WORLD CLASS FISHING IN THE FRONT YARD….

The Nantahala River Lodge sits on the bank of the Nantahala River and is centrally located between many of the best trout streams in the state.  The upper section of the Nantahala, which is a delayed harvest stream, flows through the front yard.  The beginning of the lower section, which is hatchery supported, is within walking distance.

The Nantahala River truly exemplifies a great trout stream. The Nantahala is listed as one of the nation’s top 100 trout streams by Trout Unlimited and has been featured in numerous magazines.  The Nantahala River represented two of the five venues for the Fly Fish Team USA National Championships in 2011 and the 2012 Youth National Fly Fishing Championships. The Nantahala River is the most diverse trout fisheries in all of the state and is one of the finest rivers in the Southeastern United States.  The Nantahala has something for everyone.

In addition to the great trout streams, several wonderful lakes and rivers are nearby. If you would like a guide service or decide to explore other fishing areas here are a few of our favorites.

GUIDE SERVICES

 NANTAHALA FLY FISHING COMPANY

Contact:     Daniel Boone
Website:    www.flyfishnorthcarolina.com
Phone:      (828) 479-8850

• Guided Wade Trips
• “No Fish, No Pay” Guarantee on guided wade trips
• Fly Fishing Instruction (all levels, including entomology)
• Team Building & Corporate Outings
• Custom Built Fly Rods

ENDLESS RIVER ADVENTURES

Contact:     Ken Kastorff
Website:    www.endlessriveradventures.com
Phone:      (800) 224-7238

• Guided Drift Boat trips
• Guided Oar Raft trips
• Stream side or Wet Wading with guide
• Fly Fishing Instruction
• Outfitters store

REEL ANGLING ADVENTURES

Contact:    Bob Borgwat
Website:   www.ReelAnglingAdventures.com
Toll Free:  (866) 899-5259

• More guided fishing destinations than any outfitter in the southern Appalachian Mountains
• Wade trips on the region’s best trout waters, including treks to the area’s remote wild-trout waters
• Drift boats for trout and smallmouth bass on the Tuckaseegee, Hiwassee and Toccoa Rivers
• Fly-Fishing Instruction
• Bass fishing – largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass on Nantahala, Chatuge and Blue Ridge lakes.

OUTFITTERS

The Nantahala Fly Shop 
 – at Endless River Adventures
14157 Hwy 19 West

Contact:     Ken and Juliet Kastorff
Website:    www.endlessriveradventures.com
Phone:      (800) 224-7238
Email:       Juliet@endlessriveradventures.com

Located just seven miles from the Lodge, the Nantahala Fly Shop at Endless River Adventures is stocked with a collection of local flies chosen for this area, brand name gear, and great advice on the area.  Fishing licenses may be purchased here.  If you purchased your fishing license from an outside shop, make sure that they included a trout stamp, as it is necessary in Western North Carolina.

TUCKASEEGEE FLY SHOP – Bryson City

Contact:    Bobby and Dale
Website:   www.tuckflyshop.com
Phone:      828-488-3333
Email:       tuckriverclub@gmail.com

• Full Service Fly Shop
• Local Fly Patterns
• Fly Fishing Gear
• Guided trips
• Fly Fishing advice

Fish Tales Outfitters  – Franklin, NC
1094 Highlands Rd., 28734

Contact:     Ernie King
Website:    www.fishtaleswnc.com
Phone:      828-421-0732
Email:       fishtalesoutfitters@gmail.com

• Rods, Reels, Fly Material, Line, Apparel/Gear Wading, Accessories, Spinning Tackle
• Lodging
• Guided Trips
• Fishing Reports
• Private Trophy Waters

FLY FISHING THE SMOKIES – Bryson City, NC & Gatlinburg, TN

Contact:  Eugene Shuler
Website:  www.flyfishingthesmokies.net
Phone:     828-488-7665

• Full Service Fly Shop
• Guided fly fishing trips
• Private trophy water
• Back country trips
• Fly fishing for the entire family

APPALACHIAN OUTFITTERS – Murphy

Contact:  Justin Mickens, Bobby Hand, Matt Rhodes
Website: www.appalachianoutfittersnc.com 
Phone:    (828) 837-4165

• Full service Fly Fishing and Paddle sports shop
• Large selection of fly tying materials
• Guide Service
• Located in Murphy on Tennessee Street

SMOKY MOUNTAIN GUIDES – Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Website:  www.smokymountainguides.com
Phone:     (865) 654-4545

Smoky Mountain Guides is an adventure guiding company in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  They offer guided hikes (day and overnight), fly fishing trips, kayak tours, and auto tours of the Smoky Mountain region.  Their guides are well experienced and personable and are willing to accommodate the client in the best way possible.  Contact them for your next adventure.

TROUT STREAMS

THE NANTAHALA RIVER

A first-class trout stream, offering a mix of wild trout waters in its upper reaches, delayed-harvest fishing in its mid-section, and a mix of healthy stream-raised and stocked trout in its lower portion.  Because of the white water activities during the day, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission allows night fishing downstream from the power house.

The 2011 Fly Fish Team USA National Championships and the 2012 Junior USA National Fly Fishing Championships were held on the Nantahala River.   The Nantahala River Lodge enjoyed supporting and participating in these events.

SLICK ROCK CREEK

Slick Rock offers the best opportunity in the state to catch a really big wild brown trout and offers native trout fishing in the headwaters.

SNOW BIRD CREEK

Snowbird provides trout fishing opportunities with stocked trout (Rainbow, Brown and Brook) in the lower section and Native Brook trout fishing in the upper section.  Big Snowbird Creek has a 2.8 mile section (USFS foot bridge at the old railroad junction to USFS Road 2579) of Delayed Harvest waters which opened October 2013.   More Info

HAZEL CREEK

Remote, beautiful, accessible only by boat or foot, a stream that truly lives up to its legend.  Hazel Creek is the most popular stream on the park side of Fontana Lake.   More Info

FIRES CREEK

Fires Creek, a great stream off the beaten path, has reclassified a 2.2 mile section in Clay County from Wild Trout Waters to Delayed Harvest Trout Waters (USFS Road 340A to the foot bridge in the USFS Fires Creek Picnic Area).

CHEROKEE INDIAN RESERVATION

The 30 miles of streams on the Cherokee Indian Reservation provide both food and fun for serious and amateur anglers.  Regular stocking of the streams each year adds nearly 400,000 trout to an existing population of fish swimming in the crystal clear mountain waters.  A new Cherokee Trophy Trout catch-and-release section has been added with great results. A tribal permit is required to fish on the Reservation.   More Info

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

The Park has about 2,115 miles of streams within its boundaries and protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the Eastern United States.  The Park offers a wide variety of angling experiences from remote, headwater trout streams to large, coolwater smallmouth bass streams.   More Info   Even More Info

AREA LAKES

NANTAHALA LAKE

Located high above the Nantahala River Gorge at a 3,000-foot elevation – a pristine and serene lake with just 30 miles of shoreline.  Many anglers enjoy fishing the Nantahala reservoir due to the low number of boaters and the breathtaking scenery.  Fish in the lake include Walleye, Crappie, Sunfish, Trout, and Bass.  And it’s the only lake in the South with a population of freshwater Kokanee Salmon.    There are two public boat launching areas – the Rocky Branch Ramp is on the east shore just off Wayah Road and the Choga public access area is on the west shore.  Lakes End Marina, on Wayah Road, rents pontoons, fishing and ski boats.

QUEENS LAKE

You can fish from the bank.  There is a small park with a picnic table, boat ramp and a handicap fishing pier.  Canoe or small boat fishing is recommended.  Fish in the lake include Crappie, Sunfish, Trout, Bass and Catfish.

LAKE SANTEETLAH

Features over 76 miles of mostly natural shoreline and has a wide variety of fish.  The most popular being bass, largemouth bass and walleye.  There is also a good population of crappie, bream and lake trout.  Boats can be rented at several locations on the lake, but paddling a canoe into the prongs is our recommendation.  Cheoah Point Recreation Area has picnic tables, a protected swim area and restrooms.   More Info

LAKE FONTANA

A popular place for fishing, boating and swimming.  Boat docks and launching ramps are located at various sites on the lake.  It boasts one of the most diverse fish populations anywhere in the country.  With depths of over 400 feet, many northern fish such as walleye, muskie, and smallmouth bass are among favorites of local fishermen.    More Info

CALDERWOOD LAKE

Clear, deep and very river like in character.  Current pushes through the whole lake when power is being generated through Cheoah Dam.  Trout fishing is best when the water is running.  Trout are plentiful on Calderwood, and they tend to grow large.  Rainbows are the main species, but recent NCWRC stockings also have included brook trout and brown trout.

FISHING REGULATIONS FOR NANTAHALA RIVER LODGE

The Nantahala River Lodge is located on Delayed Harvest Waters.  These are stocked trout waters open to fishing year-round, but trout caught between October 1 and the first Saturday in June must be immediately released.    Single hook, artificial lures or flies are required during the October-June period.  Beginning the first Saturday in June, harvest of trout from these waters is allowed, and anglers can use natural bait.  “Hatchery Supported” trout regulations apply during this time.  Beginning October 1, these waters revert back to “Delayed Harvest” trout regulations.  We encourage catch and release year round.

Note:  The River Lodge has a circular drive to provide easy access and plenty of room to maneuver your boat and trailer.

VIEW NC FISHING REGULATIONS  CLICK HERE

GET YOUR NORTH CAROLINA FISHING LICENSE ONLINE  CLICK HERE

A SMOKY MOUNTAIN FISHING STORY   READ HERE    Tom Randles recounts an experience on the Nantahala River, and describes why, if he were forced to choose only one of the many streams and rivers he has had the good fortune to fish, he would choose, the “Land of the Noon-day Sun.”

“A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes-