Western NC Fishing Stream Report | Davidson River Outfitters

Fishing Report for June 10th, 2026

Some intermittent showers and thunderstorms throughout the area have helped the water flows and temperatures. We are expecting some more afternoon thunderstorms for the next little bit, which should continue to help the fishing. If you see that it will rain a little bit, go ahead to the river. Lots of times, the rain knocks the bugs around and pushes the fish into a feeding frenzy. This is a great time to be on the water, as you normally catch lots of fish during and right after the rain. Delayed Harvest catch and keep opened up on June 6th, so those rivers will be pretty busy for a week or so at least. In general, we have been seeing lots of terrestrials in the area, so the fish will be looking up to the trees to find their next meal. There are also some Yellow Sallies that have been hatching at night, so creamy colored bugs on the surface as well as below will be effective.

Local fishing report

Davidson & Area Rivers

The lower section of the Davidson was stocked on June 4th, and this will be the last stocking of the year for this area. On the upper stretches of the Davidson, terrestrials are really starting to show up heavily. With some added water in the rivers, it should stay cool enough to fish all day for a few more weeks. Fishing 6x is still a good idea to get as many bites as you can, even if the water is a little colored. Dry droppers are a standard and will be very effective all summer. Pheasant Tails and Hare's Ear will always work, but now you can throw beetles, ants, and hoppers into the mix too. Above the hatchery, there are a few more fish than in the lower sections of catch and release, but it is a fair amount tougher to cast with the added trees up that way. Make sure that you give the fish plenty of room, and don't get too close with your casting and wading.

Flies: Adams 16-20, Quill Gordon 14-18, 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

Delayed Harvest waters are now open to catch and keep for the summer. While these rivers will not be stocked again until October, but there are still plenty of fish left. 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 showing up more and more every day.

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 streams have been really productive lately. While these might not be the biggest fish, they are usually pretty hungry and love to eat a dry fly. When the big streams slow down in the middle part of the day, these places like Courthouse Creek, Looking Glass Creek, and Avery's Creek will still be productive. A big Stimulator or a Chubby Chornobyl as a dry fly, with a Hare's Ear or natural looking bug pattern has been working well. Fishing with a 7.5 foot leader and 5x line has been working just fine, because these fish still are not very line shy. If you are fishing in the middle part of the day, with the most sun out, you might catch more on the dropper than the fly due to the sun being so bright. You can also wait for a cloudy day and really be successful on these streams.

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. With the big rains lately, it will take a little while for the river to clear up enough to fish. Generally, I like to let the river turbidity gauge fall below 10 FMU before I make a day out of going to the big river. The smallmouth will be looking to eat a few more spring time crawfish, as well as a minnow, should it swim by. As the summer progresses, they will transition to more minnows than anything else. Conventional gear is also a great way to catch a bunch of fish throughout the day, and not wear out your arms casting big streamers.

Flies: Gallop's Mini Dungeon 2-4, Meat Whistle 6, Wolly Bugger 6-10, Sparkle Minnow 8, Near Nuff Crayfish 4-6, Slump Buster 6-8

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.

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