The Etowah River is clear and fishing great! May is one of the best times to be on the Etowah with a mixed bag of fish being caught. Large spotted bass are being found on a variety of methods, streamer fishing with small to medium flies like Clousers are working well and we are starting to see a good topwater bite as well. Boogle Bugs are the topwater of choice but gurglers and pole dancers will work also, try a mouse pattern if all else fails. Striped Bass are still few and far between, small fish continue to be caught mixed in with White Bass and Spotted bass and are making up a majority of the fish right now but the big fish should be moving in any day. Longnose Gar can be seen spawning in the shallows right now and the ever present Buffalo are in every shoal on the river- in short the entire river has come alive. If you can get on the Etowah in the next few weeks you should take advantage of the perfect weather and clear water!
The Blue Ridge Area Report courtesy of our outfitting partner, Fly Fishing North Georgia.
The Toccoa Tailwater has been releasing water from the dam for most of the day. Monday through Thursday, the TVA has released water from around 6:00am- Midnight, making it very difficult to get some fishing in. With the heavy rains we received, the dam has been releasing water constantly in the hopes of bringing the lake levels down. Looking towards the weekend, TVA is expected to give some breaks. If the breaks are at the right time, the Tailwater would be worth fishing. Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, and Pat’s Rubber Legs are my go-to flies on the Tailwater. Lately the Tailwater has been fishing great so if you have confidence in a pattern, it is worth putting it on the end of your line.
The Delayed Harvest section of the Toccoa is still at a high level. As of Wednesday, it was registering at 876cfs. It is slowly dropping and will hopefully reach a good level to float by the weekend. With this high water, streamer fishing has been producing some nice fish. You will also have to be comfortable throwing heavy rigs with split shot and weighted flies. If we can get a few weeks without rain, the DH should reach a good level to have some decent wading conditions.
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. We are still getting reports of some sulphur hatching, so some yellow-bodied dry flies would be worth throwing out. If they aren’t hitting up top, I would throw some Beadless Pheasant Tail Soft Hackles, Hare’s Ear Nymphs, and Squirmy Worms.
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