Things To Do in The Smoky Mountains
Fishing
The trout streams in Jackson and Swain Counties, North Carolina and surrounding areas — including the Tuckasegee River, Cherokee Trophy Waters and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park — host some of the best trout fishing spots in the Southeast. In most of these trout streams and rivers you can catch all three types of trout: brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.
The Little Tennessee also is a favorite for smallmouth bass. And our mountain lakes, including Lake Fontana, are even inhabited by walleye and the occasional muskie.
Whether you are an experienced angler, wanting to try fly fishing for the first time or traveling with a family and just want to have fun and/or catch your own dinner, The Chalet Inn is the vacation destination for you. For the avid fisherman whose traveling companion doesn't share their enthusiasm, our Chalet Suites and close by towns provide wonderful options while you are enjoying our great outdoors. And don't forget you can practice your casting in our pond and grill your catch in our picnic area!
Eager to give fly fishing a try or new to the sport, then nearby Dillsboro, Sylva, Webster and Bryson City are the places. Each is a designated Trout City and a part of the North Carolina Mountain Heritage Trout Waters, special places for travelers who want to try out trout fishing. You can get a Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license valid for 3 days for only $5 (NC residents and non-residents age 16 and older). To get a license call 888-248-6834 or click: NC Wildlife Commission. For visitors who do not have fishing equipment, loaner rods and reels are available free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis through the Commission's Fishing Tackle Loaner program, which offers rods and reels, including spincast, ultra-light and fly rods for the day. After returning the loaner rod and reel, first-time participants under 16 receive a free mini-tackle box containing tackle, such as flies and spinners. You can get the free loaner tackle from Bryson City Outdoors, Tuckaseegee Fly Shop, at the Bryson City Visitor Center and Brookings Outfitters in Cashiers.
Already an experienced angler and ready to try some new waters? The Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, in Jackson County, features some of the best waters in the Smoky Mountains. This trail guides fisherman to 15 different locations for catching brook, brown and rainbow trout. Whether you're searching for quantity or size, open water or small streams, the WNC Fly Fishing Trail has you covered.
Neighboring Swain County offers many choices with four rivers, dozens of mountain streams throughout the Smoky Mountains and the deep, cold waters of Fontana Lake. There's a wealth of information at GreatSmokiesFishing.com.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s streams and creeks offer natural populations of brook, brown and rainbow trout while most of Jackson's and Swain's other streams are routinely stocked, including areas of the Cherokee Indian Reservation with trophy-size trout. Trout are also common in the Nantahala, Oconaluftee, Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee rivers. Two of those, the Tuck and the Little T, also offer bass, crappie, walleye and muskie.
For still water fishing, consider Fontana Lake where anglers have caught record size muskie and walleye. It's been called one of the best smallmouth bass fishing lakes in the country. Then there also are:
Lake Glenville renowned for bass fishing. Smallmouth bass live abundantly in Lake Glenville, as well as lake trout, crappie, largemouth bass, and perch. Certain breeds of catfish also live in the lake, mainly "channel cats." Lake Glenville, at 3,500 ft above sea level is the highest man-made lake east of the Mississippi.
Cedar Cliff Lake – Although not a very large lake, weighing in at 121 acres of water and 4.5 miles of shoreline, Cedar Cliff contains smallmouth bass, trout and walleye as well as largemouth bass, which are much harder to catch. The population of largemouth is small both in density and size, but, there are definitely largemouth in these waters. Cedar Cliff is the only lake in the chain of four on the East Fork of the Tuckaseigee River that is not hatchery supported.
Bear Lake – The largest of the lakes on the East Fork of the Tuckaseigee River, Bear Lake, is 40 minutes from Chalet Inn and Suites. These hatchery supported waters are regularly stocked by the Wildlife Resources Commission. Bear Lake is also stocked with thread fish to help boost the forage base for game fish, small and largemouth bass.
Wolf Creek Lake – Wolf Creek Lake is the second largest lake on the East Fork of the Tuckaseigee River, however because it is off the beaten path, it is typically very peaceful. You can typically pull trout, small & red-eyed bass as well as walleye from this lake.
Tanasee Creek Lake – At the eastern most point on NC Highway 281 (Canada Road), sits the smallest lake of the chain of four lakes on the East Fork of the Tuckaseigee River. Due to the small size you cannot get a big motor boat on the lake, but you can get a small johnboat or try your hand at a canoe or kayak. Tanasee Creek Lake is hatchery supported and there are several areas around the lake where you may fish from the bank.
Coming with family and don't have fishing licenses? Visit Cooper Creek Trout Pond. Enjoy their No Hassle, No License required, No Limit policy. All fishing equipment is provided; bait and tackle are available for sale. They will clean your catch so you can bring them back to Chalet Inn and Suites and grill them in our picnic area or freeze them and take them home. Cooper Creek Trout Pond is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm year round. Do call for winter hours since they can change slightly due to shortening daylight and low temperatures. Yes, you can fish even if there is snow on the ground and ice on the pond. Cooper Creek Trout Farm and Trout Pond rest peacefully on 70 acres of pristine North Carolina Mountain splendor. Cooper Creek, with numerous branches (little streams), springs and waterfalls and two ponds bring pure Smoky Mountain water tumbling over the property.