Western NC Fishing Stream Report | Davidson River Outfitters

Fishing Report for July 1st, 2026

Shew, it sure is toasty out here. No rain and high afternoon temps are making for tough fishing in the lower-elevation areas. Water temps are only getting down to 70 in the mornings, which can be lethal to trout if they are caught and fight too hard. Until we get some rain, it is best to go fishing for a warmwater species like smallmouth, largemouth, or bluegill. The French Broad River around Asheville is a great place to find all of these species, as well as your local public access ponds and lakes. If trout are what really get ya excited, think about fishing small streams at a higher elevation. Fishing all the blueline streams along the Blue Ridge Parkway is your best chance of catching and safely returning fish. Even when fishing the high-elevation streams, make sure that you are going early in the morning and monitoring water temps as the day goes on. Anything over 67 degrees, and you should be thinking about finishing your day up. We are happy to point you in the direction of a few streams in the area if you are not familiar with WNC and still want to spend the morning chasing some beautiful trout.

Local fishing report

Davidson & Area Rivers

The Davidson, East Fork, North Mills, and Little River are all staying really warm without any cool nights or afternoon thunderstorms. If you still plan on fishing these rivers, try to find the most oxygenated water around. Oftentimes, this will be around cascades or waterfalls, where air will get trapped and pulled into the water. Fishing early in the mornings (6 am-10 am) is the only time you should be out here. After 10 am, the water will be too warm, and trout will not be able to survive if caught.

To check water temps and levels, click here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-03441000/#period=P7D&dataTypeId=continuous-00010--1127634364&showFieldMeasurements=true

Flies: Adams 16-20, Fur Ant 16-18, JEBs Worm 12, Jakes Gulp Beetle 14, Bead Head Pheasant Tail 16-20, Original Tripsaver 14-16, Chubby Chornobyl 14-16

Rod: G-Loomis IMX-Pro V2

Reel: Lamson Guru

Line: Rio Gold Line

Delayed Harvest

The Delayed Harvest rivers are very warm right now. If you plan on fishing these rivers, then make sure you are there at daylight and done by 10 am. All of these waters are now open to catch and keep for the summer. While these rivers will not be stocked again until October, there are still some fish swimming around. The harder you work to find fish that other people haven't, the easier it will be to catch them. Go for a nice hike before you start casting, instead of just jumping out of the truck and going for it. Fishing with something that has rubber legs or is brightly colored usually works pretty well for these fish. Fishing dry- dropper rigs and double-nymph rigs are both very effective methods, as well as Euro Nymphing. These rivers really are a dealer's choice of how you want to spend your time fishing. After a big rain, the East Fork and North Mills usually stay muddy a little while longer than most rivers. Be on the lookout for terrestrials while you are on the river; they have been hot and heavy lately.

Flies: Girdle Bug 12-14, Morrish Dirty Bird 16-18, Squirmy Worm 12-16, Jig Perdigon 16-18, Hot Head Squirrel Leech 10, Soft Hackle 14-18, Sparkle Minnow 8-10

Rod: St. Croix Connect

Reel: Redington Ace

Line: Scientific Angler Amplitude Infinity Smooth

Small Streams

Small, high-elevation streams are the place to be right now. Fishing early in the morning and monitoring the water temps after lunch are a great idea. Dry droppers, or just a dry fly, are very effective right now. Fish are going to be a little spooky with the low water, so make some longer casts, and after you have made 5-10 casts in a pool or run, you can walk on to the next. 6x tippet is a good idea just to make sure that you are getting as many bites as possible. Anywhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Looking Glass Creek, and Avery's Creek are great places to spend the morning this time of year.

Flies: Elk Hair Caddis 16-18, Sassi Solution 18-20, Stimulator 12-16, Allen's Thunderbug 14-16, Pheasant Tail 20-22, Red Fox Squirrel Nymph 14-16, Chubby Chornobyl 14-16

Rod: Tenkara Rhodo

Smallmouth/Warmwater

Smallmouth fishing has been very productive lately, as long as you are fishing in the clear water. The French Broad, Pigeon, and Nolichucky all have large concentrations of warm-water fish like Smallmouth and Largemouth bass. Another great option right now is to take a small rod to any local pond or lake and catch bluegill and small bass. This is an easy way to get the kids out on the water for just an hour or two, and then be able to spend time with the rest of the family. Small popping bugs and little inchworms are great for this. If you want to throw a streamer, a Woolly Bugger and a Clouser Minnow have been productive.

To check water levels and tempuratures, click here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-03451500/#dataTypeId=continuous-63680-66898262&period=P7D&showFieldMeasurements=true

Flies: Gallop's Mini Dungeon 2-4, Meat Whistle 6, Woolly Bugger 6-10, Sparkle Minnow 8, Boogle Bug 4-8 , Clouser Minnow 2-6

Rod: Sage R8 Core

Reel: Ross Evolution

Line: Rio Smallmouth Bass

Great Guides!

"My son and I went on our first fly fishing trip and it did not disappoint. While mid August is not the ideal time of year to be fishing for trout necessarily, our guide put us on a lot of quality fish. He was very patient and clearly enjoys what he does which made the experience even better. We had a blast and can't wait to get back out there."

Fantastic Fishing

"Fulfilled a life long dream of going fly fishing. My guide was incredible and very patient. I know I am hooked and everyone at Davidson River Outfitters were great."

Davidson River Fishing Conditions

The Davidson is fishing well with cooler fall time temperatures in the area. If you go early in the morning or late at night, you can expect to see a few bugs flying, mostly October Caddis, with a grey colored Mayfly here or there. If you are on the river during an exceptionally cold and rainy day, then Blue Winged Olive flies should work well, and midges always seem to be effective on the Davidson. Earlier in the day, you will avoid most of the leaf clutter that you will find in the afternoons.

Avoid the crowds. Learn about our unguided trips on private waters.