Did you know that Blue Ridge is the trout fishing capital of Georgia? Whether you like to fly fish or just drop a line, Fannin County has you covered; boasting several options to suit your trout fishing dreams. The Toccoa River, Rock Creek, Cooper Creek and Noontootla Creek are the favored by serious anglers and first-time fishers alike.
Looking to expand your trout knowledge, get some new gear or just talk about your love of trout fishing? Mark your calendar:
3rd Annual Blue Ridge Trout Festival
Saturday, April 28, 2018
10 am - 5 pm
Downtown City Park, Blue Ridge, GA
Enjoy adventure outfitters, local fishing guides, conservation information, lodging services, home decor and gifts, fly making, art, outdoor clothing and fishing gear and fishing seminars. Don't miss the food trucks and beer garden! $5 admission at the gate (12 and under free).
Ready to fish?
Here's some valuable information about the four rivers and creeks we mentioned above. There are several other fishing spots in and around Blue Ridge such as Shallowford Bridge, Tamen Park and Horseshoe Bend Park. Click here for a valuable resource for all things fishing in North Georgia. For more trout fishing articles check out Georgia Outdoor News.
Rock Creek
This popular stream, located mostly in Fannin County, is home to one of the largest populations of stocked trout in the state. Rock Creek, on Blue Ridge WMA, is easily accessible, and there’s a federal fish hatchery right on the creek.
Above the hatchery, there’s a small impoundment that is stocked a few times early in the season which offers still-water trout fishing. Rock Creek is an excellent place to take children and trout newbies. It is regularly stocked during the stocking season, running roughly from the end of March until the end of summer depending on the weather. This keeps the stream full of fish and makes it the perfect place to go to fill your stringer.
Little Rock Creek, which feeds into Rock Creek, is a fun place to explore and look for gorgeous wild fish to catch and release. Rock Creek is located off Highway 60 in Fannin County and is open all year.
The Toccoa River
From its headwaters in Union County to where it becomes the Ocoee River at the Georgia/Tennessee line, the Toccoa is regarded by many as the best trout river in the state. The upper end of the river is a great place to fish as it is heavily stocked in the springtime and is home to a delayed-harvest (DH) section. The tailwater, beneath Lake Blue Ridge, holds a wonderful population of stocked, holdover and stream-bred trout. To top it off, the entire river is open year-round.
Most importantly, before you go fishing, be sure to check regulations, maps and water levels before going out on any section of the Toccoa River. Release information for the Blue Ridge Dam is available by calling (800) 238-2264.
Noontootla Creek
Noontootla Creek runs off a steep ridge in Blue Ridge WMA and dumps into the upper Toccoa River. Most of this stream’s public access is off of U.S. Forest Road 58, and it includes everything from small stream fishing in its headwaters to bigger areas capable of being fished with 9-foot fly-rods.
Special regulations on this wild-trout stream state that only artificial lures may be used and only one fish longer than 16 inches may be kept. This rule effectively makes the stream almost entirely catch-and-release. While fish longer than 16 inches are certainly a possibility in Noontootla — especially during the fall and spring breeding periods — the typical fish is a healthy 9- to 13-inch rainbow or brown trout.
Some of the creek’s tributaries are also home to southern Appalachian brook trout, and the 16-inch size limit applies to them as well, making it a haven for the little fish to thrive in.
Certain parts of Noontootla can be tough to wade. The key is to go slowly. Don’t get ahead of yourself and you won’t make as many mistakes.
Cooper Creek
This Toccoa River tributary is right up there with Rock Creek when it comes to heavily stocked streams. With many Forest Service campgrounds on its banks, Cooper Creek is a great place to take a family. This seasonal stream is not just home to stocked trout, though. There are also good populations of wild browns and rainbows, and native trout that can be found in some of its headwaters. The main stretch of Cooper Creek is accessible to the public, and much of it is located on national-forest land.
The stream is relatively easy to wade and offers a great place to get away from crowds of float tubes and rafts on the bigger streams.
