• Lake Norman Fishing Report

    Fishin' With Gus
    (704) 617-6812 http://www.fishingwithgus.com/index.php Gus@LakeNorman.com
  • With Capt. Gus you will learn fishing techniques that will improve your fishing and allow you to catch more fish on you own boat. Light tackle is used to maximize the excitement of lake fishing. Guide boats can accommodate from one to six anglers. Fishing guides are available year round. They fish daily, including weekends and holidays.

  • Lake Norman Fishing Report

    One of the best things about living near Charlotte, NC is the proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains and the outstanding trout fishing it offers. Many of the best streams and rivers are less two hours away.

    Arguably, the most popular trout waters in the state run through Cherokee, NC, home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Fishing is popular on the reservation because its waters are teeming with rainbow, brown and brook trout. In fact, almost 400,000 fish are stocked annually, making Cherokees’ thirty mile stretch of trout waters a prime destination for the occasional angler and serious fly fisherman. A one day tribal permit costs $10 and allows the purchaser to keep up to ten fish.

    The Tuckasegee River is a personal favorite. It was on this river that I caught my very first mountain trout while attending Western Carolina University way back when. Since then, the “Tuck” has gained a distinguished reputation for being one of the premier trout rivers in the Smoky Mountains. This fifty mile long river flows northwest from Glenville Lake through Cullowhee, Sylva and Bryson City before empting into Fontana Lake.


    Kevin Smith of Troutman, NC holds a trophy rainbow trout caught while fishing with Davidson River guide, Landon Lipke.

    The Davidson River near Brevard, NC can be a nightmare for summer trout fishermen, with tubers, kayakers and fun seekers riling the water. But as summer turns to fall, the “Big D” becomes its peaceful self once again, and its trophy trout come out of hiding. There are a lot of reasons this river produces big fish, including the fact that some of the fish food from the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery floats downstream. These trophy fish are not only well fed, but are hook shy and difficult to tempt.

    Closer to home is Wilson Creek, near Lenoir, NC and Stone Mountain near Elkin, NC. Both afford great fishing for anglers who do not have the time or desire to drive to trout streams on the other side of Asheville.

    Becoming an accomplished trout fishermen isn’t easy. It takes time, practice and lots of on the water fishing time. To help jump start your trout fishing learning curve, fish with an experienced angler or hire a professional guide for a trip or two before wading a stream alone.


    Capt. Gus Gustafson holds a trophy brown trout caught while fishing with Davidson River guide, Landon Lipke.

    Tips from Capt. Gus! Those new to the sport will find that the NCWRC’s trout fishing regulations are more complicated than the protocols for bass and other inland species. A complete list of regulations can be found at www.ncwildlife.org.

    Fishing Report: Spotted bass are schooling on points and humps at dawn and dusk. The best action begins at sunrise and lasts for thirty minutes. Anglers fishing throughout the day are catching limits with shaky heads, football jigs, flukes and crank baits. White perch and crappie are hitting minnows and jigs, while few hybrids and striped bass are being caught while trolling Alabama rigs.

    The water level on Lake Norman is approximately 2.3' below full pond. Mountain Island Lake is 3.2' below full. Surface water temperatures are in the seventies and low eighties, depending on time of day and location or proximity to a power plant on Lake Norman.

    Capt. Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an Outdoor Columnist and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his website, www.fishingwithgus.com or call 704-617-6812. For additional information, e-mail Gus@LakeNorman.com
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