Smallies and panfish abound, plus stripers
My fishing preference is fly fishing for trout in the numerous and diverse creeks and rivers that flow through the western North Carolina mountains. Occasionally, I visit a lake for a change-of-pace fishing. I must admit it’s a rush to hook a feisty smallmouth bass; even hooking a big bream can give me charge.
Recently, my family and I camped at Hanging Dog Campground on Hiwassee Lake near Murphy. This is a beautiful high-country lake; the majority of its 180 miles of shoreline protected by the Nantahala National Forest. Fish the 20-mile-long, 6,000-acre lake, and you’ll see trees instead of upscale housing developments. A portion of the lake extends into Towns County, Ga., and a portion of that part of the lake also is protected by a national forest.
The lake is fed primarily by the Hiwassee River, Nottely River and Valley River. It is part of what is referred to as the chain of lakes that includes nearby Apalachia Lake and Lake Chatuge in Clay County.
Developed by the damming of the Hiwassee River between 1936 and 1940, the TVA lake’s dam is 307 feet high and 1,276 feet long. It is one of the highest dams in eastern North America.
Hiwassee is a unique fishery. It is the only mountain lake that has striped bass, which usually are found in coastal waters. The lake has yielded two record striped bass, the first a 54.2-pounder caught on a minnow by Murphy resident Larry Verner who caught a 54.2-pound striper in 1991, and more recently, a 66-pound striper caught by 17-year-old Tyler Shields of Murphy, a fish bigger than the existing state freshwater and saltwater records. Shields, who was fishing for smallmouth bass, caught the striper on a black Zoom trick worm on 10-pound test line.
Biologists say the large size of the stripers is due to the abundance of forage fish. The lake is cool even in the dead of summer due to deep-water flows; its deepest point is 250 feet.
Hiwassee also holds the state record for smallmouth bass, which weighed 10.2 pounds and was caught in 1951 by Archie Lumpkin.
In addition to striped bass and smallmouth bass, Hiwassee has largemouth bass, spotted bass, catfish, walleye, white bass, crappie, catfish, bream, yellow perch, carp and a few muskie, although no muskie catches have been reported recently.
Triploid carp were stocked to help control excessive vegetation. The carp are easy to spot. They wallow in shallow water close to heavily vegetated shorelines. Fishing for carp is discouraged.
Spotted bass were added to the population in the last few years, most likely by anglers. Like stripers, they were never stocked in the lake by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Biologists fear that the smallmouth population may be decreased or displaced by the spots. The spots displaced smallmouth bass in nearby Lake Chatuge; the only time a smallmouth catch is reported there is on the Georgia side of the lake.
As with most mountain lakes, the best fishing times are spring and fall. Summer and winter offer only fair fishing. The record smallmouth and earlier record striper, however, were caught in early June. Plastic baits are popular among veteran bass fishers, with green and brown being the preferred colors.
On our trip, my son, granddaughter and I caught smallmouth, bream and catfish, nothing big. Our access to the lake was limited because we fished from a canoe, but we still were able to paddle to several shaded coves where we caught most of our fish.
The lake has three public access areas, the largest being Hanging Dog Access, close to the campground. Grape Creek Access is off Joe Brown Highway, the access road to the campground. Ramsey Bluff Access on Ramsey Bluff Rd. off Hanging Dog Rd. Commercial marinas are Duke’s Hideaway Marina (828-835-3332), Shook’s (828-837-2863), Mountain View (828-644-5451) and Harbor Cove Marina (828-644-0661).
Hanging Dog Campground has 51 sites in three well-shaded loops. Facilities are limited to one comfort station per loop. The comfort stations have flush toilets and sinks but no showers. Each site has a fire ring with grill, a tent pad large enough for two tents, picnic table and lantern post. Freshwater outlets are conveniently located in each loop. A limited number of RVs up to 32 feet can be accommodated. No hookups are provided, but the campground does have a dumping station for RVs and to dispose of gray water. Sites 23 and 24 are closest to the lake.
A limited number of boats can be moored close by. The campground is open from mid-May until mid-September. Camping fees are $8 and $16, depending on location.
The campground is about five miles from Cherokee. Take Joe Brown Highway (SR 1326) to Hanging Dog Campground Rd. (not to be confused with Hanging Dog Rd.) and go one mile to the campground. Sites may be reserved by calling 877-444-6777.
Be the first to comment