If you head through the Chattahoochee National Forest, there have been a few closings in group areas and campsites. I would call the Blue Ridge District office to make sure that the stream you plan on fishing is accessible. The number for their office is 706-745-6928. According to the Chattahoochee National Forest website as of April 10th, all national forest developed campgrounds, group recreation sites, picnic pavilions and all restrooms, as well as many trails, dispersed recreation sites and roads are temporarily shut down. This is a list of all the closings: www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/conf/recreation
The Toccoa Tailwater: Horseshoe Bend Park and Tammen Park are open on weekdays. Curtis Switch might be open as it is a TVA access point. I would call the county before heading to fish the tailwater. IF it is open, I would mostly prospect with subsurface patterns imitating big stoneflies like pat’s rubber legs and tungstones, followed by a dropper fly like a March Brown Jig, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Holy Grail in olive, or a Rainbow Warrior. I start replacing my strike indicators with Chubby Cherynobyls this time of year, and I would also carry a few dries just in case – Parachute Adams 12-16 (March Browns, Hendricksons), Elk Hair Caddis in Tan 14-16, and Griffith’s Gnats 16-22.
The Upper Toccoa spiked out around 5000 cfs after the rain from earlier this week, but is now back down to 908 cfs. I wouldn’t try wading here until the flow drops below 500 cfs. Sandy Bottoms Canoe Area is currently closed.
Small Streams are possibly still a little high and off color from the storm. I would recommend having a few heavier, bigger patterns like TungStones, Pat’s Rubber Legs, and Wooly Buggers as well as split shot to fish high stick methods in pockets with swift, deep water. I would also carry the gear to switch to a dry-dropper rig if the water level drops and clears. Parachute Adams 12-18 (March Browns, Hendricksons), Elk Hair Caddis 14-16 Tan, and smaller Chubby Cherynobyls followed by an unweighted pheasant tail soft hackle or smaller pat’s rubber legs should produce well.
The Etowah River was fishing well for Spotted Bass before the storm earlier this week. Water clarity was terrible earlier this week and they’ve been generating a good bit. If the generation subsides, I would recommend fishing 6-8 weight fly rods with flies imitating small, 1.5-3 inch baitfish patterns like Clouser Minnows, Lunch Money’s, Kreelex’s, and Sparkle Minnows. I like to have an intermediate or type 3 sinking line this time of year so I can get deeper when needed but still fish a little slower.
Check the generation schedule before you plan your trip! We do not recommend that you float the Etowah if Allatoona dam is releasing water. We do not recommend wading the Toccoa if the TVA is releasing water. Check the release schedules and be safe!
Toccoa River Delayed Harvest flows
Allatoona Dam Release Schedule – (706) 334-7213
Blue Ridge Shop: 7069463044
