The Etowah River below Allatoona Dam is currently off-color coming out of the dam. Don’t let the color scare you off – there is enough visibility to fish if you’re willing to work a little harder. Water temperatures are holding in the low to mid 60’s, so bass will be active. Streamers like Flashtail Whistlers and Clouser minnows in Pink/White, Chartreuse/White, and Black/Purple will all produce right now. Also try Kreelex’s in Gold/Copper/Silver and Sparkle Minnows in Gold and Silver, Schmidterbaits, and Cowen’s Coyotes. Light rain is predicted throughout the forecast this weekend, so it is likely that the water will remain off colored and generation will continue through next week. We aren’t far from striper season, so call us at the shop if you have some questions or would like to get a trip set up!
The Blue Ridge Area Report courtesy of our outfitting partner, Fly Fishing North Georgia.
The Toccoa Tailwater has been running generators non-stop; however, TVA has been giving a slight break in the morning. This week, TVA has been generating the Tailwater from 8:00am-11:00pm. This makes it tough to get on the water, unless you are fishing Curtis Switch till 10:00am or Horseshoe Bend Park til around 12:30pm. Looking ahead, the TVA is predicted to do the same release (8:00am-11:00pm) into the weekend. However, once the rain that is predicted to hit Saturday, they will probably shift to a full 24/7 generation schedule. If you do find yourself on the water this weekend, you could try Curtis or Horseshoe Bend Park; however, it’s likely that these places will have the heaviest pressure.
The Delayed Harvest section of the Toccoa is still high. As of Wednesday, it was registering at 854cfs. It is at a decent level for a float; however, it is still too high to wade. We are expecting a shower or two on Friday, but also expecting heavier rains on Saturday. If the rains come, it might blow out the DH again. For the most recent postings, call Cohutta Fishing Co. If you do get out there to fish this weekend, you will definitely need some heavier flies and split shot. If the rain comes in, I would through flies like Squirmy Worms and Y2K Egg Patterns.
Smaller Mountain Streams would be a good place to go this weekend. Any of the tributaries that feed into the main water of the Toccoa are pretty clear right now. After the rains, they might become slightly high and muddy; however, they will clear out a lot faster than the main water. Rock Creek and Coopers Creek would be viable options to try this weekend. Also, any small higher elevation streams will be worth fishing. Yellow Sally’s should be hatching any day, so it might be worth throwing any yellow bodied dry flies out as long as the rain doesn’t hit too hard this weekend.
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
