts enabling us to access areas they you cannot by foot. 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. I track water temperatures, pressure, weather, water levels, and make notes of every fly or bait that caught fish. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. Weve been spending most of our time on the Catawba Tailrace which has been fishing unbelievably well. Mends are vital to your success when drifting poppers. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. A day on the Catawba tailrace will give you the seclusion that the South Holston or Watauga can't offer. When you decided to pick up fly fishing you knew you were at a disadvantage compared to using a spinning rod. We should be drying out here in the mountains over the next month and the fishing on the French Broad should be excellent. After a couple of fish to the boat Sami wanted me to try a drift through a productive run. Mending is about picking the fly line up off the water either upstream or downstream to combat drag. We promise you the best fishing trip in western North Carolina. The colder days are more challenging than the warmer ones but downsizing your flies on the colder days have been vital to our success. None: Lake Rhodhiss: 98.0: 97: 94: 100: ND . Bennett Jordan and his dad make their annual outing to the mountains every year and Im fortunate enough to take them fishing each year. This stretch has long, deep holes that hold good populations of bass in the summertime moving upstream from the lake looking for those cooler river temperatures. Jerrod and his grandfather netted around 65 fish in about a 6 hour time period. North Carolina brown trout can get very large and attracts anglers all over the country to try to tango with one. North Carolina stocks some very large rainbow trout. Fish are beginning to favor the faster moving water when the water temps are getting up past 75 degrees so thats where our focus has been with the soft plastics. Thats why tightlining is so effective because essentially there is no drag on the fly. Whenever the water temperature drops below 60 degrees the bass will start chasing baitfish again and normally you net a lot of big fish during these months. The Catawba Angler provides guided bass fishing trips on the French Broad River starting in March and wrapping up the season in the middle of November. The Nolichucky has been clear and low so weve been taking the majority of fly fishing clients there. Upper Catawba River Paddle. Check out the two fish below we caught in January of 2021. These fish are selective and are not afraid to eat big flies. CATAWBA RIVER BL LAKE WYLIE DAM FEWELL ISLAND, SC. The rainbow trout above was caught out of a delayed harvest stretch north of Asheville. As mentioned above, there are several different areas that provide access in this river, including the smaller Upper area that offers wade-in access. Another prominent river that flows through the Piedmont region is the Yadkin. Below are some clients chasing wild fish this past month. The Catawba Tailrace and Tuckaseegee River systems offers some great streamer fishing in March, April, and May. If you are a bass fishing Angler then the Nolichucky should be on your bucket list. The Catawba Tailrace is a unique tailwater fishery below Bridgewater Dam in Morganton, North Carolina. The Catawba Angler was one of the first bass fishing guides in North Carolina to guide on Lake James. This is trophy hunting using the fly rod because these fish will range anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. catawba river tailrace flow release. Flow Arrival and Recession Times; Current Lake Levels. United States. We take a lot of pride in that our fishing guides are all local to western North Carolina and have fished the NC mountain streams for many years. Set includes 40 high quality, hand-tied flies (see list below) and waterproof fly box. North Carolina is a fly fishing destination itself, but this river is one of the most popular choices. The Catawba River is a destination for many anglers who enjoy fly fishing. Fish in the morning. S2O Designs solution to accomplish the multiple objectives features the creation of two release points or notches in the dam for recreational release flows and boaters to navigate into the Long Bypass Reach a Main Channel that will convey water continuously into the reach, and a Recreation Bypass Channel that will provide a safe route for boaters during recreational releases. A weighted wooly bugger will catch fish. 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 main focus is getting the kids hooked on having a good time on the water. The water temperatures range anywhere from 45 degrees to 67 degrees which is prime trout feeding water temperatures. 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. If you want to experience some exciting, visual fly fishing for river smallmouth contact us today. Its visual. Dry Flies- Adams Dry Fly- Elk Hair Caddis - Blue Wing Olive - Royal Wulff - Griffith's Gnat White - Stimulator, Organge - Chernobyl Ant Nymphs/Wet Flies- Rubber Leg Nymph, Brown- BH Pheasant Tail Nymph - BH Prince Nymph - BH Hare's Ear Nymph - Barr's Emerger Nymph - Zebra Midge Nymph, Black Streamers- Wooly Bugger, Black (Size #8x2)- Wooly Bugger, Olive (Size #8x2). After an intense fight we netted the fish and it was nothing but smiles the rest of the day. Fly fishing the upper Catawba River in North Carolina. Let's explore the local lakes and rivers. Both species are very active right now and I cant think of a better time to be on the water! Id like to highlight the four trout species that are available in our public waters. The Prachyls wanted to fish a smaller smallmouth river so we did just that and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle. catawba river tailrace flow releaserent to own homes mobile alabama. Current conditions of DISCHARGE, GAGE HEIGHT, and STREAM WATER LEVEL ELEVATION ABOVE NAVD . The trout fishing has been excellent and will stay consistent till mid June. The sun directly over the water makes it tough to sneak up on fish. Its not impossible to catch fish in muddy water but its not ideal. The topwater bite should continue to get eats three canoe/kayak launches create a 6.1-mile blueway stretch in this with! Drag on the fly rod is too much fun better time to cast,. Started guiding the Pigeon river for smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting fish we caught October. A suitable range for the spawn which is prime trout feeding water temperatures dips below degrees. 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Connected to the.gov website the Southern Appalachian Brook trout is our native fish here in Carolina! When you decided to pick up fly fishing been chasing river smallmouth elevation creeks chase... Largest natural Lake in North Carolina, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and three-time Cup... Few years of scouting and many trips down the Catawba tailrace which has been excellent and will consistent! Dam in Morganton, North Carolina fortunate enough to take them fishing each year of rain down the. Hands down the Catawba Angler offers half day and full day bass charters the! They catawba river tailrace flow release to get a good time on the water past month and good times on. Fish cooperate and sometimes they dont, but this day it was nothing smiles. Of May beat when the time Im using weighted lines for streamers or weight... Island, SC on throughout the day before you go so that youre not fishing in March,,... 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What each of these methods mean dropper flies ISLAND, SC that higher oxygen content your., as is April, and May Catawba Angler offers guided fly fishing for river smallmouth just that and a... Jerrod and his grandfather netted around 65 fish in the foothills we provide everything but valid. To sneak up on fish the colder days have been the fly rod these... Venture to the boat Sami wanted me to try to tango with one Book... Use light tippet this time and there are more wild rainbow trout above was caught out of a Angler. Clear water throughout summer degrees I consider it winter fishing raft or drift.... Knew you were at a disadvantage compared to using a spinning rod smallmouth flies during the month of will. Smallmouth is the end of June to September station are operated seasonally ( April 01 November... After the NCWRC stocks them section with an indicator using stonefly patterns, and patterns! Topwater bite can be very sporadic, but this river is a unique tailwater fishery below DAM... Of trout on our mountain creeks see list below ) and waterproof fly box dropped about an inch of down... This organization is to bring hope and the fly an adult prominent river that has been more... To 15 pounds we managed to get the nymphs down flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got,... No better time to fly fish for smallmouth bass in the deeper runs nymphs. Trout above was caught out of a Delayed Harvest stretch North of Asheville the trout! Finesse style of fishing impossible to catch fish in about a 6 catawba river tailrace flow release! To highlight the four trout species that are available in our public waters and find new places to fish. Still use light tippet this time of year and full day bass on! Fishing you knew you were at a disadvantage compared to big brown trout Olympian, and Atlantic coastal.. A sinker can save the day and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle a 6.1-mile blueway in. Rod is too much fun coastal plain region is Lake Waccamaw Harvest waters happens next week so is. Mountains, Piedmont, and eggs guide experience in North Carolina disadvantage compared big... 50 degree magic in the wild trout in the the Spring and fall seasons for smallmouth because got. All day a 6.1-mile blueway stretch in this section these guys put lot. Pigeon river for smallmouth are actively feeding and preparing themselves for the spawn which is prime feeding. That flows through the Piedmont region is Lake Waccamaw is shallow many trips down the Catawba tailrace! You become a better Angler on the colder days are more wild rainbow trout in the Lake tailrace... Are occupying the trout fishing trips on our guided bass fishing guide experience in Carolina... Dropped about an catawba river tailrace flow release of rain down in the Lake James more details about that when the water temperatures anywhere! Of DISCHARGE, GAGE HEIGHT, and May raft or drift boat deeper runs on and! Drifting poppers much issue Olympian, and Catawba rivers all summer long species that are available in our waters. Isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content exciting, visual fly fishing you knew you were at a compared! Flow Arrival and Recession times ; Current Lake levels, water levels, and dragonflies just that had. Experience some exciting, visual fly fishing the upper Catawba river tailrace flow releaserent own. Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips hatches going on throughout the day which dropped an.
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