My favorite time to fly fish for smallmouth is the end of June to September. Dead drifting these big bugs is very similar to drifting flies to tailwater trout. Less is more when it comes to retrieving smallmouth flies during the summer time. The wild fish are more challenging to catch but we trick a bunch into eating dry flies. 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. Lock If youve never fished for river smallmouth then let us guide you into a adventure of a lifetime. We throw a bunch of cinnamon ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. Both species are very active right now and I cant think of a better time to be on the water! Official websites use .gov Its the thought of catching the biggest brown trout of your life here that brings guides and anglers back every year. Check out the fish we caught in October fly fishing Curtis Creek. Its flat out hunting for big bass on the fly. The days we have been on the French Broad have been tough, but not impossible. North Carolinas fisheries biologist will say Jordan Reservoir is the best lake in the state. We thank everyone who has trusted us over the years for making this passion a career. Catawba River Canoe Map The Catawba River begins in the foothills of North Carolina and flows for more than 200 miles through the Piedmont of North Carolina. The waters are pristine and free-flowing in this area, albeit slightly limited in access for fly fishing. If you are a bass fishing Angler then the Nolichucky should be on your bucket list. There are a lot of June bugs out so weve been having some good luck using smaller bugs on the Toe River. The lakes that make up the Catawba River Chain are Lake James, Lake Rhodiss, Lake Hickory, Lookout Shoals Lake, Lake Norman, and Lake Wylie. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. During this season its time to break out the bigger flies and target the biggest smallmouth in the river. The most important thing he picked up quickly was the mend. Ready to go? There are a lot of bugs hatching this time of year so when drifting nymphs always allow them to swing at the end of your drift. Head to the high country: The higher elevation creeks are going to clear up first so start there. Most likely the fins were rubbed off during the time this fish was in the holding walls of the hatchery. Below are just a few pictures from the DH stretches in May. 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. Seasonally, North Carolina is fairly temperate. 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. We will go into more details about that when the time is right. 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. Preserves and parks also offer camping for those who want an even more budget-friendly option. North Carolina is a fly fishing destination itself, but this river is one of the most popular choices. Start writing down notes from every fishing trip you take and you will be surprised how it will benefit you down the road. The smallmouth bite is good all summer. 21 inch brown trout caught by Allen Locke. This is a great time to hit those higher elevation creeks and chase wild trout using dry flies. The water is unusually low on the Nolichucky so weve been spending the most time on the French Broad. Its important to always be flexible with your game plan on the water. The wild water has been fishing excellent lately and the fish are rising to dry flies. These guys put a lot of time on the water which is the best teacher of all. Fly Fishing in North Carolina is one of the best experiences to do when visiting the mountains. We catch river smallmouth on a variety of baits in May since the smallmouth are feeding aggressively on baitfish and crayfish. Water levels in the mountains of North Carolina are currently low which makes fishing more challenging that years past. North Carolina is a fly fishing destination itself, but this river is one of the most popular choices. If you like brown trout you will love the Catawba! The crowds are nonexistent this time of year so come enjoy the river to yourself. Id like to highlight the four trout species that are available in our public waters. The brown trout above is a stocked fish. Its been a wonderful summer full of some really good fishing. During this time the leaves are changing colors and most people are occupying the trout streams again. There is excellent dry fly fishing in the spring. The bite started off hot during the morning, but tapered off mid day then the bite picked up significantly in the afternoon. Check out the dorsal fin on the trout its a dead giveaway. 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. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 6 h 15 min to complete. Black stonefly nymphs are excellent flies to use on the Catawba Tailrace. After the first weekend of June fishing wont be great on the Delayed Harvest stretches because on June 4th anglers can harvest the fish. There is nothing better than floating down a beautiful mountain river chasing smallmouth bass on the fly. I met a guy at the boat ramp last week and he said this fishing rivals anything out west this time of year. catawba river tailrace flow release. I run size 16-20 midges under the wool and drift the deep slow moving holes. Springtime dry fly fishing in western North Carolina! It was another one unit flow release and we netted about 25 fish. If you have a trip booked in July be prepared to start early. Mending is about picking the fly line up off the water either upstream or downstream to combat drag. Lets dig in to what has been fishing well and whats ahead for early Summer. Streamer fishing can be very exciting on the tailrace because you can turn and catch some very large fish. Leaders should as least be 10 foot in length. 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. United States. The weather was ideal with it being cloudy and mid 50s. Rainbow Trout are prominent in North Carolina. Weve had our best success on the Catawba River since there is more flow on it than the smaller mountain creeks. The Catawba Angler keeps a continual pulse on the Catawba Tailrace to be able to offer successful fly fishing trips on this tailwater. We were able to fish the Catawba Tailrace after having to reschedule due to weather. Tiger trout are extremely rare in North Carolina. We are big on teaching then catching at our guide service because youve got to be able to do things the right way before you start catching. Current conditions of DISCHARGE, GAGE HEIGHT, and STREAM WATER LEVEL ELEVATION ABOVE NAVD 1988 are available. Trying throwing some smaller profile flies to match the hatch. The Yadkin River boasts a small population of smallmouth bass and a variety of other species. Normally your best fishing will be 7am to 11am so weve been out there early this month. Wild trout fishing in North Carolina provides a unique experience for anglers because we wade smaller mountain streams for stream bred fish. The lake is home to some big largemouth bass and is also known as a put and take striper lake where the state stocks 25,000 fingerling every year. The last two weeks of September was nothing short of amazing. These fish will test your drag, jump, and then tail slap water at you when you release them. Sometimes the fish cooperate and sometimes they dont, but thats what keeps us coming back. 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. name of lake actual target minimum maximum Drought Stage range date lake message updated; Lake James: 96.1: 95.1: 92.6: 100: ND. When water temperatures are hottest these big smallmouth arent going to be chasing a ton. Be sure to check local fishing regulations before you go so that youre not fishing in a restricted area. Its always a pleasure fishing with Jim Sitts. In creating this solution, S2O Design engineers and hydrologists completed conceptual designs, 1D and 2D computer modeling, construction documents, and construction visualization renderings. Check out our interactive map of over 30,000 of the best places to fly fish in the US. Below are some of the tips we used on the guide trip and had some really good success. Trail Manager. Fall fishing is special because you are likely to experience some excellent dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing all in the same day. Check out our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing Gear for recommendations. CATAWBA RIVER NEAR ROCK HILL, SC Important Legacy real-time page Monitoring location 02146000 is associated with a STREAM in YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. The USGS stream gauge at Pleasant Gardens, NC provide a good indication of current conditions in the upper Catawba River. If you can stand it use 6.5x or 7x. Its good to see at least one brown in that stretch. CATAWBA RIVER BL LAKE WYLIE DAM FEWELL ISLAND, SC, GNSS2 - Level 2 Quality Survey Grade Global Navigation Satellite System. We are finally starting to see some normal May temperatures so midday fishing should get better with these cooler nights and rain. The fish measured 19.5 inches and weighed right at 3.4lbs. 828-460-2390. Olive is another color that shouldnt be overlooked. Its our goal to provide the best bass fishing guide experience in North Carolina. In the winter time Im using 6-7x tippet. Get directions to fishing access points and real-time stream flow data with theDIY Fly Fishing Map. If its dragging its lagging. Most smallmouth flies are designed with legs, hairs, or fur that provides lifelike movement in the water. 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. These fish are prevalent in the 34 creeks and rivers that get stocked across the mountain region of NC. You cant beat that in late August. Weve got a few more smallmouth trips on the books this year which we are excited to finish the year out strong. We are currently booking in August so please dont hesitate booking. As that temp drops the fishing will continue to get better and better. The dead drifting approach is going to be best when targeting smallmouth bass in the low, clear water throughout summer. After a few years of scouting and many trips down the river we have started guiding the Pigeon River for smallmouth bass. Use dark/flashy flies: A big black stonefly or a flashy beadhead egg is hard to beat when the water is up. The lake draws many anglers from the Piedmont and coastal plain region looking to catch both smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. We offer alot of trips and cater to beginners and the most experienced anglers. We grew up two miles from this creek so this is our home water. Sinkers: If you are fishing a deep run and arent catching fish its probably because your flies arent getting down fast enough. Let's explore the local lakes and rivers. The biggest smallmouth weve ever guided a client into has come from the Nolichucky. Lift the rod tip up or wiggle it. Fishing will continue to be good all winter long on the lower elevation creeks and rivers. The best fishing has been early morning because its been abnormally hot since weve had some 90 degree days. Learn More Weve heard of 7pound fish being caught and even bigger ones that have gotten away. Fish arent leader shy in high water. Below is a picture of my buddies Samis first trout on the fly. 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. These trips are great introductory trips to get kids interested in the sport of fishing. 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. If you dont get an immediate response we will respond as soon as we get off the water so please bear with us. This will have the Tailrace out of commission for the next few days. Weve all heard of matching the hatch which is good and all, but I would go farther than that and say its even more important to match the movement of the forage you are mimicking. Its versatile. As always if you are interested in fishing another fishery that I dont list in this report please call me or text me. We offer multiple float trips on our local fisheries so if you are interested in getting in the boat with your significant other, best friend, or child then let us know. Our tailwater trips have been super productive and we are starting to venture to the high country for wild trout. Normally Ill run lighter tippet because the water is usually very clear this time of year. The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. We offer wade and float trips for the four trout species found in NC. Brown trout are elusive and considered one of the most difficult trout species to catch. Start early to September anglers can Harvest the fish we caught in October fly fishing a. Notes from every fishing trip you take and you will love the Catawba river runs both. Forward to this time of the most popular choices the fly goal to provide the best will... 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