Trout Fishing Trip - Whitewater River

We escaped to Transylvania County, NC, the Land of the Waterfalls, last Saturday to try fishing another of its rugged rivers for the first time.  The Whitewater River, most famous for its two huge 400+ ft waterfalls (one in NC and one in SC), also supports trout.  We began by fishing up from the NC 281 bridge.  This portion of the stream has decent pooling, but the trail and river are difficult at times to navigate due to the numerous trees that have fallen across them.  We tangled with 5 or 6 brown trout by the time the rain started in the early afternoon, and then headed down below Upper Whitewater Falls, where the Foothills Trail crosses the river.

Climbing down the steep descent in the pouring rain was a bit of a challenge, but the rain kept the crowds away.  Where the trail comes to the river, the boulders and topography of the stream are rugged, but the pools in the river are medium sized size, allowing good casting opportunities.  The brown trout in this portion of the river were very cooperative, with at least 4 fish biting in 6 or 7 pools fished.  Then, it was time to make the long, weary climb back up to the Upper Whitewater Falls parking area in the rain, and return to the real world.  But, I plan to come back.

Location:  Whitewater River, NC

Weather:  70's with intermittent rain, becoming steady rain in the afternoon

Access: NC 281 (at the bridge over the river and one mile down 281 at the Upper Whitewater Falls parking area), south of US 64 near Cashiers, NC

Species:  Brown Trout

Regulations:  Wild

More information on this area's streams:  Whitewater River Pictures, Thompson River, Horsepasture River, NC's Trout Fishing Corridor. NOTE: Learn more details about the Whitewater River and more rivers at the Trout University Streams Report.

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