Mixing it up on the New River

The Coolest Corner of NC has a lot to offer anglers

The coolest place in the Carolinas this month is Ashe County, NC, where the New River contributes to the “Coolest Corner” of the state.

This river is actually two sections of the same river – the North Fork and South Fork of the New River. It is certainly a great place to cool off, but it’s also a great place to catch a mixed bag of fish, including smallmouth bass. Other species include trout, redbreast sunfish, and a panfish known by several names, including redeye bass.

This river takes anglers back in time, to a more simple form of fishing. You won’t find any power boats on this shallow, rocky river, but canoes, kayaks and float tubes are right at home. In some sections of the river, bank fishing and wade fishing are just as popular.

Anglers wishing to wade will find plenty of opportunities with New River State Park, which offers direct acces to the South Fork of the river at their main campground, as well as their Kings Creek Access and Elk Shoals Access (formerly known as Methodist Church Camp).

Anglers looking for a more adventurous trip will find numerous put-in and take-out locations along both forks of the river, suitable for canoes, kayaks and float tubes.

Floating offers anglers access to much more water, and the scenery is unbeatable. Numerous shallow areas and sandbars are good for taking a break and for wade fishing when you’d like a spell from floating.

Smallmouth bass

Anglers will find good smallmouth bass fishing, at least for numbers in these parts of the river. Big smallmouth are tough to come by, but the occasional 3 1/2 pounder will be a nice payoff. You just may need to “weed through” your share of 12-inchers to get there.

But even the small ones put up plenty of fight, and will hit lures seemingly too big for them. Soft plastic creature baits, Texas-rigged are great choices. Anglers will find plenty of places to cast these.

Dropping those lures above rocky shoals that cause riffles is a good tactic, and an often overlooked one by most anglers, who put all their focus on casting just below those same riffles. That’s also a good strategy, but don’t pass the opportunity to work above those rocks first.

The same lures are also very effective when finding deep holes, which anglers will encounter all along both forks of this river. Smallmouth will move in and out of that deep water, hiding from birds, chasing bait, and getting a break from the current. It’s tough to find a more enticing lure to urge them into biting than a juicy-looking creature bait.

Topwater lures can also produce smallmouth, and these can work all day long. Working a popper or walk-the-dog type lure first thing in the morning is always a good time, but with the turbulent water and plenty of shade along much of the river’s banks, conditions are always prime for topwaters.

With the creature baits to work the bottom, and the topwater lures for the surface, anglers need one more lure type. Spinning lures can work great for any depth of the water column. Inline spinners like Mepps Aglia and Black Fury lures are top choices here. Don’t be shy on bumping up the size of these. Their No. 3, which weighs 1/4-ounce, is standard, but these fish will just as aggressively hit a No. 4 (1/3-ounce) or even a No. 5 (1/2-ounce).

Upping the size will, at least theoretically, help discourage smaller fish from biting. This will cut down on the number of fish you catch, but will ensure your payoff is bigger.

Another lure that’s great for fishing different depths is the Rapala X-Rap Subwalk. This lure offers walk-the-dog action, but under the surface of the water. It’s a slow-sinking lure that triggers jarring strikes on the pause, when the lure slowly sinks.

Trout

Trout are stocked in the South Fork of the New River around Todd Island. And in the North Fork near the Watauga County line. Others are stocked in numerous creeks that feed into both forks of the river, so plenty of them make their way into the New.

Anglers who want to specifically target trout will do better at places like Helton Creek or Big Horse Creek.

Small spinners, live crickets, and products like Berkley’s PowerBait Trout Nuggets are all good choices. Anglers shouldn’t be surprised if they’re targeting smallmouth with big spinners and catch a trout instead.

As is the case throughout North Carolina, trout have their own set of rules here, depending on which creek or which part of the river you’re on. Delayed Harvest, Hatchery Supported, and Catch-and-Release only areas are enforced, depending on the time of year. Always check with NC Wildlife (ncwildlife.org) for complete rules on trout fishing.

Rock Bass

Also known locally as redeye bass (but a different species than Coosa bass, which is found in Alabama and Georgia and also known as redeye bass), is more bream than it is bass. In the Carolinas, these members of the sunfish family only live in the mountainous rivers.

Fierce fighters on ultralight tackle, they can be caught in big numbers in sheltered pools of the New River, especially when those pools have nearby rocks or woody debris.

They will eat any number of aquatic insects, and also feast on crayfish and small fish. Anglers can catch them on spinning lures like Blakemore Road Runners, Beetle Spins and Mepps lures.

The entire length of the New River contains an abundance of these fish, so anglers fishing from canoes or kayaks will find them throughout.

One of the best places to catch this fish for wading anglers is at the Elk Shoals Access Area of the New River State Park. This is the section of the park formerly known as Methodist Church Camp. Anglers have plenty of wading opportunities here.

No matter what time of day you’re fishing here, you’ll find rock bass willing to bite wherever the tree shade falls on the river. That changes throughout the day as the sun moves, and rock bass will feed in those shady zones. Later in the day, casting small spinning lures on the edge of the shade, right where it meets the sunlit water will produce.

Plentiful public access

Anyone looking for river adventures will find plenty of them in Ashe County, and they won’t need to hire an outfitter for any of them.

While Wahoo’s Adventures, River Girl Fishing Co., River & Earth Outfitters, Mountain Outfitters and several others are available for those wanting every step of the journey (and gear) provided, those looking to go it on their own have no shortage of opportunities.

The Ashe County Chamber of Commerce (ashechamber.com) has a map featuring numerous kayak/canoe put-ins and takeouts. This map can help you find your own DIY trip, whether you’re looking for a short one, a long one, or even an overnight trip. Many of these put-ins show mile marker information to the next landing, allowing you to gauge how long your trip will take.

New River State Park also has a great map on their website (https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/new-river-state-park), showing their access points, as well as other public ones. Possible portages are also shown on this map, along with camping spots.