Blue Ridge, Georgia has been a hotspot for tourism and fly angler for decades. The Scenic Tailwaters of Lake Blue Ridge and hundreds of mountain cabins that line the tributaries of the Toccoa River provide a great escape for the visitors of North Georgia. Fly Fishing is an easy escape and the best way to immerse yourself in the outdoors. Whether you’re looking to float the river for a day, spend the weekend on a hike in camping trip in the Cohutta Wilderness, or simply want to spend a few hours on the water, there are plenty options within a few miles of Blue Ridge. The fly fishing in Blue Ridge is good year round with different opportunities arising during each season. To better understand how to bring these trout to the net, our articles on What Trout Eat and Best Flies for North Georgia will help you get more trout to the net. You can also find more up to date reports of hatches, and hot locations by following our Facebook and Instagram pages.
The Toccoa can be split into two distinct fisheries as the tailwater below Lake Blue Ridge and the headwaters above the lake are managed and fish somewhat differently. Both are an excellent place to run into some of the best fly fishing in Blue Ridge for trophy sized trout.
Upper Toccoa River Fishing
The Upper Toccoa River is stocked regularly throughout the year. A float trip is the best way to see the full extent of the upper river section as public access is divided by the many cabins and private property that line the shores. The public access is found on several strips on land on Hwy 60 which parallels the Toccoa. Wading can be quite difficult during periods of heavy rains, which make the fishing a bit more conducive for shore bound anglers. In late summer and early fall, wading is a much better option. The Toccoa River Delayed Harvest Section will open in the fall and offer anglers a better opportunity to target trout above the lake.
Lower Toccoa River Tailwater Fishing
The Toccoa River Tailwater runs from the Lake Blue Ridge Dam to the Ocoee river at its confluence with Fightingtown Creek. The river is extraordinarily popular not just with trout anglers, but with kayakers, tubers, and swimmers. During the summer the river can get overcrowded quickly, especially during the hot afternoons. Getting away from the crowds tends to require some method of drifting downriver, and even then, there are days where this can be difficult. The Toccoa is stocked very heavily by the state and additionally by many of the landowners along the river. Stocking by the state only occurs at the three public access points along the river. These are Tammen Park (the small park just below the Blue Ridge dam), Curtis Switch Park, and Horseshoe Bend Park near McCaysville. Wading anglers can fish in the public waters at all three of these parks, though there are days, even in winter, where space can be limited. The heavy stocking keeps anglers returning as success is not difficult to come by. Before any fly fishing trip to Blue Ridge and the Lower Toccoa River, be sure to check out the Blue Ridge Dam Release Schedule.
Boardtown Creek Trout Fishing
Boardtown Creek is a smaller creek just south of Blue Ridge that runs down through Ellijay. The creek is stocked in the spring along a couple of the bridge crossings. Public access is scarce and limited to these bridges. There are however dozens of cabins and homes lining the stream that occasional have the stream supplementally stocked.
Fightingtown Creek Trout Fishing
Fightingtown Creek is one of the lager tributaries of the Toccoa River just west of Blue Ridge. Though it is seldomly stocked by the state, many locals stock the stream on their own. Brown trout will also migrate up the creek from the Toccoa during late summer and early autumn in order to spawn and escape the warming water downstream. There is little public access on the lower portions of the creek, and like Boardtown, it is lined with cabins and mountain homes. There is some smaller portions of public land further up the creek that will have some stockers and wild trout. For vacation ideas, our article on North Georgia Trout Fishing Cabins have several options located on Fightingtown Creek.
Hemptown Creek Trout Fishing
Hemptown Creek parallels the Upper Toccoa River for several miles before emptying into the Toccoa tailwaters below the Blue Ridge Dam. The creek flow east to west on the north side of town and does not offer much in the way of public access. Though Hemptown is stocked regularly in the spring, access is limited to the bridges where majority of the stocking occurs. There are several private water trout fisheries along the creek that stock their own trout as well.
Trout Fishing in the Cohutta Wilderness
The Cohutta Wilderness is a massive expanse of public land that lies to the west of Blue Ridge, Georgia. There are dozens of small trout streams that scour the mountains, each possessing an abundance of wild trout. The most popular, or most commonly visited trout streams in the Cohuttas are the Conasauga River, Jacks River, and Upper Mountaintown Creek.
Jacks River Trout Fishing
Just about the only true overnight hike in fishing trip available to Georgians is found on the Jacks River. The Jacks runs about a dozen miles to its confluence with the Conasauga River at the Tennessee border. Every mile of this trout stream has a plethora of hungry wild trout eager to eat a fly. Wild rainbows and browns are quite common and an excellent way to spend a weekend. Access to the river is limited to its upper tributaries and its meeting place with the Conasauga. After the rains subside in late spring and early summer anglers can find the best Jacks River fly fishing.
Mountaintown Creek Trout Fishing
The west fork of Mountaintown Creek is best accessed from Forest Service Road 64 in the Cohuttas. A two mile hike down the trail along the Crenshaw Branch tributary will lead you to the water that receives very little pressure. Endless cascades and small waterfalls leave the wild rainbows and occasional brown trout excellent plunge pools to take shelter in. The warmer months will have trout eager to eat even poorly drifted flies. Stealth can be critical in these tight quarters a the wild trout can be quite spooky.
Conasauga River Trout Fishing
The Conasauga fishes very similar to the Jacks River. Access to the campgrounds along the river is much easier than the Jacks, and therefore it receives a bit more pressure. By hiking a quarter of half mile away from any of the trafficked campgrounds, you can find the same wild trout that are eager to eat any tempting offering that passes.
The Coopers Creek WMA sits in between Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, and Blairsville. Coopers Creek is one of if not the most popular place for trout fishing in North Georgia. This is likely due to the dozens of campgrounds, and forestry road pull offs that line the main stretches of the creek, as well as the large amount of stocking it receives compared to its size. Running into the trout hear can be a bit of a chore at times as the catch and keep fishermen keep a close eye out for the stock trucks. Consistent success is best found covering a lot of water and looking for holes the lazier fisherman aren’t willing to travel to. This tactic and a bit of stealth on the water will lead to the best Coopers Creek trout fishing. Once you have located these the fish will typically be very willing to eat most offerings. Along with the abundant amount of stocked trout in Coopers Creek, wild trout can be found from the Spillway at Lake Winfield Scott down to the creek's confluence with the Toccoa River. The small tributaries of Coopers Creek also possess some smaller wild trout including the coveted native brook trout. These trout are only accessible to those looking to put some miles under their boots and fight the onslaught of relentless rhododendron branches.
Fly Fishing Coopers Creek is best done away from the campgrounds and parking areas for anglers looking for the wild trout or holdover stocked trout. Junk flies for stockers and smaller dry flies for wild trout are great throughout the Spring, Summer, and into the Fall. Many fly fisherman and conventional anglers start their adventures at the popular Mulky Gap Campground and explore the creek from there. Simplifying your fly fishing gear is recommended on the creek as it will make for a smoother day on the water when carrying only the essentials.
Rock Creek fishes very similar to it's neighbor Coopers Creek. The size of the two Toccoa River tributaries are very similar. Rock Creek is a bit closer to Blue Ridge and has more ease of access for Highway 60 making it a great place to take your kids fishing in Blue Ridge. Though there are less camping opportunities around Rock Creek, it still sees similar pressure to Coopers. The Frank Gross Campground provides the densest amount of sites though diverse camp sites are found throughout the Rock Creek Watershed. Weekends can be hectic during the height of the stocking season and are less attractive to anglers looking to find stretches of water to themselves. Stocked fish can be found from the confluence to the Toccoa, all the way up to the Rock Creek Lake found on the upper end. Rock Creek Lake is located above the National Fish Hatchery, where visitors can stop by during the week to see the operation, and is also stocked during the colder months. The small streams leading into the lake and tributaries above the hatchery do have populations of small wild fish for those willing to do a bit of bushwhacking. The other small tributaries of Rock Creek found throughout the WMA also are home to native brook trout for intrepid anglers looking to explore for some small trout on tiny water. Stealth becomes imperative while hurdling over the endless lay downs and shoreline shrubbery.
Small dry flies and a variety of junk flies are the status quo when Fly Fishing Rock Creek. Much like Coopers Creek, don't spend too much time in one area if your aren't seeing trout. Keeping away from the campgrounds and parking lots often puts anglers in front of more trout willing to take a well drifted fly. To experience the best Rock Creek trout fishing and learn the ins and out of this popular stream, check out our Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Guides and our Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Trips.
Little Rock Creek Trout Fishing
A small tributary stream of Rock Creek. This creek does possess wild trout below the small waterfalls and plunge pools the fast water creates. Trout here are willing to come to a dry fly just about any time of year. When the stocked trout seem to disappear from Rock Creek, Little Rock Creek can cushion a tough day on the water with some small wild trout.
Fishing Blue Ridge GA
Blue Ridge has several other fishing options for visitors. Lake Nottely Striped Bass, Smallmouth bass of Lake Blue Ridge and the Lower Toccoa River, Seasonal Walleye Runs, and several small ponds located within some of North Georgia's State Parks that offer good fishing opportunities for bass and panfish.
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If your looking for the best cabins and lodging for trout fishing in Blue Ridge or if you are looking for other trout fishing destinations in Georgia, check out our Blairsville Fly Fishing Guide, Ellijay Fly Fishing Guide, Helen Fly Fishing Guide, Clayton Fly fishing Guide, and Dahlonega Fly Fishing Guide to learn where you can find more trout this year. If you know where you would like to fish but are just getting into fly fishing or need some help getting over that initial learning curve, take a look at our North Georgia Fly Fishing Trips. We can get you over the hump and ready to explore all North Georgia’s beautiful trout streams. In our Fly Fishing Lessons page, we share our stories from our adventures around the globe on fly fishing lessons we learned the hard way.
