The Etowah River below Allatoona Dam is still off color coming out of the dam. Streamer fishing for bass should be very good – fish colors that are very visible in dirty water. Flashy patterns like Kreelex’s and Sparkle Minnows have been a good choice. Small Flashtail Whistlers in Pink/White, Clouser Minnows and Decievers in Chartreuse/White, Blurple Umpqua Baitfish (black and purple), and Crawfish-Colored Dungeons are all working well.
For those of you that conventional fish, we just received a fresh shipment of tackle last week in Cartersville. Shaky heads and flukes are always a winner on the river.
If you haven’t checked your striper setup for this year, it’s time to blow off the dust and make sure everything is in working order – feel free to come by the shop and have us give everything a once-over. There is nothing worse than losing a fish due to equipment failure, especially if it’s a tank of a striped bass.
The Blue Ridge Area Report courtesy of our outfitting partner, Fly Fishing North Georgia.
The Toccoa Tailwater has been releasing water from the dam 24/7 and will continue to do so until further notice. Wading the Tailwater during full release is not recommended. The water rises and is very swift. However, some people enjoy floating the river in high water (Not advised unless you have a good understanding of the river). Some locals mentioned even with full generation they were catching a bunch of fish. Due to all the rains, the Tailwater hasn’t been pressured with many fishermen, which is making the fishing on the Tailwater great right now. Also, sulphurs are beginning to hatch. However, with the high water it will likely prove tough to get a fish to rise to a dry fly. Looking ahead, the TVA is expected to give some breaks from release as we get toward the weekend, but we are also expecting more rains. If TVA doesn’t generate and a hard rain hits, it’s likely the Tailwater will be too blown out to fish. However, if the rains hold off, you might be able to get out there this weekend. Subsurface Flies like Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, and Pat’s Rubber Legs would be good. I would also bring some yellow-bodied dries to imitate the sulphur hatch in case you see a lot of bug activity on top. The Puff Daddy is my favorite Sulphur imitation.
The Delayed Harvest section of the Toccoa is still at a high level. As of Wednesday, it was registering at 778cfs. If the DH continues to drop another 200cfs, it will be at the perfect level for a float. If it drops another 400cfs, it will finally be at an adequate level to wade the water. The downside is Temperatures are rising and rain is predicted to come this weekend. As summer approaches, the water temperature of the DH will begin to get too hot to hold trout. If the rains hold off this weekend, the DH might be worth fishing. It is expected to be still too high to wade; however, you could fish from the banks and hope to get some fish to the net.
Smaller Mountain Streams would be a good place to go this weekend. Weekly reports say that the water is at a good wading level. Rock Creek and Coopers Creek would be adequate places to go this weekend for some small creek fishing. If the rain does come, these would be the best places to fish, because the smaller streams tend to clear out much faster than the main water.
Check the generation schedule before you plan your trip! We do not recommend that you float the Etowah if Allatoona dam is releasing water. We do not recommend wading the Toccoa if the TVA is releasing water. Check the release schedules and be safe!
Toccoa River Delayed Harvest flows
Allatoona Dam Release Schedule- (706) 334-7213