# Fishing for Mountain Trout (Northwest SC)



## wolfgang (Nov 7, 2007)

I know this is probably a long shot since this is a salt-water fishing forum, but I thought I might get lucky...

Is anyone familiar with the area up around the NW corner of SC. I've heard there is some good rainbow/brown trout fishing in that area?? Just wondering if anyone has done any fishing there.


----------



## JFord56 (Feb 5, 2008)

Yes Use to fish a good bit there while I was at Clemson. Go to Senaca and rt toward Wallhalla. Hwy 28 I think. Just past Occone St Pk is road to the Left -Burrells Ford. It's a wilderness area on Chattooga River. Camping there or at Cherry Hill Rec Area.(on right before Burrells) Day use parking by bridge and camping parking 1/4mi before bridge. Bigger fish in Chattooga. Just past Burrells Rd is Walhalla Trout Hatchery. It has handycap access on East Fork Cr. Nice trail system up/down East Fork and Chattooga. East Fork is stocked by state. Smaller but nice fishing on East Fork. I usually used ultra lite with mepps, panther martins, spin flies, and rooster tails. I have used flies in big river or soaked corn, worms, power bait in a deep pool with a :beer: Beautiful place. There is some pretty fair fishing pressure there. Still usually had pretty good luck with the fish. There is two other creeks in the area that are stocked by the state. They are more to the east of there 20 miles or so. Rabon Cr I think is one and don't recall the other. They are said to be good and with less pressure. I have never made it to the last two. Good luck. 
ps SaludaRiverTU has a forum with some great threads and links to this area.


----------



## Mark55 (Dec 14, 2008)

also there is lake jocasse. beautiful mountain top clear water lake with rainbows and browns. you can fish from shore at the state park or launch your boat there. i suggest the boat. it is one of the prettiest lakes i have ever been to. fed from many mountain streams, no houses or cottages, waterfalls galore. reminds me alot of the finger lakes area of ny where i grew up. there are also large and smallmouth bass. if your a trout fisherman, and like lake fishing you should check it out.


----------



## wolfgang (Nov 7, 2007)

JFord56 said:


> Yes Use to fish a good bit there while I was at Clemson. Go to Senaca and rt toward Wallhalla. Hwy 28 I think. Just past Occone St Pk is road to the Left -Burrells Ford. It's a wilderness area on Chattooga River. Camping there or at Cherry Hill Rec Area.(on right before Burrells) Day use parking by bridge and camping parking 1/4mi before bridge. Bigger fish in Chattooga. Just past Burrells Rd is Walhalla Trout Hatchery. It has handycap access on East Fork Cr. Nice trail system up/down East Fork and Chattooga. East Fork is stocked by state. Smaller but nice fishing on East Fork. I usually used ultra lite with mepps, panther martins, spin flies, and rooster tails. I have used flies in big river or soaked corn, worms, power bait in a deep pool with a :beer: Beautiful place. There is some pretty fair fishing pressure there. Still usually had pretty good luck with the fish. There is two other creeks in the area that are stocked by the state. They are more to the east of there 20 miles or so. Rabon Cr I think is one and don't recall the other. They are said to be good and with less pressure. I have never made it to the last two. Good luck.
> ps SaludaRiverTU has a forum with some great threads and links to this area.


Thanks for the info! I will definitely get up there and try it out. Is the water fairly accessible from the banks (without wading)? I'm looking for a place where I can take my kids (6 and 8 yrs old).


----------



## wolfgang (Nov 7, 2007)

Mark55 said:


> also there is lake jocasse. beautiful mountain top clear water lake with rainbows and browns. you can fish from shore at the state park or launch your boat there. i suggest the boat. it is one of the prettiest lakes i have ever been to. fed from many mountain streams, no houses or cottages, waterfalls galore. reminds me alot of the finger lakes area of ny where i grew up. there are also large and smallmouth bass. if your a trout fisherman, and like lake fishing you should check it out.


Yeah, we camped at Lake Jocasse last spring. The water levels in the lake were extremely low when we were there. We didn't have a boat so we were only fishing from the shore. We didn't have much luck. A boat is definitely the way to go as most of the trout there are caught in the deeper areas of the lake. But I agree that it is a beautiful lake/area. We enjoyed it even though we didn't have much luck fishing. 

I prefer stream/creek fishing for trout. I grew up in the mountains of western NC...lots of trout streams. But now I live in SC and I'm trying to find some areas with trout in SC.


----------



## ledweightII (Apr 4, 2008)

if your leaving greenville headed to Travelers Rest, on the way to cleavend is hwy 11. the left side of the road is a christmas tree farm. you'll see people fishing right there. i think it branches in with hwy 276. you can keep going for more spots by heading south on 11, take the third right after the fourway stop at hwy 11 and 178, third curve and look to the left...roostertails, corn, poppers. Roy F jones hwy. also a spot on East Estatoee Creek rd.
ever heard of horse pasture? you can get to the backside of jocasse or kiewi and see both lakes from the top by taking 178 towards brevard. after the campfor the blind, cross a bridge and turn left on dirt road. its owned by carolina power or duke. its open in seasons and its about 11miles of uphill mountain dirt/rock rd. which with a pickup you wont have any problems driving. it takes about 45minutes driving 11miles. at the top is lovers leap...there are a bunch of fourwheelers and dirtbikes but mostly hunters. beautiful ride. caught a few trout at the end at the lake. mostly dirtbiked it.


----------



## ledweightII (Apr 4, 2008)

randy hawkins is to dirtbikes as tret barta is to fishing..google'em


----------



## JFord56 (Feb 5, 2008)

Wolfgang
The Eastfork Cr and Chattooga is fishable from the banks. East fork is maybe 8-12' wide. You can pick and choose places to cast. It is a high% place to catch some stockies. Kids can fish off the handicap boardwalk if not too good in the brush and trees. I have fished both in fall/spring and not got wet. Chattooga is better waded - much wider. Many places you can fish from bank but, many you have to wade to get to. Trails and banks around Eastfork and Burrells are pretty flat and easy to get around. A bit on up or down Chattooga from there can get pretty steep.


----------

