Winter Fly Fishing equals Big Trout

Its been said that big fish love cold weather. This certainly seems to be true here in the Smoky Mountains region. Winter is when we start to see the biggest fish brought to the nets. While technically its not close to Winter here yet, recent temprature changes would have you thinking otherwise!

Fly Fishing in Winter

The NC side of the Smoky Mountains has miles of perfect trout filled water. Starting with the Tuckasegee River, which has a state managed Delayed Harvest section. The “Tuck” is loaded to the max with Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout. Catching Grand Slam of all three species is a big possibility! The Tuckasegee River is a wide sprawling Rocky mountain sized tailwater river making trout fishing very near perfect here. During the winter months you can expect around 17,000 trout per mile! We offer both Wade Trips and Float Trips on this amazing river.

The hottest destination in the Smoky Mountains region is the Raven Fork! Cherokee is home to some awesome fly fishing opportunities, and this time of year we see incredible action. Fishing the Raven Fork is a unique experience offering world class angling for trophy trout while enjoying great stream access and wading in one of the most beautiful settings in the Smoky Mountains. If all of this isn’t enough to convince you, then imagine standing in the river making the perfect cast and having an audience of Elk watch as you fish!

Winter in the Smoky Mountains is normally a mild affair, with day time temperatures reaching the mid 50’s-60’s. December and January are both normally mild and have pleasant mid day temperatures perfect for getting outside for a Wade Trip for Trophy Trout. February is historically our coldest month and is best spent fishing from the Drift Boats on the Tuckasegee River instead of wading.

Check out our Winter Specials for some great options for fishing the Smoky Mountainns region in search of big trout!