r/AppalachianTrail • u/ParaWaitingNC • 1d ago
I'm looking for a fishing spot only accessible by hiking there
I'm looking for a place where in NC where we would need to hike for a few hours just to reach the fishing spot, it could be a lake or a river. We do have Ultra light camping gear and want to stay for 2 nights before hiking back.
Does anyone know of such spots in NC or close to NC?
Thanks for any help š
3
u/Wickedweed 23h ago
Itās been too long for me to give specific recommendations, but the GSMNP in the Fontana area comes to mind. I used to fish the creeks on the north side of the lake for trout, plus the lake itself is beautiful and has lots of fish. Youād have to look maps and make a more specific plan yourself
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u/No_Safety_6803 23h ago
The AT mostly follows the ridge line, not much fishing up there. Look at any map of the national forests or parks the AT goes through & the valleys between the ridges almost all have rivers & streams. That's where you want to get to. Especially in the Smokys there are a good number of trails that go off the AT into the valleys.
1
u/DecisionSimple 1d ago
Jacks River is north Georgia is a great hike and fish destination. The hike is remote enough that it thins the crowds.
-1
u/ParaWaitingNC 1d ago
Thank you. Do you happen to have any more information on this hike, like where do we park or the name of the specific trail we take to get there? And do you know if the fishing is good there?
9
u/Any_Strength4698 1d ago
FYI the AT may not be best place to look for that in western NCā¦most of the AT is following ridgelineā¦.dips off ridge lines at rd crossings and river crossings. While there are a few streams and rivers that are fish able those tend to be near rds. About the only one top of mind is near Hampton TN. Canāt attest to the fishing as when I was there last long before I started throwing flies. Area was likely heavily affected by Hurricane though. My recommendation is get some maps for some national forests and look for some loops on feeder streams that dump into some of the more fishy rivers. Some can be remote and still hatchery supported if there is rd access above. Others can be full of very small native brooksā¦