South Toe River Fly Fishing

Just north of Asheville, the South Toe River is formed from a number of branches and streams falling down from Mount Mitchell and Pisgah National Forest. The river holds a healthy population of wild rainbow trout, wild brook trout and big brown trout that are always a blast catching. Formed by the confluence of its Right Prong and Left Prong streams. The river receives most of it’s water in its headwaters from Lower Creek, Upper Creek and Rock Creek – all which have designated wild trout waters.

Upper & Lower South Toe

The upper South Toe is managed under Wild Regulations. The river falls from the highest mountain in the Southeast, which makes the water some of the coldest in the region. Many of the upper sections are hard to access due to the rugged terrain needed to hike through before accessing the river. Moving downstream, the river becomes more accessible. The section above Black Mountain Campground downstream to the Pisgah Game Land Border offers great wild trout fishing and is desginated as “catch and release – artificial lures/flies only”.

The lower part of the South Toe River is stocked and can be easily accessible by vehicle from the side of the road. The river flows through private property mixed with public access points. The stocked section is a medium to large sized stream, still holding the ability to wade the river.

Hatches & Flies

The river holds a number of different insect hatches including caddis, mayflies and giant stoneflies. Hatches occur throughout the day and typically vary from morning to the evening hours. The fish are plentiful and fly fishing offers an exciting way to catch trout in the river. The river rock offers a good amount of limestone, which provides insects with a healthy ecosystem for many types of hatches.

Dry flies are the most common type of flies thrown in the South Toe since the water is so clear, year round, it is easy for trout to look up at insects hitting the top water column. Mayfly immitations as well as brown caddis, hendricksons, and terrestrials work well during the warmer months, while nymphs and natural colored midges perform well during the colder winter months. Brown trout over 20 inches can be caught, as well as native Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, year round. The South Toe river is one of our favorite rivers to fish and has so much to offer to beginner and experienced anglers alike.