The Best Places to Fly Fish in North Carolina

North Carolina offers some of the best trout fishing on the east coast.  From central North Carolina, there are many streams and rivers within a few short hours.    

Helton Creek

Helton Creek is in Ashe County near the town of West Jefferson.  To find Helton Creek simply follow highway 16 north from West Jefferson.  Just beyond the New River you will find the road to Helton Creek on the right.  Helton is stocked five times per year and contains quite a few fish on each stocking.  Primarily stocked with rainbow trout, the state also stocks brown and brook trout.  The fishery also passes into Virginia, and your North Carolina license will cover you for a short distance into Virginia.

Helton Creek is only about 1 hour 45 minutes from Cornelius (about 20 minutes from downtown Charlotte).

Tuckasegee River

The Tuckasegee River, or the “Tuck” as it is referred to is a trout haven.  This river is stocked with more fish per mile than any other river in North Carolina.  It is 3.5 hours from central Charlotte, but is well worth the trip. 

Access to the river is easy at Bryson City.  A little over 2 miles of the river flows through the town, and there are multiple access points for anglers.  Wade fishing is very popular on the river, but there are many areas for drift boats.

You will also find access at Cullowhee, the home of Western Carolina University.  There are many access points in the town for the river.

Species on the river include Brown and Rainbow Trout, with Small Mouth, Steelhead and other panfish.

Mitchell River

The Mitchell River is an easy to wade small river/creek near the Virginia Line off of Interstate 77.  The closest town would be Dobson and/or Mount Airy.  Conveniently located in the central part of the state, it gets a lot of traffic from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, Charlotte and even Raleigh. Most of these locations are 1-2.5 hours from the stream.  It is hatchery supported and gets a tremendous stocking via the delayed harvest stocking schedule from the State of North Carolina.  Great place for rainbow, brown and brook trout in a variety of sizes.

Fishing on the river is good during stocking months.  I have personally found the river to be over fished when catch and release season ends.  The most popular section of the river is the small dirt road which parallel the stream near the white farm house.  It is often the most populated section as well.

Davidson River

The Davidson River is commonly ranked as one of the top ten fisheries in the United States.  This river is located in Brevard North Carolina, on highway 64 west of Hendersonville.  The Davidson is at the foot of the Pisgah National Forest on highway 276. 

Fishing along 276 is good, and quite challenging for anglers. The water tends to be very clear, and slow moving in places.  A popular section of the river is near the fish hatchery, off Fish Hatchery Road. 

The Coon Tree Picnic Area is a great parking spot as well as the Davidson River Recreational Area.  The Davidson River Campground offers create camping spots within walking distance to great trout fishing.

Rainbow, Brook and Brown trout and abundant, and finicky in the river.

Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail

Over the last few years the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail has grown in popularity.  This website is a great resource for fishing locations around the western part of the state.  Jackson county is regarded as the Trout Capital of North Carolina.  This county offers 4,600 miles of trout streams and receives well over 90,000 stocked trout annually.

Jackson county is west of Waynesville and contains Cherokee, Sylva and Cashiers.  Highway 64 from Hendersonville runs through Cashiers.

Resources

One great resource for trout fishing is the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (www.ncwildlife.org).  The website is updated regularly with trout stocking schedules.  You can find a link to these here.

The State Inland Fishing permit offers both a fishing license and a trout stamp for mountain waters.