We have a really good caddis hatch in early March which allows us to sight fish for some large brown trout. 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. Smallmouth can be picky throughout the season that runs from March to November, but we bounce around from three different rivers to put clients in the best water to catch fish. 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. A lock ( The Yadkin River boasts a small population of smallmouth bass and a variety of other species. Fish in the morning. The only natural lakes in the state are located in the Coastal Plain region which begins around the Raleigh area and extends to the Atlantic Ocean. The water temperatures range anywhere from 45 degrees to 67 degrees which is prime trout feeding water temperatures. If there is ever a time to fish western North Carolina for trout then now is the time. There is excellent dry fly fishing in the spring. We were able to fish the Catawba Tailrace after having to reschedule due to weather. The best fishing is below Waterville dam and into East Tennessee. Challenge: In order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free drifts. The best fishing has been early morning because its been abnormally hot since weve had some 90 degree days. 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. We caught most of our fish on the bottom that day which involves a more finesse style of fishing. Normally when they first stock the first will hit anything flashy in the color of pink and yellow. These trips are great introductory trips to get kids interested in the sport of fishing. Check out our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in North Carolina. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. Jerrod and his grandfather netted around 65 fish in about a 6 hour time period. 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 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. The lake is home to many different fish species but the largemouth bass is most sought after. I met a guy at the boat ramp last week and he said this fishing rivals anything out west this time of year. It is a big river that fishes much like a Western river. The rivers width makes it ideal for float fishing, so a drift boat will be a helpful. We offer different kayak types and river tubes to use on the scenic & historic Catawba River, South Fork River, or one of the area lakes! The weather is perfect this time of year with the later start times so give us a call to book your fishing adventure in the mountains of NC. The best fishing in the Catawba River is found just after stocking, usually in the late fall and early winter months. 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. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. Weve had a lot of fun catching prespawn smallmouth, but their is nothing better than the post spawn smallmouth fishing in May. One way to catch more fish in an unfamiliar river system is to find out what forage is in the river whether it be bugs, minnows, or crayfish and start there. Catawba River Blueway - Mountain Island Lake Section Add Photo Mountain Island Lake is located south of Lake Norman and hosts 61 miles of shoreline. Wading has been great on the Delayed Harvest sections of the Catawba River, Curtis Creek, and Mill Creek. Long, accurate drifts without drag can entice big smallmouth to come up from the depths to eat. 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. These guys put a lot of time on the water which is the best teacher of all. I appreciate the hard work they put in on the guided trips weve been on over the last couple of years. The topwater bite should continue to get better with the water temperature warming up. Right after that first pop will tell you a lot. This was Bennetts personal best river smallmouth and the biggest smallmouth to hit my net this year. You can purchase a North Carolina state fishing license and learn about the most current regulations through the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The 400 long Main Channel will take most of the flow down the eight feet of drop from the reservoir to the bottom pool, providing continuous connectivity between the reservoir and the river. Thanks for reading our report. This is when we head to the hills to chase wild fish where the water temperatures are lower and there isnt a ton of fishing pressure. Weve been averaging over fifty fish on every float using a variety of different methods to put fish in the net. The temperature reading on my truck this morning said it was 57 degrees outside. If you throw them back they will stay in the same run and have the opportunity to grow even bigger. Catching hard fighting smallmouth on light spinning gear and the fly rod is too much fun. The closest fishing to Asheville is the French Broad River. These fish come up the river eating the trout so you can imagine how big the flies are we will be throwing. There isnt a better time than now to get out on the water and learn the sport of fly fishing. If the bigger chubby is scaring fish when it lands on the water then put on some sort of parachute adams or caddis. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. I look forward to seeing you on the water. The wild trout fishing will be good till July when water temperatures get over 70 degrees. Weve had our best success on the Catawba River since there is more flow on it than the smaller mountain creeks. See you on the water. Remember to still use light tippet this time of year. If flows are considerably above or below historical norms (yellow triangles on the chart) then fishing conditions maybe not be ideal. The best fishing during the month of May will be floating the rivers for smallmouth and trout. fish, but hooked up with a true trophy at the end of the day. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. The main focus is getting the kids hooked on having a good time on the water. 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. A weighted wooly bugger will catch fish. The best bite has been when we get a cold front come through and the water temps get around 75 degrees again. The French Broad has been off colored since the beginning of July so I havent gotten the opportunity to fish it that much. The elk hair caddis is my personal favorite fly. The lakes in the mountain and Piedmont regions are the result of dammed rivers. Badin Lake is the clearest lake in the Yadkin Chain and runs within the Uwharrie National Forest which offers some unique scenery for a Piedmont Lake. 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. The key to having a successful day is finding somewhat clear water. Below is a fish we caught dead drifting a popper right off the bank by a fallen down tree. The Catawba Angler is a fly fishing guide service that offers wade fishing trips on Curtis Creek. Lake levels are reported with normal full pond elevation of 100 feet. I want to thank my savior Jesus Christ for creating these wonderful fisheries and beautiful places that I get the opportunity to work in every day! The water has been lower so its pushing the bass in isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content. There are plenty of wade fishing and float fishing opportunities available on one of the many delayed harvest streams in NC. Fly fishing is the preferred method for casting smaller flies to these eager fish. Weve been fishing dark colors in water with less than a foot of clarity. You wont be able to put-in or takeout there so just a heads up. Duke Energy Corporation. The QW data at this station are operated seasonally (April 01 through November 30). 19 inch Catawba Tailrace Brown Trout that ate a white streamer. I think between the warmer water temperature (72 degrees) and overcast day it created an ideal scenario. The lake draws many anglers from the Piedmont and coastal plain region looking to catch both smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. I knew it was going to be a good time to fish because for the last three years the Catawba Tailrace has been excellent from the beginning of March to the end of May. 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. 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). Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 6 h 15 min to complete. Monitoring location 02146000 is associated with a STREAM in YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. catawba river tailrace flow releaseal di meola mediterranean sundance. North Carolina is a fly fishing destination itself, but this river is one of the most popular choices. Kirk and his son Houston had a great day on the water. Its our goal to provide the best bass fishing guide experience in North Carolina. After the spawn is over the water temperatures start to warm and the fish start chasing baitfish. The best fishing during the winter is going to be throughout the Delayed Harvest Stretch. To learn more about the smallmouth fishing around Asheville click the learn more link at the bottom of this page. 828-460-2390. CATAWBA RIVER NEAR ROCK HILL, SC Important Legacy real-time page Monitoring location 02146000 is associated with a STREAM in YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. Smallmouth start chasing during this time and there is no better time to throw moving baits. Those fish on the Tailrace have seen enough black to last them a lifetime so it never hurts to think outside the box. Flow Arrival and Recession Times; Current Lake Levels. Weve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. Below are some pictures of some recent catches. There were lots of laughs and good times had on the lake. Falls Lake also known as Falls of the Neuse & Jordan Reservoir are on the border of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain region and are some of the best largemouth lakes in North Carolina. S2O Design & Engineering heads Great Falls-Dearborn Diversion Bypass Project, design solution will open the Catawbas Long Bypass Reach for boating for the first time in over 100 years. The Catawba Tailrace has an excellent caddis hatch beginning in early March that can last till mid April. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. We were fortunate to hit this local creek after a cold front came through and cooled the water down to a desired level. Brown trout are native to Europe, but were introduced in the 1920s in alot of the streams in North Carolina. Spring provides some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on our local creeks and rivers. As that temp drops the fishing will continue to get better and better. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Fly Fishing in North Carolina is one of the best experiences to do when visiting the mountains. 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. riu palace cabo san lucas address; horse property for sale oswego, illinois; dunbar high school yearbook; ultrawide anime wallpaper 5120x1440 . You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Enjoy some smallmouth pictures below of some September 2022 smallmouth. This fishery is 50 miles from downtown Asheville and offers excellent trout fishing from a raft or drift boat. Another prominent river that flows through the Piedmont region is the Yadkin. Similar to Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Waccamaw is shallow. The current water temperature coming out the dam is 67 degrees. I couldnt do it without her support. It is important to understand what types of baitfish, aquatic insects, and crayfish that are in a river system before you can have success using the fly rod. The best midge colors have been black, brown, and olive. Below are some fish from the last two weeks. The lakes associated with the project provide a reliable supply of cooling water for Duke Energy . An official website of the United States government. Weve heard of 7pound fish being caught and even bigger ones that have gotten away. Hitting the fish on the nose with smaller flies seems to work most of the time. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS It's BROWN TROUT galore!! We offer wade and float trips for the four trout species found in NC. Below is a picture of my buddies Samis first trout on the fly. These fish have been in our creeks since God created the world. Give us a call to book your fishing charter in the mountains of North Carolina. Our water temperature is mid 70s and we are finally seeing some great topwater action. 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