Fly Fishing Nantahala River
Fly fishing the Nantahala River is a tale of two streams. The section above the powerhouse is a fishery like no other. Beautiful waterfalls abound with cool water pools beneath that are full of wild rainbows, browns, and brookies. In the same pool, one can catch a small wild rainbow trout, then the very next cast set a hook into a large butter brown. Delayed Harvest regulations apply to this section.
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Below the powerhouse the Nantahala River turns into a tailwater habitat. River-On means water is released, and River-Off means release is shut-off. The flows are geared towards supporting the white water rafting and kayaking industries. When the river is off in the evening, large rainbow and brown trout begin sipping flies off the surface making for great dry fly fun. Be sure to check our streamflow section on the homepage for flow rates. Generally on the "Nanti," if the flow is in the low 100's cfs river is off, and wading is ideal. Best tmes for fishing this river with the water on is the summer months of August and September.
