North Carolina offers anglers a variety of trout fishing opportunities. The state contains more streams capable of supporting brook, brown and rainbow trout than any other state in the southeastern United States - roughly 4,000 miles. All of these streams are located in the 25 westernmost counties. These waters, occurring at elevations greater than 1,400 feet, maintain stream temperatures cool enough to support mountain trout.

Many of the state's trout waters are found in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Names like Rough Butt, Rattlesnake Ridge, Hogback Mountain and Santeetlah conjure up visions of solitude, days goneby, long difficult climbs and breathtaking views. Those willing to undertake a fishing adventure to such waters will enjoy a truly unique experience.

For those not so adventurous, quality fishing is available in many of the lower elevation streams and rivers. Whether fishing for stocked trout or wild trout, anglers have an abundance of trout fishing opportunities in North Carolina.

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). The brook trout, or speckled trout as it is called locally, is the only trout native to North Carolina. Considered an Ice Age relic, this member of the char family is found only in coldwater streams of the mountains. Often a brilliantly colored fish, it is readily identifiable by the white leading edge, backed by black, on its lower fins. Brook trout were once widely distributed throughout the mountain counties, but because of changing land-use patterns, overfishing, and competition with rainbow and brown trout, their range now is greatly reduced. Today they are scarce except in relatively remote headwater streams. Because of the concern about declining brook trout numbers and habitat, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has placed special emphasis on protecting and enhancing wild brook trout populations as a special resource. Rainbow and brown trout are not stocked into streams which contain only wild brook trout. The brook trout is easy to catch and when a stream is made easily accessible by new roads, or other development, their numbers can be reduced by fishing, or eliminated by accompanying habitat changes. The typical brook trout caught today is eight inches or less in length. A 12-inch or longer fish is a rarity. Because of their small size and tendency to be found in small, overgrown streams, brook trout seldom get to put up much of a fight when hooked.

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhychus mykiss). Rainbow trout, native to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range in the western United States, were introduced into North Carolina as early as the 1880s. Since then they have been stocked in most trout waters in the state, and have become the backbone of our trout fishery. Rainbows are distinguished by the presence of a pinkish to red longitudinal band, varying numbers of black spots, and a frequently pink or red gill cover. The typical rainbow trout taken from North Carolina waters is 10 inches or less in length. Fish up to 12-inches long are common, and occasionally larger specimens are taken. Rainbow trout do best in clear, cool, cascading type streams, but can survive in waters too warm or too silt-laden for brook trout. In streams where both rainbow and brook trout occur, rainbow usually dominate. Rainbow trout are known as spectacular fighters, and frequently jump from the water when hooked.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta). Brown trout, native to northern Europe, were imported into this country from Germany and Scotland in the late 1800s. They were first stocked in North Carolina shortly after 1905, but were never as widely distributed as the rainbow. In fact, brown trout are still expanding their range in North Carolina today. Brown trout can be distinguished by their brownish-yellow color and the scattered black, red, and orange spots on their sides. The typical brown trout taken from North Carolina water is 12 inches or less in length, but fish greater than 18-inches long are occasionally taken. Brown trout are extremely wary and are the most difficult of the trout to catch. Once they become established in a stream, it is almost impossible to catch them out, even with heavy fishing pressure. Frequently, inexperienced anglers fishing in brown trout water will not get so much as a strike, and are convinced that there are no fish in the stream. In actuality, there may be an excellent population of wild browns. Brown trout prefer larger, slower flowing streams with an abundance of minnows. However, they also do well in some of the smaller, swifter streams too. Brown trout are stubborn fighters when hooked, but do not put on as spectacular an acrobatic show as the rainbow. Instead, they tend to go to the bottom and run underneath a log or into a rock crevice.

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Designated Public Mountain Trout Water and Regulations

Of the more than 4,000 miles of streams in North Carolina capable of supporting trout, more than one-half are open to public fishing. Most of these waters are managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). Some trout waters fall under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Public trout waters managed by the Wildlife Resources Commission are designated as Public Mountain Trout Waters (DPMTW) and are identified by signs posted along the stream banks or lake shore. These waters are located both on and off of state game lands. Game land streams and ponds are on State-owned lands, private lands under formal lease by the state, or U.S. Forest Service lands.

Trout waters off game lands are primarily on state parks or on privately owned land where public fishing is allowed. While there are seldom any changes in designation of game land waters, the nongame land category is subject to change at the discretion of the individual landowners who may decide to post their land against trespass. Anglers should look for the DPMTW signs and should not fish where "No Trespassing" signs are posted without obtaining landowner permission.

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Regulations

DPMTW are identified by color coded diamond shaped signs posted along the stream bank or lake shore that indicate regulations in effect for each stream. A fishing regulations digest may be obtained from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission or license agents that details all trout fishing regulations and streams by individual category. Designated Public Mountain Trout Waters are classified for management purposes as either Wild Trout or Hatchery Supported waters. Wild Trout Waters are high quality waters which sustain trout populations by natural reproduction and are not stocked. Hatchery Supported Waters must be stocked periodically with trout in order to sustain fishing. Some Wild Trout Waters are managed as Catch and Release/Artificial Lures Only, Catch and Release/Artificial Flies Only, or Wild Trout/Natural Bait. Hatchery Supported Waters have one special regulation known as Delayed Harvest. Special regulations on Wild Trout and Hatchery Supported waters are used to meet specific management objectives.

Wild Trout Waters - All trout waters on game lands are designated as Wild Trout Waters unless a water is specifically listed in the regulations digest as being managed under one of the other designations. Management emphasis is placed on maintaining populations of wild stream-reared trout through more restrictive fishing regulations. Fishing related mortality is reduced by restricting fishing methods, having a minimum length limit, and limiting harvest.

Season:	Year-round
Daily Creel Limit:	Four fish
Minimum Size Limit:	Seven inches
Lure Restrictions:	Artificial lures having one single hook Possession of natural baits is prohibited
Sign Colors:	Blue on Gold

Consult the Regulations Digest for a listing of streams.

Catch and Release/Artificial Lures - This designation is used to protect brook trout populations and to allow anglers the opportunity to fish over brown and rainbow trout populations unaffected by angling harvest. Larger trout are protected by this regulation.

Season:	Year-round
Daily Creel Limit:	No trout may be harvested or possessed
Lure Restriction:	Artificial lures having one single hook Possession of natural baits is prohibited
Sign colors:	Purple on Gold

Consult the Regulations Digest for a listing of streams.

Catch and Release/Flies Only - This designation is similar to the proceeding one except that only artificial flies may be used.

Season:	Year-round
Daily Creel Limit:	No trout may be harvested or possessed
Lure Restriction:	Artificial flies having one single hook Possession of natural baits is prohibited
Sign colors:	Red on gold

Consult the Regulations Digest for a listing of streams.

Wild Trout/with Natural Bait Allowance - The fourth Wild Trout designation provides trout anglers the opportunity to fish for wild trout with natural bait. This is an experimental regulation that is currently being evaluated. These streams are being monitored to determine if the use of natural bait in wild trout waters has resulted in changes in the population.

	Year-round
Daily Creel Limit:	Four fish
Minimum Size Limit:	Seven inches
Lure Restrictions:	Single hook artificial lures and bait allowed (using single hooks only), except that live minnows can not be used
Sign colors:	Brown on gold

Consult the Regulations Digest for a listing of streams.

Hatchery Supported Waters - Hatchery Supported Waters are stocked by state hatcheries with catchable size trout. Stockings are made from March through August although some waters are only stocked in Spring. Most waters are stocked at four-week intervals, but some heavily fished waters are stocked more frequently. Most Hatchery Supported streams will not support trout year-round; however, some do contain small wild trout populations.

Stocked fish average 9-10 inches in length with a small percentage being 12 inches or larger. Approximately 600,000 catchable trout are stocked each year of which 40% are brook, 40% are rainbow and 20% are brown trout.

Season:	Open 11 months, except closed from March 1 to first Saturday in April
Daily Creel Limit:	Seven fish
Minimum Size Limit	None
Lure Restrictions:	None
Sign colors:	Green on white

Consult the Regulation Digest for a listing of streams.

Delayed Harvest - This designation provides catch-and-release fishing for stocked trout in fall and spring. The objective of this regulation is to provide waters where anglers have higher-than-normal chances to catch trout.

Season:	October 1 to day before first Saturday in June
Daily Creel Limit:	No trout may be harvested or possessed
Lure Restriction:	Artificial lures having one single hook. Possession of natural baits is prohibited

Season:	First Saturday in June to September 30
Daily Creel Limit:	Seven fish
Minimum Size Limit	None
Lure Restrictions:	None
Sign colors:	Black on white

Consult the Regulations Digest for a listing of streams.

License Requirements. Specific licenses are required to fish in Designated Public Mountain Trout Waters. The following combination of individual licenses are required to fish for trout on NCWRC managed waters:

Nongame land designated trout waters:

State Fishing License (basic) and Special Trout Fishing License

Game land designated trout waters:

State Fishing License, Special Trout Fishing License.
The game lands license is not required to fish in any waters on game lands.
The following licenses include the basic fishing privileges as well as the additional privileges of trout fishing.

Annual or Lifetime Sportsman Licenses
Annual or Lifetime Comprehensive Fishing Licenses
Comprehensive Short-Term Fishing License

Persons under 16 years of age are exempt from the basic fishing license requirement. Such persons are exempt from the trout license only when they are accompanied by a properly licensed adult, or when they are in possession of the appropriate license(s) of a parent or guardian.

A resident may fish with natural bait in his county of residence without a basic fishing license. However, a special trout license is required to fish designated trout waters.

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Fishing Tips

Maps. One of the bigger problems for persons not familiar with an area is determining the exact location of streams or lakes they wish to fish. Ordinary road maps do not show enough detail to help much. County maps, which show state secondary roads (SR), are useful for locating streams. These maps are available at county courthouses and from:

NC Department. of Transportation, Map Section P. O. Box 25201 Raleigh, North Carolina 27611 Phone (919) 733-7600

Topographical maps are available from:

Map Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey Federal Center Bldg. 41 Denver, CO 80225 Phone (800) USA-MAPS

and

DEHNR Geographical Survey P.O. Box 27687, Room 523 Raleigh, NC 27611-7687

Ask for the free index to topo maps for North Carolina.

If you are interested in streams located on game lands ask for a book of game lands maps when you purchase your game lands license, or write to N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Maps also are available from the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Cherokee Indians, and N.C. State Parks and U. S. Forest Service.

Equipment. From late May to fall, ankle boots or tennis shoes with felt or outdoor-indoor carpet glued on the heels and soles are adequate for wading. Of course, you can use footwear without the felt or carpet, but your chances of going for a "little swim" will be increased.

Most trout anglers use either a fly rod or a spinning rod. The type of lure or bait used depends on stream regulation, time of year, weather conditions and angler preference.

On Hatchery Supported waters, popular baits are red worms, night crawlers, crickets, salamanders (spring lizards), caddis fly larvae (stickbait and rockbait) and corn kernels. Natural baits are often most effective in winter and early spring when the water is high and dingy during or following a rain.

On Wild Trout waters spinners, 1/8 oz. or smaller used with spinning tackle, are very popular.

Most anglers specializing in fly fishing in North Carolina prefer nymphs or dry flies, with nymphs generally considered to be more effective in early spring. Many of these anglers swear by certain patterns like the Tellico Nymph, Secret Weapon, Royal Wulff, Female Adams, Irresistible, etc.; while others claim it really does not make much difference what you use. There is some validity to the latter view, as the soft waters of North Carolina streams are not nearly as productive as the limestone drainage streams in other parts of the country. As a result, large insect hatches which cause trout to feed selectively are not common, although they do occur. If in doubt about which flies to use, check with local sporting goods stores. Most carry a good selection of locally tied flies in patterns that are effective in nearby waters.

Universal Access for Physically Challenged Anglers. Most trout waters are not readily accessible to anglers with physical disabilities. Through the installation of special facilities such as platforms, piers, improved parking and trails, the following sites have been enhanced for physically challenged anglers.

County	Body of water and facilities	Regulation
Ashe County	Chinquapin Trout Lake - parking and pier	Delayed Harvest
Buncombe County	Lake Powhatan - parking and pier	Hatchery Supported
Burke County	Catawba River Bridgewater Fishing Access Area - parking and pier	Hatchery Supported
Burke County	Jacob Fork, South Mountains State Park - parking, trail and 3 piers	Wild Trout and Delayed Harvest
Caldwell County	Boone Fork Pond - parking, trail and pier	Hatchery Supported
Haywood County	Richland Creek, Waynesville Town Park - parking, trails, piers and two access sites	Delayed Harvest
Jackson County	Balsam Lake - parking and pier	Hatchery Supported
Jackson County	Wolf Creek - trail access to stream	Wild Trout
Watauga County	Buckeye Creek Reservoir - parking and pier	Hatchery Supported
Wilkes County	East Prong Roaring River - parking and pier (2 sites)	Delayed Harvest

For additional information on the above sites, contact the Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0220 and request the Trout Fishing Opportunities for Anglers with Disabilities guide.

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Other Trout Waters

Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are more than 300 miles of streams in the North Carolina portion of the park, most of which are in roadless areas.

Either a Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required to fish in the park. For further information contact:

Blue Ridge Parkway. The 75 miles of streams and 66 acres of ponds located on the Blue Ridge Parkway are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Through special agreements, about one-third of the stream mileage is managed by the NCWRC under Hatchery Supported waters. In some Parkway waters, special regulations apply. Persons desiring to fish Parkway waters should read the rules printed on signs posted around lake shorelines and along stream banks. An appropriate North Carolina fishing license is required. For further information on Blue Ridge Parkway trout waters, contact:

North Carolina State Parks. Some 26 miles of trout waters are located on two state parks in western North Carolina - Stone Mountain in Wilkes and Alleghany Counties and South Mountains in Burke County. Most of these waters are managed by the NCWRC under the Wild or Hatchery Supported waters classifications. The exceptions are Bullhead Creek and Rich Mountain Creek on Stone Mountain State Park. They are managed as catch and release, barbless hook streams by state parks. Licenses required to fish in state parks are the basic state fishing license and the special trout license, but special procedures and fees may be required on certain streams. Information on North Carolina's state parks is available from the following:

N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation P.O. Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 27611 Phone (919) 733-4181

South Mountain State Park 3001 S. Mtn. Park Ave. Connelly Springs, NC 28612 Phone (704) 433-4772

Stone Mountain State Park 3042 Frank Parkway Roaring Gap, NC 28668

Cherokee Indian Waters. The 57,000-acre Cherokee Indian Reservation is located adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Bryson City, North Carolina. Approximately 30 miles of streams and sixacres of ponds are open to public fishing for a modest daily fee. These are designated as Enterprise Waters and are operated as a Tribal business. On Non-Enterprise Waters, only Eastern Band Cherokees are allowed to fish. Regulations are liberal and a tribal permit is required. For further information contact:

Commercial Trout Catch-Out Ponds. Numerous commercial trout catch-out ponds are located throughout the mountains of North Carolina. These are licensed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and are operated as commercial enterprises by private individuals. Roadside advertisements should enable persons to find them with little trouble. Lists of commercial ponds are available upon request from N.C. Department of Agriculture and North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Most ponds feature hatchery-reared rainbow trout, and the only limit on your catch is your pocketbook. No fishing license is required.

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The following public waters are stocked with catchable-size trout at frequent intervals during the months of March through August.

County	Water
Alleghany	Little River
Ashe	N. Fork New River
Avery	N. Toe River
Caldwell	Wilson Creek
Graham	Big Snowbird
Jackson	Tuckaseigee River
Rutherford	Rocky Broad River
Transylvania	Davidson River
Wilkes	E. Prong Roaring River
Yancey	S. Toe River

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