North Carolina Fly Fishing Guide

Fly fishing for trout is plentiful in the beautiful state of North Carolina. This is a brief guide to get you started with your expedition “down south”!

The mountains of North Carolina have many streams running through them and provide some great trout in a beautiful setting. In most of these trout streams and rivers you can catch all three types of trout; brook, rainbow and brown.

The wild fish tend to be smaller in North Carolina, more so than the stocked ones, but it takes more stealth to catch the wild trout when fly fishing. The stocked trout are easy to catch at first, but harder as the season progresses.

Overall in the North Carolina mountains is an exceptional trout fishing haven with over 3,000 miles of trout streams open to fishing through out the western part of the state. All these streams are enjoyed by many beginners and old timers alike. You can hire a tour guide to help you find the best spots, or you can go it alone. Either way, you’ll enjoy your trip!

A great place to go in North Carolina is the Shenandoah National Park. Here you will find some of the finest brook trout streams in the eastern United States. The park is over 200,000 acres and is one of the largest wilderness preserves in the area. It has been called a paradise for back country anglers who enjoy solitude and don’t mind stretching their legs as they search for some great waters to fish in.

Spring is usually the best time to fish the streams in Shenandoah Park. It’s during this time that the water turns warmer and “wakes the fish up” from their winter dormancy feeding on some of the heaviest mayfly hatches of the year. According to the North Carolina guide, this is one of the best streams in the state for catching trout.

There are other popular spots for fly fishermen in North Carolina. Big Helton Creek is located just outside of Boone, North Carolina, and is a great river for beginners. The Watagua River is also around Boone. It can bring some pretty big fish to the experienced fly fisherman and has many popular sites along the river to fish.

Stone Mountain State Park is located near Elkin, North Carolina, and hosts some of the area’s finest fishing streams. This park has a “Fish for Fun” section that allows fly fishers to pay a set amount for one of eight sections of the river allowing them to fish the same spot for the entire day.

North Carolina has some of the best streams in the eastern part of the United States. You can use this guide as a start toward your adventures in this great southern state!