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Rainbow TroutNorth Carolina is the place to go for locating the greatest fly fishing waters. The Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains are home to some of the heartiest and most gorgeous rainbow trout in the world. Offering knowledgeable tours of the top trout waters on the East Coast, Turning Stone's Fly Fishing's guides can help you make the most of your fly fishing guide trip in WNC. 

Turning Stone's guides are available to assist you in organizing a rainbow trout fly fishing trip in the Old North State, but our calendars are quickly filling up. You want to act fast to make sure you have the best and most knowledgeable guides in the area. 

Fishing for Rainbow Trout in North Carolina

“The rainbow trout is named for the broad, lateral stripe on its sides, which ranges from pink to red. Its back is olive-green, and its belly is whitish with heavy black speckling on all fins and the entire body.” - What We Catch.

Although introduced into many mountain streams in North Carolina, rainbow trout are native to the Pacific drainages of western North America. Rainbow trout live in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams where the water is clean and rarely gets warmer than 70 degrees.

More than brook or brown trout, they have a penchant for hanging around in swift currents like riffles and runs. Late winter is the main time for spawning. Knowing where they like to hang out is key to making the most of your fly fishing excursion in North Carolina. 

Where to Find Rainbow Trout in North Carolina

While there are many rainbow trout in North Carolina, you might not know where to search if you don't have the correct guide. You can find yourself wading out close to ravenous fish only to come away from your day on the water empty-handed. Finding the appropriate guides and going on a guided trip gives you the best chance of finding the most rainbow trout.

We've led many excursions to fish for rainbow trout all throughout the country. Here in the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, we have some of our favorite fishing spots. If you know where to look, the area has an abundance of rainbow, brown, and brook trout. The rainbow trout fly fishing trip of a lifetime is waiting for you at Turning Stone's.

Consider Jackson County, North Carolina, at the top of your list of North Carolina rainbow trout fishing locations:

“Jackson County, NC, is home to the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail®, the first and only fly-fishing trail in the country. With over 92,000 trout stocked annually, the rivers that flow through the mountain towns of Cashiers, Cherokee, Dillsboro, and Sylva, serve as a fly fisherman's paradise year-round." - Discover Jackson County.

If not in Jackson County, you can find rainbow trout all over western North Carolina:

  • Bryson City, NC
  • Cashiers, NC
  • Cherokee, NC
  • Maggie Valley, NC
  • Highlands, NC
  • Andrews, NC
  • Murphy, NC
  • Robbinsville, NC
  • And in many backcountry locations throughout the western part of the state

Are you ready to go rainbow trout fishing in North Carolina? Contact the guides at Turning Stone's Fly Fishing today!