The bigger rivers that meander through the NC mountains provide good fly fishing for river smallmouth as well. The Linville Gorge holds some very large brown trout and is slowly becoming more of a smallmouth fishery. Weve had our best success on the Catawba River since there is more flow on it than the smaller mountain creeks. The key to having a successful day is finding somewhat clear water. I prefer to fish sliders when the water is super low and clear because the slider doesnt have as much of a pop when it lands. 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. The guys that take us up on this guided trip are always happy at the end of the day when they have caught the biggest river smallmouth of their life. For 2023 we will fish High Rock twice. If a wild fish comes up and eats your fly and you set the hook and miss. October is when the big ones come out to play. You have my promise that our guided trips are the highest quality trip in western North Carolina even though our prices are the most reasonable. Fly fishing is the preferred method for casting smaller flies to these eager fish. Thread starter CharlesIngalls . It was an ideal location for a river smallmouth to be holding. 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. These fish will test your drag, jump, and then tail slap water at you when you release them. I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. If you are looking to target something other than a trout on the fly rod give us a call and we will show you how much fun smallmouth can be. Its versatile. Current fly fishing conditions are great! Early Spring which runs from March to the beginning of April is the pre-spawn period. We wont be fishing the Catawba Tailrace until the fall unless you have an interest in chasing striper on the fly in August & September. Once the water temperature drops below 45 degrees we will solely focus on trout until the smallmouth bite picks back up in March. Prepare for success with accurate data about the type of fish that are caugh in Lake Tillery, learn what baits are used, and fish smarter with weather forecasts. Freshwater Fishing . Lets get back to fishing. Lake Lanier fishing report, updated weekly to keep up on the latest patterns and fishing conditions Lake Lanier FEBRUARY 24, 2023 LAKE LANIER IS FULL, 50S This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson. Check out the two fish below we caught in January of 2021. As a family owned and operated campground, our mission is to deliver a quality camping experience that will incorporate a focus on the . We had a great day and we managed to get a good trout as well. When I started my business in 2017 I wanted to make guided fishing trips in western North Carolina available to everyone no matter their income. The best fishing is below Waterville dam and into East Tennessee. Its the best river smallmouth fishing in North Carolina and The Catawba Angler guides on it from March to November. The temperature reading on my truck this morning said it was 57 degrees outside. You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Read Fishing Reports Weather for Lake Tillery Current Temp: 38.08 Max Temp: 44.56 Min Temp: 38.08 Outside: broken clouds Wind: Gentle Breeze Wind Speed: 9.22 Wind Direction: Northwest Humidity: 75 Pressure: 1011 Sunrise: 8:09 AM Sunset: 7:00 PM Fishing Hot Spots near Lake Tillery "Did real well catching Crappie and Catfish in the Lake. Brown trout are native to Europe, but were introduced in the 1920s in alot of the streams in North Carolina. The weather in the spring can be unpredictable so I tell clients we fish conditions not dates on a calendar. The bigger fish in the Tailrace are definitely carnivorous because the smaller stocked trout are their main food source. There is nothing better than floating down a beautiful mountain river chasing smallmouth bass on the fly. The water temperature here during the winter is 50-55 degrees which is alot warmer than the freestone streams in the mountains. Smallmouth fishing has been fantastic. If you have never been smallmouth fishing using light spinning tackle or a fly rod then I could not recommend it more. New posts. The Bass fishing on Lake Seminole in the first week of the new year has been good the Bass are in their pre-spawn areas and are feeding up for the upcoming spawn! Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 54 degrees. In February of 2020, a 7 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth was caught by Ken Whitesides. Try this method the next time your own the water and see if it doesnt help put more fish in the net. The key to fishing off colored water is to fish it extremely slow. The fishing is slower in the summertime because they open the creek up for harvest on June 4th, but there are always some bigger, smarter fish that will make throughout the summer so this time of year is perfect for stalking big fish. Its good to pop poppers in deeper water close to ledges because weve caught some good smallmouth drumming them up in deep water. If youve been wanting to book a guided trip, but have been on the edge of deciding I would like to encourage you to book. These fish are beautiful and live in some of the coolest areas in the state. As water temperature goes up so does the smallmouths metabolism. We cater our trips to all anglers so no matter your experience level weve got fisheries just for you. 'Listen to the sound of the river and you will get a trout.' - Irish proverb However, this month anglers will notice bass . The best fishing will be on the rivers that have been stocked, but there are numerous wild trout streams that will be fishing excellent as well. The fish measured 19.5 inches and weighed right at 3.4lbs. They are a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout. Trout are rising. Bring along your rod and reel so you catch bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish, perch, and many more. The Catawba Tailrace is usually our go to float during the winter, but the rainbows that were stocked in the fall of 2021 did not make it through the summer of 2022 so fishing has not been great down there. For fly fishers its hard to beat squirmy worms, mops flies, and eggs. THIS IS A REPORT ON LAKE TILLERY AND BADIN LAKE IN NORTH CAROLINA. We are able to guide up to six anglers on guided trips using three guides. The wild fish are more challenging to catch but we trick a bunch into eating dry flies. Sheboygan, angling pressure on Crystal Lake can be high, especially during ice fishing. Iowa's Fishing Report Sign up today for free weekly fishing information from Iowa's fisheries experts. North Carolinas fisheries biologist will say Jordan Reservoir is the best lake in the state. Lake Tillery Topics (Lake Tillery Specific) 2 messages. There were lots of laughs and good times had on the lake. We offer half day trips for $300 for two anglers and full day trips for $400 for two anglers. All Rights Reserved. The fish were smacking topwater baits, but the key was to cast them a foot off the bank. The Pisgah National Forest surrounds Asheville and lies in 14 surrounding North Carolina counties. The French Broad River consistently produces 4 pound smallmouth year after year on our guided bass fishing trips. If you have a trip booked in July be prepared to start early. 1000 Islands/Lake Ontario . The smallmouth bite is good all summer. If you are interested in hearing more about our bass fishing trips then please give us a call. We look forward to seeing you on the water! Connecticut Fishing Report- January 26, 2023. Walleye fishing the river in april is the best time of year. Register and I will offer you a free Crappie.com decal ( plus a lot less ads too ). The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. (West to East) All three regions boasts some excellent bass fishing in the lakes and rivers. They are an aggressive species which makes them a perfect fish to chase using the fly rod. The state record rainbow trout in North Carolina weighed over 20 pounds and was caught out of a stream 60 miles from Asheville. A trophy smallmouth out of the river is anything over 18. NM . Updated 4/17/2021 8:08:19 PM. The Yadkin River flows east and then south for 215 miles, beginning in the northwestern North Carolina, and becomes the Pee Dee River below Lake Tillery. The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is one of the most rugged places on the East Coast. Weve been catching a bunch of rainbows and a few browns on the Catawba since that is the majority of the fish that were stocked this past fall. Share. Weve seen plenty of 50 degree days in January and now we are starting to see those 60 degree days. #4.25.5. All fish were caught on a yellow stimulator and a parachute adams. The fish are spooky after seeing a lot of pressure on the weekends. If you want to specialize in Euronymphing, Streamer Fishing, Nymphing Fishing, or Dry Fly Fishing we can customize your trip to solely focus on one of these different tactics. The majority of smallmouth in our stretches of water will be in just a few holes. The Catawba, Tuckaseegee, and Toe Rivers will be receiving its first stocking of 2023, the first week of March so trout fishing here in the mountains is about to be lights out. Thanks for reading our report. These stockings provide a lot of opportunities to catch fish. I also want to thank him for the clients he allows me to fish with because its a cool experience getting to show people the fisheries I have grown up on and fished my whole life. Lake Tillery is a 5,260-acre lake nestled between Montgomery and Stanly Counties in NC. Recent Lake Wateree Fishing Reports AHQ INSIDER Lake Wateree (SC) 2023 Week 8 Fishing Report - Updated February 23 February 23 Lake Wateree is at 98.4% of full pool and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other. The Catawba River also provides great wade fishing opportunities as well. There are a lot of 10-14 inch fish in the Toe River so the next few years we should some true trophies caught out of the river. We are getting a lot of repeat clients in the fall that want to chase those big smallmouth on fly or spinning tackle. We value our client relationships and weve been fishing year after year with a lot of our clients since we first started our fishing guide service in 2016. 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. The only problem is getting to the fish. We had a phenomenal day on the water this year and we managed to catch 51 total fish. Bennett made a beautiful cast in the deep, slack water and the fish took off with the jig. Weve been bringing alot of fish to the net and seeing some holdover fish as well. Challenge: In order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free drifts. depth (ft) To depth map Go back Our half day floats are $300 and our full day floats are $400. As that temp drops the fishing will continue to get better and better. It's 117.8 miles of beautiful shoreline is entirely within Stanly County and Montgomery County, NC. We are currently getting some rain which will bump those river levels up right in time for our June trips. Stay close to the action with our up to date fishing reports. My favorite time to fly fish for smallmouth is the end of June to September. The French Broad has been off colored since the beginning of July so I havent gotten the opportunity to fish it that much. Winter is on its way out here in the mountains. The lake is a shallow coastal lake which is home to largemouth bass. 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. This river consistently produces trophy smallmouth year after year. Weather conditions are not optimal, but there is still opportunity to land some trout. We kicked off the Fall season for the 2021-22 North Carolina BASS High School and Junior Series on October 2, 2021, which was a perfect weather day at beautiful Lake Tillery! We received our last stocking of trout the first week of May so the Delayed Harvest stretches have been fishing well. August 18, 2022. Lake Tillery NC Fishing Reports, Map & Hot Spots. Catfish Sleigh Ride on Kerr Lake. Wild trout fishing in North Carolina provides a unique experience for anglers because we wade smaller mountain streams for stream bred fish. Expert Tips For 3 Top Carolina Striper Lakes. Current fly fishing conditions are still good. Weve had a lot of fun catching prespawn smallmouth, but their is nothing better than the post spawn smallmouth fishing in May. The pats rubber legs is a confidence pattern for me during the winter. We provide all the waders, boots, rods, reels, and flies for our wading trips. We had a great day of fishing on the Nolichucky River and Bennett reeled in a true trophy river smallmouth. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. Ive got a few dates left in October so dont hesitate to book or they will be gone. 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