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Blue Ridge Parkway

Fly fishing and lake fishing is permitted in most of the streams and lakes on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The North Carolina mountain streams offer an extraordinary kind of experience for the very popular fresh water fishing.

Many of the mountain streams are stocked with trout. The three kinds of trout are Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout. The brilliantly colored brook trout, also known as the speckled trout, is the only trout that is actually native to North Carolina. The Rainbow Trout have black spots, a pinkish to red longitude band and gill cover. The largest of the three, the Brook Trout, are brownish-yellow with black, red and orange spots on their sides.

The waters in elevations more than 1400 feet that are cool enough for trout to live in are scattered all throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains for you to discover.

Cloudy weather is said to be the time the fish are out in force making it one of the best times to fish. The busiest fishing season is in spring, but don't limit yourself to only the warmer months because winter trout fishing, although tough, can be fun and rewarding.

Hiwassee River is a great place to fish for trout. The river is relatively easy to wade and can produce some nice trout. Wading anglers will find some amazing fishing, but floating the river grants access to the more remote areas. Anglers can choose to float the river in rafts, canoes, pontoon boats or drift boats. Exploration is a part of the fun of small-stream fishing and finding new places can lead to big rewards.

North Mills River just down the road from Brevard, North Carolina has also provided a fantastic spot to fish. There's plenty of room to spread out.

Pisgah National Forest is a quintessential stop for the avid fisherman. Fishing is best done in the early morning hours. For the complete experience we recommend an extended stay at the Davidson River Campground near Brevard, North Carolina. It is located in the Pisgah National Forest right in the middle of the best fishing spots which offers you the rare experience of cooking the days catch at the campsite that runs adjacent to the river you've been fishing in all day. Spending a few days exploring the small creeks in an area is by far the best way to experience what the region has to offer.

Federal regulations apply for fishing season, license requirements hours size and creel limits. Be sure to check the posted rules at each Blue Ridge Parkway fishing area you wish to fish at as there are some areas around the Parkway where fishing is prohibited.

A local favorite cold-weather, small-stream rig is a small, dark nymph, dropped from a Lightning Bug or Rooks' Blueberry. Others that are popular are the Y2K Bug, Rainbow Prince Nymphs, and Chamois Worms.

Tip: Bring is a lemon or lemon juice. After fishing all day you'll want to use it after thoroughly washing your hands to help with the fish smell.