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North Carolina

Fishing

Fishing

Other Trout Fishing Waters

Mountain Heritage Trout Waters

Some Public Mountain Trout Waters running through or adjacent to certain cities or towns may be further classified as Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Any license that provides trout fishing privileges may be used to fish on Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Resident and nonresident anglers may instead purchase a three-day Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license valid only on Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. This license is $8 for both residents and nonresidents and can be purchased online at gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com or by calling 833-950-0575, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday – Friday. The following waters are classified as Mountain Heritage Trout Waters and listed by county, Mountain Heritage Trout City name and regulation type. The boundaries for Mountain Heritage Trout Waters are marked with signs posted conspicuously along the watercourses.

A resident or nonresident of this State who served as a member of the Armed Forces and who separated under honorable conditions is exempt from fishing license requirements while fishing in waters designated by the Wildlife Resources Commission as Mountain Heritage Trout waters. In order to qualify the individual shall have valid documentation of their service on their person at all times during the fishing activity.

Ashe County

  • Lansing: Big Horse Creek (S.R. 1324 bridge to North Fork New River) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]
  • Todd: South Fork New River (upstream end of Todd Island to S.R. 1351 bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Avery County

  • Newland: North Toe River (Watauga St. bridge to Roby Shomaker Wet­lands and Family Recreation Park) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Buncombe County

  • Black Mountain: Swannanoa River (S.R. 2702 bridge near Ridgecrest to S.R. 2500 bridge) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Haywood County

  • Maggie Valley: Jonathan Creek (upstream S.R. 1302 bridge to S.R. 1309 bridge) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]
  • Waynesville: Richland Creek (Russ Avenue bridge to U.S. 19 bridge) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Jackson County

  • Dillsboro: Scott Creek (Hometown Place Road to Tuckasegee River) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Tuckasegee River (Falls located 275 yards upstream of U.S. 23-441 bridge to Scott Creek) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Tuckasegee River (Savannah Creek to falls located 275 yards upstream of U.S. 23-441 bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

  • Sylva: Scott Creek (Hospital Road to Hometown Place Road) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]
  • Webster: Tuckasegee River (downstream N.C. 107 bridge to Savannah Creek) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Madison County

  • Hot Springs: Spring Creek (N.C. 209 bridge at Hot Springs city limits to iron bridge at end of Andrews Avenue) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

McDowell County

  • Old Fort: Mill Creek (U.S. 70 bridge to the I-40 bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Mitchell County

  • Bakersville: Cane Creek (N.C. 226 bridge to S.R. 1189 bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]
  • Spruce Pine: North Toe River (U.S. 19E bridge to N.C. 226 bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Swain County

  • Bryson City: Tuckasegee River (U.S. 19 bridge to Slope Street bridge) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Watauga County

  • Beech Mountain: Buckeye Creek (Buckeye Creek Reservoir dam to Grassy Gap Creek) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Buckeye Creek Reservoir [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Lake Coffey [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]

Pond Creek (headwaters to Locust Ridge Road bridge, excluding the pond adjacent to Lake Coffey) [Catch and Release/Artificial Flies and Lures Only Trout Waters regulations apply]

Wilkes County

  • North Wilkesboro: Reddies River (Town of North Wilkesboro water intake dam to confluence with Yadkin River) [Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations apply]
  • Wilkesboro: Cub Creek (0.5 miles upstream of S.R. 2460 bridge to S.R. 101 bridge) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Yancey County

  • Burnsville: South Toe River (property boundaries of the Yancey County Toe River Campground) [Hatchery Supported Trout Waters regulations apply]

Trout Fishing on Game Lands

  • All waters on the game lands listed below are Public Mountain Trout Waters and are classified as Wild Trout Waters, except as noted:
    • Cold Mountain Game Land in Haywood Co.
    • Dupont State Forest Game Land in Henderson and Transylvania counties, except Little River from 100 yards downstream of Hooker Falls downstream to the Dupont State Forest boundary, Lake Imaging, Lake Dense, Lake Alfred, Lake Julia, and Fawn Lake.
    • Green River Game Land in Henderson and Polk counties, excluding Green River downstream of the natural gas pipeline crossing.
    • Headwaters Game Land in Transylvania Co.
    • Nantahala National Forest Game Land in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania counties, except Cheoah River downstream of Santeetlah Reservoir and Cherokee Lake.
    • Pisgah National Forest Game Land in Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, except Grogan Creek, Cedar Rock Creek, John Rock Branch, North Fork Catawba River downstream of the mouth of Armstrong Creek, Big Laurel Creek downstream from the U.S. 25-70 bridge to the French Broad River, Mill Ridge Pond, Nolichucky River, Pigeon River downstream of Waterville Reservoir to the Tennessee state line, and Spring Creek below USFS Road 223.
    • Pond Mountain Game Land in Ashe Co.
    • Little Fork State Forest Game Land in Wilkes Co.
    • South Mountains Game Land in Cleveland and Rutherford counties.
    • Three Top Mountain Game Land in Ashe Co.
    • Thurmond Chatham Game Land in Wilkes Co.
    • Toxaway Game Land in Transylvania Co.
    • William H. Silvers Game Land in Haywood Co.

Trout Fishing on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Angling opportunities on the Blue Ridge Parkway are managed by the National Park Service which establishes fishing regulations for Parkway waters. The Wildlife Resources Commission aides with management by stocking catchable-size trout into the following waters:

County - Water

Alleghany - Brush Creek

Alleghany - Big Pine Creek

Alleghany - Meadow Fork

Avery - Linville River

Buncombe - Swannanoa River

Watauga - Price Lake

Specific fishing regulations are displayed on signs located near fish­ing access points, and all persons age 16 or older must possess a valid North Carolina or Virginia fishing license to fish parkway waters. The parkway provides wild and catch-and-release trout fishing, as well as angling for bass and sunfish.

For more information on fishing in parkway waters contact:

Blue Ridge Parkway

199 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803.

Phone: 828-271-4779. https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Trout Fishing on N.C. State Parks

Fishing within a state park is limited to park operating hours. For park information visit ncparks.gov or contact:

South Mountains State Park - 828-433-4772

Stone Mountain State Park - 336-957-8185

Gorges State Park - 828-966-9099