There are many beautiful spots around the world to trout fish, but no place can overshadow the North Carolina mountain creeks and rivers. North Carolina has some quality trout fishing, but the fishing can be challenging. Here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains you won’t see the same casts that Brad Pitt does in the movie A River around Through It, which depicts him making very long casts. The fishing style around these mountains consist of short casts because most streams are small and have some sort of tree growth along the the banks unlike many open, western rivers. Our waters are basically drainage ditches coming off high mountains so the water is faster with a bunch of riffles and pockets. As a full time guide, I see it time after time where clients want to make the “hero” casts on small fisheries. These casts have a place when the water is low and clear, but a lot of times only a few feet of fly line is needed as long as your leader is the correct length. The most successful clients are the ones that seldom make long casts whether we are fishing from foot or the boat. On the small wild trout streams one of my best days were with a guy who fished all Fay with only his leader touching the water. It’s very hard especially for beginners to set the hook on long casts because they have way too much slack in their line. I’ll fish behind someone making long casts all day, but the ones you have to look out for are those short cast anglers. Those short cast anglers know what their doing.
North Carolina has plenty of trout water to fish since more than 25% of the 100 NC counties have trout fishing. Most of the trout streams are classified as wild trout streams meaning the trout were not stocked, but born in the stream naturally. I believe the wild trout fishing in North Carolina is better than other states because there isn’t as much food in our streams as some of the other western streams. The lack of food makes for more opportunistic fish which is a good thing! Talk to some of the guides on the more popular western rivers after a big salmonfly hatch. The fish eat heavily for a week then they are so full they turn off afterwards. North Carolina does have some good hatches, but we aren’t necessarily matching the hatch always.
The wild trout fishing in North Carolina is often overlooked because the trout aren’t big, but I would take a 10 inch wild trout over a 20 inch stocked fish any day of the week. The wild trout are more beautiful, and they fight harder. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.
The wild trout streams in North Carolina are never crowded and the farther you get from the trailhead the better the fishing. Some of the best wild trout streams are the ones that most people will drive past and say there isn’t any fish in there. Any North Carolina creek above 2,500 feet in elevation is more than likely going to have trout in it.
Some of our favorite creeks and rivers are the Catawba River, Toe Rivers, French Broad River, Davidson River, Pigeon River, Curtis Creek, Newberry Creek, Deep Creek, Wilson Creek, Lost Cove Creek, Harper Creek, Tuckaseegee River, and Nantahala River.
What is the best trout stream in North Carolina?
The best trout stream in North Carolina is the one you haven’t discovered yet. What I mean by this is that there are many trout streams that you might not find in a book or a social media post, but it could very well be the best trout fishing you’ve ever experienced. Get out and explore! There isn’t one stream in North Carolina that is better than another some just fish better than others certain times of the year.
How to target and catch big trout?
The best places to target big trout is to fish where big trout live. Fishing these areas will increase your odds of catching a big trout significantly. We catch a lot of big trout on our smallmouth trips using spinning gear. The baits we throw for smallmouth are bigger baits such as rapalas and bigger soft plastics. This is evidence that big trout eat bigger baits.
The best places to target bigger trout is where smaller creeks flow in larger rivers. These are hot spots for bigger trout because in the summer when the water temperatures get warm in the larger rivers these trout will head to these areas. A lot of times these bigger fish will stay in these general areas year round.
Bigger trout are similar to big smallmouth. The bigger fish are more willing to chase bigger baits than smaller ones because if they are going to expend the energy they want it to be worth their time.
The best times to target big trout in North Carolina is Spring, Fall, and Winter. The warmer water temperatures in the summer contain less oxygen which slows trout fishing down. The good news is that smallmouth fishing is awesome in the summer months.
Best flies for bigger trout: Pats Rubber Legs, Crystal Wooly Buggers, Mini Finesse Gamechangers (Rainbow Trout), Mini Sex Dungeons (Black & Purple)
Best spinning tackle for bigger trout: Lucky Craft Jerkbaits, VMC Marabou Jigs, Keitech Easy Shiners
Trout Live in Beautiful Places in NC
Trout fishing isn’t always about catching fish. It’s enjoying where these fish live and the pleasure of fishing for them in beautiful places. Trout fishing in the North Carolina Mountains is truly special and there is enough water here to keep an angler busy for a lifetime. Below are some photos of the creeks and rivers we are fortunate enough to guide on.
The Catawba Angler
We are a fly fishing/light tackle guide service based out of Old Fort, North Carolina. When you book a trip with us you will fish with a full time guide that grew up fishing the creek or river you will be guided on. We know you are paying hard earned money to fish with us and we will make sure we do everything in our power for you and your family to have a great day on the water. We value your business and look forward to seeing you on the river.
Sincerely,
Matt Evans
Owner/The Catawba Angler