Let's explore the local lakes and rivers. 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. (Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie) We have multiple exploring options including . The crowds are nonexistent this time of year so come enjoy the river to yourself. 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. The smallmouth fishing is best from the airport in Asheville to the East Tennessee line. Flow Arrival and Recession Times; Current Lake Levels. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. then its best to move to the next plunge pool. Weve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. We are getting a lot of repeat clients in the fall that want to chase those big smallmouth on fly or spinning tackle. The majority of smallmouth in our stretches of water will be in just a few holes. Here is list of general fly pattern recommendations for the Catawba River: Ventures Fly Co. offers a great selection of dry flies, nymphs and streamers that will catch fish just about anywhere. If you like brown trout you will love the Catawba! Locked padlock Curtis Creek gets stocked the first week of October and November so this provides good fishing all fall and winter. Olive is another color that shouldnt be overlooked. A lot of times Ill run wool as an indicator since it is such a delicate presentation. If you can stand it use 6.5x or 7x. We ended up catching a bunch of 1 to 1.75 lb. The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. In the spring these lakes warm up faster than the deep man made lakes in the piedmont and mountain region so the prespawn bite on these lakes occur here before any other lake in the state. These guys put a lot of time on the water which is the best teacher of all. The second stocking of trout on our local Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is exciting as well. Three canoe/kayak launches create a 6.1-mile blueway stretch in this section. Overall I think this July has been more productive than Ive seen in years past. Fly fishing is the preferred method for casting smaller flies to these eager fish. We offer wade and float trips for the four trout species found in NC. The cold water discharges from the dam create a habitat for brown trout that the NCWRC stocks every year. The lakes that make up the Catawba River Chain are Lake James, Lake Rhodiss, Lake Hickory, Lookout Shoals Lake, Lake Norman, and Lake Wylie. Duke Energy Corporation. Shallow areas and wade-in access usually mean the water gets too warm, so consider that, as well. The Catawba Tailrace offers some of the best brown trout fishing in North Carolina. Spring in North Carolina begins March 20th and ends June 21st. There is nothing better than catching one of these native fish using a fly rod. See you on the water. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. The wild trout streams in North Carolina are fishing excellent right now. One of the best holes on the creek is going to be the handicap holes right off the main road. We are currently getting some rain which will bump those river levels up right in time for our June trips. You wont be disappointed. Out of all the fish stocked by the state 40% of them are rainbow trout. We caught nothing but rainbows because they didnt put browns in this winter because of the hatchery shortage of fish after the flood in August 2021. As mentioned above, there are several different areas that provide access in this river, including the smaller Upper area that offers wade-in access. Weve been picking fish up in the deeper runs on nymphs and streamers in the riffles. The Nolichucky has been clear and low so weve been taking the majority of fly fishing clients there. Our guides are well versed in the fisheries of western North Carolina which helps them cater to a clients specific needs. . Book your trip today! Looking for more places to fish? All youll have to do is kick back, relax, and wet a line because weve done the hard work for you. Catawba River Blueway - Mountain Island Lake Section Add Photo Mountain Island Lake is located south of Lake Norman and hosts 61 miles of shoreline. Happy fishing! Its important to always be flexible with your game plan on the water. The biggest fish was a 18 brook trout that was almost as fat as it was long. In Chester County, S.C. near the North and South Carolina borderan hour's drive south of the U.S. National Whitewater Center in . It was an ideal location for a river smallmouth to be holding. Watch a. The biggest smallmouth weve ever guided a client into has come from the Nolichucky. I couldnt do it without her support. I wanted to take the time to share with yall some tips that will help you catch fish in high water conditions. Fishing will continue to be good all winter long on the lower elevation creeks and rivers. Important Legacy real-time page. Catching hard fighting smallmouth on light spinning gear and the fly rod is too much fun. Thats why tightlining is so effective because essentially there is no drag on the fly. Fish arent leader shy in high water. Using poppers to catch river smallmouth is by far the most exciting way to fly fish. These fish are no longer responding to the trash flies so leave them at the house. 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. We are currently booking in August so please dont hesitate booking. The tailrace, perfect for drifting and float fishing, is really where the majority of the action can be found. 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. If its dragging its lagging. Earlier in the day the nymph and streamer bite was consistent till the sun was directly above us. Thats fishing though! The best method has been using dry dropper rigs using 5-6x tippet. Focus your attention on the slack seam lines to the right or left of the fast water. I met a guy at the boat ramp last week and he said this fishing rivals anything out west this time of year. Weve been fishing dark colors in water with less than a foot of clarity. If float fishing isnt your thing then we got some excellent wade fishing opportunities chasing stocked and wild trout. I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. The Catawba Angler offers guided bass fishing trips on the best rivers and lakes in North Carolina. Preserves and parks also offer camping for those who want an even more budget-friendly option. Normally I always have a few dry flies in the box during this time, but anytime you see a sipping smallmouth they will be eager to take a popping bug. Its good to pop poppers in deeper water close to ledges because weve caught some good smallmouth drumming them up in deep water. This time of the year is an excellent time to catch your personal best river smallmouth before they start to spawn. We provide fly fishing and spin fishing trips for trout and smallmouth bass close to downtown Asheville. Thanks for reading. If its two units stay at the house. 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. Add some weight because a sinker can save the day. 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. The confluence of the South Fork Catawba River and Catawba River is submerged by Lake Wylie near the NC/SC state line. Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific region, but were introduced to North Carolina around the 1900s. 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. Our tailwater trips have been super productive and we are starting to venture to the high country for wild trout. Poppers have been the fly of choice on both rivers. 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. The river flows into northern South Carolina, passing Rock Hill, through Fishing Creek Reservoir near Great Falls, and into the Lake Wateree reservoir, approximately 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Columbia. The Catawba Angler specializes in fly fishing for smallmouth bass. 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? Official websites use .gov We took the McKay family on a two boat float trip down the lower end of the Nolichucky and had a fantastic day. Wading has been great on the Delayed Harvest sections of the Catawba River, Curtis Creek, and Mill Creek. This requires anglers to make longer casts and get flawless drifts over the fish to get eats. If you want to experience some exciting, visual fly fishing for river smallmouth contact us today. A lock ( There are a ton of wild trout streams around the mountains of North Carolina. Fish over 10 pounds have been caught in Jordan Reservoir. Chartreuse on the sunny days and black on the overcast days. The trailrace is best fished from a boat. Below are some highlights of some good fish we caught in August, 2022. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. This is why small flies and good presentations dominate. If I could predict when the smallmouth turn on to topwater Id be a rich man. This was the best method during the morning then we switched to midges midday and had some good success fishing then under a dry. The fish are coming up eating dries in the morning then droppers midday to early afternoon. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Ive got a few dates left in October so dont hesitate to book or they will be gone. This is where we will hike into a backcountry creek and dry fly fish all day for rising trout. The one unit release is around 1600 cfs which is a good flow. I good way to fish these smaller midges is to use a size 14 chubby chernobyl as the indicator. Its not impossible to catch fish in muddy water but its not ideal. 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. Below are some clients chasing wild fish this past month. The Catawba Angler specializes in offering float trips on the Catawba Tailrace and would love to have the opportunity to show you what this great fishery has to offer anytime of the year. The USGS stream gauge at Pleasant Gardens, NC provide a good indication of current conditions in the upper Catawba River. 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