Fishing

Carter County offers a unique blend of fishing opportunities which present some of the best fishing in the Southeast. Anglers of all ages, from beginner to the most accomplished, will find in our area the fishing they desire whether it is trout or game fishing. Seek brook trout in mountain streams, cast flies into wary stream browns, or fish or troll the depths of the Watauga Lake for record class gamefish or rainbows. Watauga Lake also offers a rare opportunity to fish for world record class ohrid trout. Watauga River boasts one of two trophy trout sections in the state of Tennessee.

Visiting anglers find it easy to sample our fishing as Elizabethton is just one day's drive from sixty percent of the nation's population. Free public access to waters is provided by designated parking areas and pullouts along roadsides and at bridges. At Wilbur and Watauga Lakes, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Forest Service have developed public boat launching sites, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Portions of two managed trout streams, Laurel Fork Creek and Beaverdam Creek, lie within the Cherokee National Forest.

Popular baits used to tempt the region's trout include salmon eggs and nightcrawlers. Favorite artificial lures imitate minnows and crayfish, and include spoons, spinners, jigs and small crankbait. Fly fishermen match the hatches of mayflies, stone flies and caddis. Minnow and terrestrial insect imitations are also effective. Local dealers can provide current bait and tackle information.