Copyright 2012 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Etowah River Georgia
The Etowah River starts in the Blue Ridge Wildlife
Management Area near Dahlonega. The stream is small
and stocked by the state. It also has some wild
rainbows. Below the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management
Area, the stream is stocked for about eight miles. It also
contains some wild brown and rainbow trout. This
section of the river is quite large and is best fished from
a drift boat. It flows almost exclusively through private
property. It's only accessible at the bridges by boat or
the bank. Fly fishing the Etowah River provides a
diverse range of species of fish.
There are three major tributaries in the Blue Ridge
Wildlife Management Area. The West Fork of
Montgomery Creek, Jones Creek and Nimble Creek. All
three of these streams are small, headwater streams
with some wild trout. The West Fork of Montgomery
Creek (the Etowah River used to be called Montgomery
Creek by some) is a very good little trout stream. It has a
series of high waterfalls. The entire length of the stream
above the Forest Service Road 28 -1 must be reached
on foot. It can also be reached from its headwaters from
Forest Service Road 141 at one point. This stream has
some wild browns that go as large as twenty inches. Its
wild rainbows average a small size. The West Fork of
Montgomery Creek isn't stocked.
Jones Creek, also located on the BRWMA, is another
small stream but it has a population of wild brown trout
only. Although the browns average a small size, It's
still a good little trout stream to fly fish. It's rarely fished
by the locals simply because it doesn't have stocked
trout. Jones Creek can be accessed where Forest
Service Road 28-1 crosses the creek. It's small and
tightly enclosed in most places but full of small, wild
brown trout.
Nimble Creek is another small stream in the BRWMA but
it's easily accessed and stocked with rainbows. It has a
few wild trout. Forest Service Road 28-2 follows
along this one. Nimble Creek is worth little to the avid fly
angler but Jones and the West Fork of Montgomery
Creek are nice streams well worth fishing.
Amicalola Creek is a much larger tributary stream that
flows into the Etowah River downstream of Dawsonville.
It was mostly a canoe and rafting stream but it's now
one of Georgia's five "delayed harvest" streams. Its
delayed harvest section is about 3 miles long. From
November 1 through May 14, all trout must be released.
The DH section is in the Dawson Forest Wildlife
Management Area and runs from the Steele Bridge
Road downstream to Georgia Highway #53.
As the water warms downstream from its headwaters
other species of fish show up. Redeye Bass and Spotted
Bass become the main species of resident fish. These
show up well upstream of Amicalola Creek but Amicalola
Creek brings much cooler water into the river, although
it isn't cool enough to sustain a year-round population
of trout. That's the reason for the delayed harvest
season. Striped Bass, Hybrid Bass and White Bass show
up in the river mostly during spawning runs upstream
from Lake Allatoona. The striped bass with the broken
lateral lines are hybrids, or a mixture of white bass and
landlocked striped bass. All three species are fun to
catch on the fly. Fly fishing Amicalola Creek can be lots
of fun.
I should also mention that striped bass fishing below the
dam at Lake Allatoona is also very popular. There are
plenty of large stripers in the tailwaters.
Seasons:
You can fish the stream anytime of the year.
Spring:
Spring is the best time of year for fly fishing the Etowah
River because of the hatches.
Summer:
The stream gets too warm during the hot Summer.
Fall:
Autumn is a great time to fish. The fall foliage along the
stream is beautiful. Brown trout spawn in the fall.
Winter:
Winter is the best time for fly fishing the Etowah River in
its Delayed Harvest Area
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies for the Etowah
River
The Etowah River starts in the Blue Ridge Wildlife
Management Area near Dahlonega. The stream is small
and stocked by the state. It also has some wild
rainbows. Below the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management
Area, the stream is stocked for about eight miles. It also
contains some wild brown and rainbow trout. This
section of the river is quite large and is best fished from
a drift boat. It flows almost exclusively through private
property. It's only accessible at the bridges by boat or
the bank. Fly fishing the Etowah River provides a
diverse range of species of fish.
There are three major tributaries in the Blue Ridge
Wildlife Management Area. The West Fork of
Montgomery Creek, Jones Creek and Nimble Creek. All
three of these streams are small, headwater streams
with some wild trout. The West Fork of Montgomery
Creek (the Etowah River used to be called Montgomery
Creek by some) is a very good little trout stream. It has a
series of high waterfalls. The entire length of the stream
above the Forest Service Road 28 -1 must be reached
on foot. It can also be reached from its headwaters from
Forest Service Road 141 at one point. This stream has
some wild browns that go as large as twenty inches. Its
wild rainbows average a small size. The West Fork of
Montgomery Creek isn't stocked.
Jones Creek, also located on the BRWMA, is another
small stream but it has a population of wild brown trout
only. Although the browns average a small size, It's
still a good little trout stream to fly fish. It's rarely fished
by the locals simply because it doesn't have stocked
trout. Jones Creek can be accessed where Forest
Service Road 28-1 crosses the creek. It's small and
tightly enclosed in most places but full of small, wild
brown trout.
Nimble Creek is another small stream in the BRWMA but
it's easily accessed and stocked with rainbows. It has a
few wild trout. Forest Service Road 28-2 follows
along this one. Nimble Creek is worth little to the avid fly
angler but Jones and the West Fork of Montgomery
Creek are nice streams well worth fishing.
Amicalola Creek is a much larger tributary stream that
flows into the Etowah River downstream of Dawsonville.
It was mostly a canoe and rafting stream but it's now
one of Georgia's five "delayed harvest" streams. Its
delayed harvest section is about 3 miles long. From
November 1 through May 14, all trout must be released.
The DH section is in the Dawson Forest Wildlife
Management Area and runs from the Steele Bridge
Road downstream to Georgia Highway #53.
As the water warms downstream from its headwaters
other species of fish show up. Redeye Bass and Spotted
Bass become the main species of resident fish. These
show up well upstream of Amicalola Creek but Amicalola
Creek brings much cooler water into the river, although
it isn't cool enough to sustain a year-round population
of trout. That's the reason for the delayed harvest
season. Striped Bass, Hybrid Bass and White Bass show
up in the river mostly during spawning runs upstream
from Lake Allatoona. The striped bass with the broken
lateral lines are hybrids, or a mixture of white bass and
landlocked striped bass. All three species are fun to
catch on the fly. Fly fishing Amicalola Creek can be lots
of fun.
I should also mention that striped bass fishing below the
dam at Lake Allatoona is also very popular. There are
plenty of large stripers in the tailwaters.
Seasons:
You can fish the stream anytime of the year.
Spring:
Spring is the best time of year for fly fishing the Etowah
River because of the hatches.
Summer:
The stream gets too warm during the hot Summer.
Fall:
Autumn is a great time to fish. The fall foliage along the
stream is beautiful. Brown trout spawn in the fall.
Winter:
Winter is the best time for fly fishing the Etowah River in
its Delayed Harvest Area
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies for the Etowah
River
| Type of Stream Freestone Species Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Striped Bass Spotted Bass Size Small to Medium Location North Central Georgia Nearest Towns Dawsonville Season Year-round Access: Fair to Good Non-Resident License State of Georgia Weather National Weather Service Link Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies |
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Etowah River Georgia
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Photo Courtesy Steven Lamb
Thumbnails by Steve Lamb
For cold & warm water fly fishing see
www.georgiaflyguide.com for a Guide
trip give us a call The Lambster @
678-986 0703.
For cold & warm water fly fishing see
www.georgiaflyguide.com for a Guide
trip give us a call The Lambster @
678-986 0703.
| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Call or email us with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip. Shipping is free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped Priority Mail. |
David Miller of Atlanta Georgia
caught this nice striper on the lower
Etowah River on the Mr. Cooper fly
fishing with Steve, Georgia Fly
Guide Adventures.
caught this nice striper on the lower
Etowah River on the Mr. Cooper fly
fishing with Steve, Georgia Fly
Guide Adventures.
Click Image for larger view