(Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie) We have multiple exploring options including . Below are just a few pictures from the DH stretches in May. 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. Use heavier tippet: The potential to catch a big fish is always a possibility in high water so its a good idea to bump up in tippet size to give you that extra assurance to land the big one. 20 inch brown trout caught by Chris Snyder. There are a ton of wild trout streams around the mountains of North Carolina. After an intense fight we netted the fish and it was nothing but smiles the rest of the day. 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 bigger bugs such as caddis, cahills, hendricksons, quill gordons, stoneflies, and sulphurs begin to make their arrival in the spring so there are plenty of insects for the trout to eat. Below are some of the biggest fish weve caught out of the Tailrace. Normally anything over a half of inch will muddy the fishery due to muddy creek. The river is half the size of the French Broad River, but has a thick population of bass in it. 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. I would have to say if you are looking to catch a lot of fish then you do not want to miss fishing this stretch this time of year. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. These fish are selective and are not afraid to eat big flies. The river is not suitable to wade so its important to hire a guide to float you down the river to the best fishing spots. The French Broad River consistently produces 4 pound smallmouth year after year on our guided bass fishing trips. Smaller topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and dragonflies. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the The second stocking of trout on our local Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is exciting as well. An official website of the United States government. The best bite has been when we get a cold front come through and the water temps get around 75 degrees again. Thanks for reading. The one unit release is around 1600 cfs which is a good flow. Trail Uses Locations Catawba (NC), Fort Mill (SC), Lancaster (SC), Rock Hill (SC) Length 29.3 miles, One Way Difficulty Moderate Spring is here and we are in the full swing of our guiding season. The Catawba Angler offers family friendly fishing trips. The USGS stream gauge below Lake James provides is the best for monitoring dam releases and current conditions in the tailrace. The best time to fish it is going to be the weekdays. We thank everyone who has trusted us over the years for making this passion a career. Once you target bass and carp on the fly then you will be glad you did. I appreciate the hard work they put in on the guided trips weve been on over the last couple of years. When youre fishing the one unit the first arent in the normal holding areas when its a no flow release. Wild trout fishing will only get better as the temps warm and we will fish the wild trout streams well into June. If the bigger chubby is scaring fish when it lands on the water then put on some sort of parachute adams or caddis. For more information, visit S2ODesign.com. If you have a trip booked in July be prepared to start early. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. Chartreuse on the sunny days and black on the overcast days. Below is a fish we caught dead drifting a popper right off the bank by a fallen down tree. Lock I am going to be optimistic about having desirable flows for throwing dry flies this year. Its always a pleasure fishing with Jim Sitts. Lets dig in to what has been fishing well and whats ahead for early Summer. Get directions to access points, boat ramps, and real-time USGS stream flow data. The wild fish are more challenging to catch but we trick a bunch into eating dry flies. The water has been lower so its pushing the bass in isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content. Fall brings beautiful color changes to the brown trout in the Catawba Tailrace. Pressure is light and the fish are eager to hit big bugs and streamers. We grew up two miles from this creek so this is our home water. We had a phenomenal day on the water this year and we managed to catch 51 total fish. The French Broad River is finally at a fishable level so we were able to take a trip there and it fished excellent. This time of the year is an excellent time to catch your personal best river smallmouth before they start to spawn. It is exciting when the fish blow these baits up right at the bank. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. I wanted to take the time to share with yall some tips that will help you catch fish in high water conditions. The state record rainbow trout in North Carolina weighed over 20 pounds and was caught out of a stream 60 miles from Asheville. We can choose locations and experiences that will best fit each client. Head to the high country: The higher elevation creeks are going to clear up first so start there. Information about scheduled releases and the impact on downstream flow on the Mountain Island Lake section of the Catawba River is available on the Duke Energy website or by calling 800-829-5253. 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. Remember the water temps are hottest in the evening because the water has warmed up all day. We will be fishing low water till into the fall so I expect the topwater bite in August, and September to be good. He has never picked up a fly rod before, but was able to get on about 20 fish on a short 3 hour float. Most likely the fins were rubbed off during the time this fish was in the holding walls of the hatchery. Ive always fished black midges and had good success, but it seems the fish like the brown way better. The leaves are changing colors, the weather is ideal, and the water temperatures have dropped to a suitable level after a long summer. The upper mile of this fishery is stocked during the spring and Challenge: In order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free drifts. Springtime dry fly fishing in western North Carolina! The current water temperature coming out the dam is 67 degrees. Weve been having to run very light tippet and downsize our flies this year due to low flows and spooky fish. If you want to chase these bigger fish using large nymphs and streamers then this trip is for you. The Catawba Angler offers half day and full day bass charters on the lakes and rivers of western North Carolina. Below are some pictures from the Catawba Tailrace this May. These lakes are named the Catawba River Chain of Lakes. 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. If you are interested in hearing more about our bass fishing trips then please give us a call. While in the area you want also want to check out Wilson Creek which is one of one of bigger tributaries to the lower Catawba River and offers excellent wild trout fishing in the it's upper reaches. There is nothing better than catching one of these native fish using a fly rod. The mend is very important when fishing from a raft or drift boat. The Prachyls wanted to fish a smaller smallmouth river so we did just that and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle. The rainbow trout gets confused with the brook trout, but rainbows have a long lateral line on their sides that are pink or red. We spent the day together on a local smallmouth river and had a blast catching the fish on a variety of methods. Focus your attention on the slack seam lines to the right or left of the fast water. S2O Design also devised innovative applications in the Bypass Channel to prevent fish from being trapped at lower flows. Towards the end of September all the way into November the smallmouth will leave their summer territories and find the deeper water again where they will stay all winter. There is nothing better than sight fishing to rising trout from our NRS rafts. We guide on the best smallmouth rivers in western North Carolina. The Catawba River tailrace below Lake James is about an hour from Charlotte and is an incredible brown trout fishery. Winter trout fishing here in North Carolina has been excellent. In February of 2020, a 7 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth was caught by Ken Whitesides. Because of the lack of access and the need for a drift boat, a lot of people default to hiring a local guide, but youre not stuck with that option, thanks to our handy guide. We were able to fish the Catawba Tailrace after having to reschedule due to weather. I had a good trip on the Catawba Tailrace with Jay and Drew. There is no better way to beat the heat of summer than spending a day on the water chasing smallmouth bass. The most effective way to fish the tailrace is from a raft or drift boat because access is limited on foot. We recently took a client into a wild trout stream and the water temperature was 42 degrees which is uncommon for this time of year, but the fishing was great. I think between the warmer water temperature (72 degrees) and overcast day it created an ideal scenario. 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. I know the bigger browns are still there, but these fish are few and far between right now. When the water temperatures dips below 45 degrees I consider it winter fishing. The Catawba Tailrace is fishing well and will remain consistent till early June. Its visual. Lift the rod tip up or wiggle it. Located about an hour from Hendersonville and just about 40 minutes from Asheville, the special regulation tailrace, a portion of which is actually the Linville River, is the big draw among anglers in the area. Normally your best fishing will be 7am to 11am so weve been out there early this month. The last river that is worthy of mentioning in the bass fishing guide in North Carolina is the Pigeon River. The fishing is fantastic and the scenery is second to none. 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. 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. North Carolina offers some of the best fly fishing in the country. These fish lack the beauty of the native brook trout but are still pretty fish nonetheless. Weve been having great success on the higher rivers this time of year with stonefly patterns, prince nymphs, and eggs. This was the best method during the morning then we switched to midges midday and had some good success fishing then under a dry. Rainbow Trout are prominent in North Carolina. CATAWBA RIVER BL LAKE WYLIE DAM FEWELL ISLAND, SC, GNSS2 - Level 2 Quality Survey Grade Global Navigation Satellite System. The water temperatures are still below 50 on the higher elevation creeks, but any warm front will bump those temperatures up to a desirable range. Successful anglers recognize how fish behavior changes during different weather conditions and adapt their fly selection and presentation. Happy fishing! After the first weekend of June fishing wont be great on the Delayed Harvest stretches because on June 4th anglers can harvest the fish. Topwater will continue to be good the rest of the summer. The best fishing is on days when there is no generation. Weve had some great success stripping streamers. Add some weight because a sinker can save the day. In creating this solution, S2O Design engineers and hydrologists completed conceptual designs, 1D and 2D computer modeling, construction documents, and construction visualization renderings. The best success on Curtis Creek has been a brown midge. 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. Pop Em: Normally the best time to pop poppers is early morning and late evening when the sun is low. Wild trout fishing in North Carolina provides a unique experience for anglers because we wade smaller mountain streams for stream bred fish. Trail Manager. Give the trout a break! We understand that everyone likes to catch fish which we can definitely do that, but if you want to focus on some advanced fly fishing tactics to accelerate your growth as an angler then give us a call to set up a trip with one of our professional guides. The French Broad has been off colored since the beginning of July so I havent gotten the opportunity to fish it that much. The 30-mile stretch of flatwater on the Catawba River between Lake Wylie Hydro Dam and the upper end of Fishing Creek Lake remains wooded and natural rich in wildlife and history rooted in the Catawba Indian Nation. We had a great day fishing a one unit release. The Catawba Angler, 750 Ebenezer Church Road, Old Fort, NC, 28762, United States, Spring Trout Fishing in Western North Carolina. There are a lot of June bugs out so weve been having some good luck using smaller bugs on the Toe River. To learn more about the smallmouth fishing around Asheville click the learn more link at the bottom of this page. Copyright 2023 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. Kirk and his son Houston had a great day on the water. The state also stocks the first week of each of these months so there are a lot of fish to target in the creek. October is going to be good for trout and smallmouth. The Pisgah National Forest surrounds Asheville and lies in 14 surrounding North Carolina counties. The trout on the Delayed Harvest waters get extremely picky after the first two weeks after seeing a million flies and lures so its vital to downsize tippet and fish smaller flies. This pattern floats well and can easily be skated across the surface for some explosive strikes on the Catawba Tailrace in March and April. Ive been on the Catawba Tailrace all week and the fishing has been lights out. Fly Fishing in North Carolina is one of the best experiences to do when visiting the mountains. I good way to fish these smaller midges is to use a size 14 chubby chernobyl as the indicator. If you are looking for the best Italian in the area look no further. Its versatile. 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. The takeout ramp in Glen Alpine is currently under construction so this section of river will be shut down for two months. Below is a nice brown we caught during a rainstorm on Curtis Creek. There is not much parking available at the time of this writing, but some report construction is underway. catawba river tailrace flow release. 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. Trying throwing some smaller profile flies to match the hatch. 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Fishery due to weather who want an even more budget-friendly option fishing the one unit release around...