Delayed-harvest trout water rules on 15 Western North Carolina counties start Oct. 1, replacing a different set of regulations on these streams.
Under delayed-harvest regulations, no trout can be harvested from these waters between Oct. 1 and one half-hour after sunset on June 1. No natural bait is allowed, and anglers can fish only with single-hook, artificial lures. An artificial lure is defined as a fishing lure that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell.
Both resident and nonresident anglers can fish in designated Mountain Heritage Trout Waters with a three-day, $5 Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license, or with any license that provides trout fishing privileges.
These are the delayed-harvest trout waters in our area:
• Haywood County — West Fork Pigeon River (Queen Creek to the first game land boundary upstream of Lake Logan).
• Henderson County — North Fork Mills River (game land portion below the Hendersonville watershed dam).
• Jackson County — Tuckasegee River (downstream N.C. 107 bridge to the falls located 275 yards upstream of the U.S. 23/441 bridge, marked by a sign on each bank).
• Macon County — Nantahala River (Whiteoak Creek to Nantahala hydropower discharge canal).
• Madison County — Big Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge to the U.S. 25/70 bridge); Shelton Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge at Belva to the confluence with Big Laurel Creek); Spring Creek (N.C. 209 bridge at Hot Springs city limits to iron bridge at end of Andrews Avenue also classified as Mountain Heritage Trout Waters, refer to the commission’s Regulations Digest for additional information).
• Transylvania County — East Fork French Broad River (Glady Fork to French Broad River); Little River (confluence of Lake Dense to 100 yards downstream of Hooker Falls).