Fall is arriving quickly. Cooler morning temperatures and shorter days have allowed the trout to start moving around and begin to eat more. The brown trout have begun or will bemaking their spawning runs on many of the North Georgia tributaries. A little rain should really push these movements as the low water can inhibit much of their process. Be looking for these fish staging around creek confluences as they move further upstream. Dry flies continue to produce on the higher elevation streams while nymphs are a bit more productive in larger waters. Overcast days have been the days to be on the water as the bluebird/high pressure days leave the trout inactive and spooky. As fall continues we look forward to seeing more insects emerging as the terrestrials dwindle. More prolific midge hatches have been coming off the water along with some caddis, BWOs, and PMDs in some of the North Georgia streams. If you're coming to the mountains to escape the bustle of the city be sure to avoid the tourist heavy areas that are drawing large crowds on the weekends. Oktoberfest in Helen, along with apple picking in Ellijay, and other fall festivals in Blue Ridge, Blairsville, and Clayton can back up traffic heading to some of the best trout waters in North Georgia.
North Georgia's Stocked Trout Streams in October
The stocked waters have been slim pickings for the past couple weeks. Low water conditions have left stockers with little room to hide and most have been harvested. Looking for water off of the beaten path in small creeks or focusing more on some of the larger streams such as the Toccoa River, Tallulah River, and Chattooga River will yield better results with stocked trout. Georgia's Delayed Harvest Season is right around the corner, so begin preparing yourself by checking out our up to date article on Fly Fishing North Georgia's Delayed Harvest Streams. If your impatient and ready to get on the water, North Carolina's Delayed harvest season has already begun as tens of thousands of brown, brook, and rainbow trout have been stocked into North Carolina's DH streams.
Best of luck this October, If your looking for more reading to help put more trout in the net this fall, check out out articles on Fall Fly Fishing in North Georgia, Fly Fishing the Toccoa River, and Fly Fishing Atlanta.