If you don’t mind crowds, head for the Davidson, the Tuckasegee, the Nantahala and South Toe rivers. These streams are loaded with trout, and fishing is always good — if you get on the stream before a dozen or so other anglers have thrashed the water and spooked the fish. After all, these are some of the most-heavily fished streams in the mountains.
If you like getting away from the crowds, enjoy beautiful surroundings and don’t mind working for your trout, consider heading for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park has some great streams, and the best ones are on the North Carolina side.
Here are a few of the more accessible streams:
Deep Creek (Swain County): In late spring and summer, you’ll have to share the creek with tubers, at least the lower section near Deep Creek Campground. Walk a mile or so — an easy walk — to the tubing cut-off point at Indian Creek, and you’ll have the stream mostly to yourself. It’s big water, marked with big pools, long riffley runs and plenty of pocket water. This is not impounded water, so you can wade it without worrying about the water suddenly coming up when you’re deep in one of the gorges. Deep Creek has an equal mix of brown and rainbow trout, but it’s best known for its big browns, some in the 15- to 20-inch range. You can catch browns almost to the headwaters, which is about 14 miles from the campground.
While the tubers can be a nuisance for anglers, their activity doesn’t seem to affect the trout. I’ve caught trout — nice trout — in pools moments after a tube passed through. Some of the biggest pools are in the lower section, and you can see huge trout suspended near the bottom. I’ve thrown every kind of streamer, nymph and lure imaginable, even running them inches in front of their snouts, without getting a flicker of interest. Every time I go to Deep Creek, I still try to catch one, though, just like every other angler who passes that way.
Access: From downtown Bryson City, turn north at the Swain County Courthouse, turn right after crossing the bridge over the Tuckasegee River and follow the signs to the park campground, about three miles.
Bradley Fork (Swain County): A tributary of the Oconaluftee River, Bradley Fork is a jewel of a stream, with good numbers of rainbow and brown trout. Most of the browns are in the lower section near Smokemont Campground. A medium-size stream, Bradley Fork has a nice mix of riffles, runs, pocket water, and small plunge pools. The trout don’t get big here — 10 to 11 inches is about the maximum — but they’re plentiful. Fishing pressure is light to moderate. A good trail runs alongside the stream for about two miles.
Access: From Cherokee, follow US 441 north to the entrance of Smokemont Campground, about one mile from the park entrance. Drive through the campground to a parking area for anglers at the far end. Bradley Fork Trail follows the creek about seven miles.
Cataloochee Creek (Haywood County): Cataloochee is not a typical mountain stream. It runs through relatively flat land and is fairly shallow, at least in the upper reaches of the valley. The stream has mostly rainbow trout, with a few browns mixed in. Don’t expect a lot of large trout; they usually run under 10 inches, but some of the big pools occasionally yield larger trout. Fishing Cataloochee can be a frustrating experience at times. One day they’re hitting every fly you throw at them; the next day, nothing in your fly box will get a hit.
The big bonus here is the scenery and the wildlife. Cataloochee Valley is a miniature Cades Cove. Whitetail deer are everywhere, and the valley has the only resident herd of elk in North Carolina.
Access: From I-40 west, take Exit 20, turn left on US 276 and turn right on Little Cove Road. Follow the signs to the park. Once you’re inside the park, cross the bridge and turn right. A gravel road with numerous pull-offs runs beside the creek.
Big Creek (Haywood County): Like Cataloochee Creek, Big Creek is a tributary of the Pigeon River. Unlike Cataloochee, it’s known for its big brown trout, which are prevalent in the lower section of the creek. The upper section has good populations of rainbow trout. Big Creek is a stair-step stream, with huge boulders and numerous plunge pools and waterfalls. The fishing can be frustrating at times because you can look down from the trail and see scores of trout in the big pools. By the time you get down to the water to make a cast, the fish have disappeared. The best way to fish the stream is to stay in the water (where you can) and stealth-fish the big pools. The water is extremely clear, even by park standards, and the trout are easily spooked.
All four streams require some effort to reach, and, as a result, fishing pressure is light to moderate, even in the summer.
Flies: For late May and early June, suggested patterns are Light Caddis, Light Cahill, yellow Mayfly, Pink Lady, yellow Palmer, yellow Humpy, Beaver Tan, Blue-Winged Olive, male Adams, or Quill Gordon for dry-fly fishing. Recommended nymph patterns are yellow Stone, Tellico, Stick Bait, Hare’s Ear, brown Stone, Coffey’s Stone, and Yallerhammer.
Park regulations: You need a basic state fishing license to fish in the park. Creel limit is five trout per day, seven inches or longer. Only artificial flies or lures with a single hook may be used. All brook trout must be released.
Bob Satterwhite has been writing about the outdoors, particularly trout fishing, for more than 25 years. A native of Morganton, he lives in Cullowhee, close to the Tuckasegee River, Caney Fork, Moses Creek, and several other prime trout streams.
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