Delayed-Harvest Trout Waters Open on Oct. 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 18, 2007) – On Oct. 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement annual delayed-harvest regulations for 18 designated trout waters in 14 counties of western North Carolina.

Under delayed-harvest regulations, no fish can be harvested or possessed from these waters between Oct. 1, 2007 and one half-hour after sunset on June 6, 2008.  No natural bait is allowed, and anglers can fish only with single-hook, artificial lures.  
 
At 6 a.m. on June 7, 2008, delayed-harvest waters open to fishing under hatchery-supported regulations, which means no bait restrictions, no minimum length limit and a seven-trout-per-day creel limit. Hatchery-supported regulations remain in force until Oct. 1 each year.

Delayed-harvest waters, posted with black-and-white signs, create high-quality fishing opportunities where anglers can fish densely stocked trout streams on a catch-and-release basis fall through spring.

Despite the continuing drought conditions across much of the state and the fish losses that have occurred at the Commission’s Armstrong hatchery, agency personnel plan to stock delayed-harvest waters with 213,000 catchable-sized trout — 85,195 brook trout, 42,610 brown trout and 85,195 rainbow trout.  

Commission personnel will continue to monitor water levels and temperatures prior to the delayed-harvest stockings but do not anticipate that any delays in those stockings will be needed.  In the event the drought conditions worsen, the Commission may temporarily reduce stocking numbers in the delayed-harvest waters until conditions improve.

“While we experienced fish losses at the Armstrong hatchery, at this time, we expect to conduct all the planned stockings for the upcoming fall delayed-harvest season and for the 2008 stocking season with no reduction of numbers stocked,” said Kyle Briggs, fish production coordinator with the Wildlife Resources Commission. “We continue to encourage anglers to enjoy catch-and-release fishing and to respect the landowners and the land where they fish.”

Delayed-harvest waters are listed below.

Ashe County

• Trout Lake
• Helton Creek (Virginia state line to New River)

Burke County

• Jacob Fork (Shinny Creek to lower South Mountains State Park boundary)

Haywood County

• West Fork Pigeon River (Queen Creek to the first game land boundary upstream of Lake Logan)

Henderson County

• North Fork Mills River (game land portion below the Hendersonville watershed dam)

Jackson County

• Tuckasegee River (N.C. 107 bridge at Love Field to the Dillsboro dam)

Macon County

• Nantahala River (Whiteoak Creek to Nantahala hydropower discharge canal)

Madison County

• Big Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge to the U.S. 25-70 bridge)
• Shelton Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge at Belva to the confluence with Big Laurel Creek)

McDowell County

• Curtis Creek (game land portion downstream of the U.S. Forest Service boundary at Deep Branch)

Mitchell County

• Cane Creek (N.C. 226 bridge to N.C. 80 bridge)

Polk County

• Green River (Fishtop Falls access area to the confluence with Cove Creek)

Surry County

• Mitchell River (0.6 mile upstream of the end of S.R. 1333 to the S.R. 1330 bridge below Kapps Mill Dam)

Transylvania County

• East Fork French Broad River (Glady Fork to French Broad River)
• Little River (confluence of Lake Dense outflow to Hooker Falls)

Watauga County

• Watauga River (S.R. 1557 bridge to N.C. 105 bridge and S.R. 1114 bridge to N.C. 194 bridge to Valle Crucis)

Wilkes County

• East Prong Roaring River (mouth of Bullhead Creek downstream to Stone Mountain State Park boundary line)
• Stone Mountain Creek (from falls at Alleghany County line to confluence with East Prong Roaring River and Bullhead Creek)

For more information on delayed-harvest regulations, weekly stocking updates or a set of trout maps designating fishing regulations in effect on specific streams, click here.