WNC trout fishing this summer? Where anglers can go in Hurricane Helene aftermath

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

by Katie Myers

According to the N.C. Wildlife Commission, trout generated $1.4 billion in 2022 for North Carolina’s economy. But the industry took a hit when Hurricane Helene decimated trout hatcheries and native brook trout habitats.

This week, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced that some — but not all — hatcheries will reopen to the public this summer.

Post-Helene debris and waterway changes have made some of the public’s favorite fishing rivers inaccessible for the season, which peaks in spring and fall, though some trout fishing is allowed year-round.

Jacob Rash, a coldwater research biologist at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, said officials are still assessing hatcheries and streams, but trout stocking will be more limited than usual.

“We’re definitely anxious to see how things are doing and getting efforts back to the levels that anglers have come to expect over the years,” Rash said. “We do know how important, whether it’s stock trout or wild trout, really are to everybody.”

Officials will determine — after assessing waterways with damage — whether rivers and streams have safe access to parking and for stocking trucks and anglers.

Many of the trout that anglers in Western North Carolina fish are stocked through North Carolina’s Public Mountain Trout Waters Program. But many hatcheries that supply the trout were severely damaged by the storm. The Armstrong State Fish Hatchery, in McDowell County, lost around 600,000 fish. Repairs at the Bobby N. Setzer Hatchery, already underway after damage from Hurricane Fred, have been delayed until 2026.

Even before Helene, North Carolina wildlife leaders announced stocking would be below usual levels for the 2025, 2026, and possibly 2027 angling seasons.

North Carolina’s Mountain Trout program through the Wildlife Resources Commission covers 2,600 acres of trout waters in 26 counties of Western North Carolina.

In late 2024, wildlife commission leaders extended the season for anglers by stocking streams into December — hoping to blunt the severe economic impact.

“Usually it’s October and November for those waters, but because we missed October due to the impacts of the storm, we wanted to make sure that we provided as many opportunities as we could,” Rash said.

For rivers and streams designated as delayed-harvest waters, trout fishing is limited to catch and release, meaning any trout caught must be returned to the water. Between June 1 and September 30, less restricted trout fishing may occur.

Hatchery-supported waters are open between April and the following February.

The schedule for fishing in delayed-harvest waters will be released in July.

There are 14 public mountain trout waters still considered inaccessible to the public due to storm impacts. These include:

Delayed Harvest Trout Waters

• South Fork New River (Ashe and Watauga counties)
• Jacob Fork (Burke County)
• Mill Creek (McDowell County)
• North Toe River (Mitchell County)
• Cane River (Yancey County)
• Green River (Polk County)

Hatchery Supported Trout Waters

• Elk River (Avery County)
• Little Buck Creek (McDowell County)
• North Fork Catawba River (McDowell County)
• (Rocky) Broad River (Rutherford and Henderson counties)
• Swannanoa River (Buncombe County)
• Cold Springs Creek (Haywood County)
• (Big) Hungry River (Henderson County)
• North Pacolet River (Polk County)

If you’re curious about whether a specific access point will be open for trout fishing this season, you can search locations on the N.C. Wildlife Commission’s trout stocking map.