Toccoa Tailwater: As a lot of you may know, Black Caddis have been coming off for about 3 weeks now. The cold snap has put the hatch on pause, but the warmer weather should trigger bigger hatches again. The best days to hit the hatch are the warm sunny days with little wind. Since the caddis started popping we’ve only had a few days like this which means the hatch should continue into March as the weather gets better. On those sunny days, be patient. The caddis will usually start popping around noon but the peak has been around 2pm or 3pm. Waiting it out has been the best thing to get on the dry fly action. If the weather is cloudy or a bit cooler, focus on catching fish on nymphs or even streamers. Keep that dry fly rod rigged just in case you find a riser or two. Caddis dries have definitely been the most fun thing to fish, but Caddis emergers behind a Pat’s Rubber Legs has been productive too. Numbers wise, the fishing has varied. With a lot of boats and wade fisherman the fish have been seeing a lot of flies through the day so take your time and fish thoroughly. Since the fishing pressure has been high, some days the fishing has been slower. But catching numbers isn’t why this is our favorite time of year on the Toccoa. Any cast could be your new PB or you could have the chance at spotting one of the big ones rising. Overall lots of nice fish have been getting caught out of the river!
Upper Toccoa: The Upper Toccoa has been running between 300-400cfs after the rains we’ve been getting. Most days the upper has stayed wadeable, but make sure to check the gauge if it has rained the past few days. The DH was last stocked mid Feb. Most of the time a Pat’s Rubber legs and a Rainbow Warrior will get the job done. If the water is stained and a bit higher from some rain, try a worm out. Since DNR continually stocks the DH through the winter, attractor flies work really well up there. Right now I would stick to bobber rigs that way you can easily adjust your depth for each hole.
Small Streams: We’ve spent most of the winter with little rainfall, which led to most of our creeks being pretty low. Now it seems like we’re getting caught up on our water levels and the flow has been really good for the past week. Black Caddis and Stoneflies have been working great in the creeks too. The hatches aren’t as prolific as they are on the tailwater, but there are enough for them to key into. Nymphs and streamers have been working best in these higher flows. But with stoneflies getting ready to hatch in the spring and summer those patterns have been pretty hard to beat. A lot of the wild trout teams throwing a Black Elk Hair Caddis is a fun way to look for those fish that are looking up. As we transition from winter to spring and our flows stay good the creeks should fish great the next few months.
Hot Flies:
Best Flies Right Now on the Toccoa River We’re still seeing consistent success with egg patterns, flashback Hare’s Ears, and flashback Pheasant Tails in a range of sizes. These remain solid producers, particularly during colder stretches. At the same time, anglers are...
Current Conditions for the Toccoa Tailwater, Upper Toccoa, and North Georgia Small Streams Toccoa Tailwater Fishing Report – Low Flows, Clear Water, and Excellent Winter Trout Fishing Maintenance on Blue Ridge Dam has wrapped up, and flows are finally getting back to...
Toccoa Tailwater: Blue Ridge Dam is currently under maintenance. They are sluicing 600cfs with water temps coming out of the dam at 64 degrees. Wading at the accesses is very limited at this flow with the water level 1-2ft higher than normal. Float fishing on the...
