Western North Carolina On The Fly

Guide to flyfishing the mountains of WNC!!

Season   Closed for the month of March and re-opens the first Saturday of April at 5 am

Daily Creel Limit   7

Minimum Size Limit   None

Lure Restrictions   None

There are approximately 1,100 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters in North Carolina. In hatchery supported waters there is no size limit or bait restriction, and the creel limit is seven trout per day.  Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are marked with green and white signs that are posted conspicuously along the watercourses. 

Season    No Closed season

Daily Creel Limit   4

Minimum Size Limit   7 inches

Lure Restrictions   Artificial lure having one single hook only

Wild Trout Waters
In all Wild Trout Waters the minimum length limit is 7 inches and the creel limit is four trout per day.
Only artificial lures with one single hook may be used. All designated trout waters located on game lands are Wild Trout
Waters unless classified and posted otherwise. Wild Trout Waters are marked with blue-and-gold signs, which are posted conspicuously along the watercourses.

Season (Part 1)    From first Saturday in October to first Saturday in June (exact dates change year to year)

Daily Creel Limit   No Fish May be Harvested or Possessed

Minimum Size Limit   See Creel Limit

Lure Restrictions   Artificial lures having one single hook only

Season (Part 2) From first Saturday in June to first Saturday in October (exact dates change year to year)

Daily Creel Limit    7

Minimum Size Limit   None

Lure Restrictions   None

Delayed Harvest Trout Waters
Delayed Harvest Trout waters, excluding tributaries except as noted, may be fished only with artificial lures with one single hook. No natural bait may be possessed, and no fish may be harvested or possessed while fishing these waters between Oct. 1, 2007 and 1/2 hour after sunset on June 6, 2008. These waters are closed to fishing between 30 minutes after sunset on June 6 and 6 a.m. on June 7.  At 6 a.m. on June 7 these waters open to fishing under Hatchery Supported regulations—no bait restriction, no minimum length limit and seven-trout-per-day creel limit.
These waters are marked with black-and-white signs.

Season   Year Round

Daily Creel Limit   No Fish May be Harvested or Possessed

Minimum Size Limit   See Creel Limit

Lure Restrictions   Artificial lures having one single hook only

Catch and Release/Artificial Lures Only Waters
Catch and Release / Artificial Lures Only trout waters and their tributaries, except as noted, may be fished only with artificial lures having one single hook, and all fish must be released. No fish may be harvested or possessed while fishing these streams. These streams are marked with purple-and-gold signs.

Season  Year Round

Daily Creel Limit   No Fish May be Harvested or Possessed

Minimum Size Limit   See Creel Limit

Lure Restrictions   Artificial Flies having one single hook only
 
Catch and Release/Artificial Flies Only Waters
Catch and Release / Artificial Flies Only  trout waters and their tributaries, except as noted, may be fished only with artificial flies having one single hook. No fish may be harvested or possessed while fishing these streams.
These streams are marked with red-and-gold signs.

Season  Year Round

Daily Creel Limit  4

Minimum Size Limit  7 inches

Lure Restrictions   Artificial lures having one single hook or natural baits with one single hook.  No live fish as bait.
 
Wild Trout: Natural Bait Waters
Wild Trout Waters and their tributaries, except as noted, may be fished with artificial lures or natural bait, except live fish.  Lures and natural baits are restricted to one single hook. The minimum length limit is 7 inches, and the daily creel limit is four trout. These streams are marked with brown-and-gold signs.

Daily Creel Limit   7 trout per day; only one of which may be greater than 14 inches

Minimum Size Limit   7 inches

The National Park Service establishes fishing regulations for Parkway waters.

Unless posted otherwise, trout waters are designated as wild trout waters.

Trout season and size and creel limits are the same as for similarly designated waters regulated by the Wildlife Resources Commission.  The exception is Basin Creek where lures are restricted to artificial flies having a single hook.

A valid North Carolina or Virginia fishing license is required for all persons 16 years of age or older fishing on Parkway waters.  Either license is valid on all Parkway waters. Special trout licenses are not required.

Season   No Closed season

Daily Creel Limit   4

Minimum Size Limit    7 inches

Lure Restrictions  Artificial lure having one single hook only

Fishing in designated Public Mountain Trout Waters is limited to hook and line only.

It is unlawful to fish with more than one line per person in any designated trout water except power reservoirs and city water
supply reservoirs.

It is unlawful to possess natural bait while fishing Wild Trout and Catch-and-Release waters unless those waters are also
specifically classified for use of natural bait.

Fishing hours in any trout water located on game lands or in any Wild Trout Water are from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, except in the Nantahala River downstream from the Swain County line and in the sections of Green River in Polk County located on Green River Game Lands from the mouth of Cove Creek downstream to Brights Creek where night fishing is allowed.

Trout season in Hatchery Supported Trout Waters opens at 6 a.m. on April 5, 2008.

It is unlawful to take fish bait or bait fish from designated Public Mountain Trout Waters.

In designated Public Mountain Trout Waters, the fishing season for all fishes shall be the same as the trout fishing season.

Dropper flies may be used when fishing any designated Public Mountain Trout Waters.

It is unlawful to place hatchery-reared fish into a Wild Trout Water or move wild fish from one stream to another on game
lands without prior written authorization.

Blue Ridge Parkway The National Park Service establishes fishing regulations for parkway waters. Several ponds and
streams on the Blue Ridge Parkway offer trout, smallmouth bass or bream fishing opportunities. Unless posted otherwise, trout waters are designated as “Wild Trout Waters.” Trout season and size and creel limits are the same as for similarly designated waters regulated by the Wildlife Resources Commission. The exception is Basin Creek where lures are restricted to artificial flies having one single hook.
A valid North Carolina or Virginia fishing license is required for all persons age 16 or older fishing on parkway waters. Either state’s license is valid on all parkway waters. Special trout licenses are not required.

For specific fishing information in Blue Ridge Parkway waters, contact: Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Road,
Asheville, NC 28803. Telephone: (828) 271-4779, Ext. 245.

Dupont State Forest Night fishing is prohibited from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise in all waters on the Dupont State Forest Game Lands.

North Carolina State Parks South Mountains State Park in Burke County, Stone Mountain State Park in Wilkes and Alleghany counties and Gorges State Park in Transylvania County offer many miles of trout fishing waters. As established by the Wildlife Resources Commission for other trout streams, a valid trout license and a valid North Carolina inland fishing license are requirements in state park inland streams. A game lands license is not required. A special catch-and-release stream is located in Stone Mountain State Park with additional regulations. The possession of any type of firearms, explosives, bows and arrows, or alcoholic beverages within state parks is unlawful. Park entrance gates are opened and closed daily according to the following schedule:
November, December, January, February .................8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
March, October .......................................................8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
April, May, September .............................................8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
June, July, August.....................................................8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the
following park offices:
South Mountains State Park (828) 433-4772
Stone Mountain State Park (336) 957-8185
Gorges State Park (828) 966-9099

Any person fishing in Designated Public Mountain Trout Waters must have in possession a special trout fishing license in addition to a basic fishing license or an appropriate comprehensive fishing license.

Persons under the age of 16 are exempt from the basic fishing license when accompanied by a properly licensed adult may enjoy those privileges conveyed by the accompanying adult.