The Chattooga River is one of the defining wild trout fisheries of the American Southeast — a National Wild and Scenic River that has been left largely as nature made it since its federal designation in 1974. The river begins below Whiteside Mountain near Cashiers, North Carolina, flows south through the Nantahala National Forest, then forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina for 40 miles before entering Lake Tugalo. Best known outside the fly fishing world as the filming location for the movie Deliverance, the Chattooga is known within it as one of the top 100 trout streams in the country — a designation from Trout Unlimited that reflects the quality of its wild brown trout, the diversity of its hatches, and the genuine backcountry experience the river provides. Unlike most southeastern trout fisheries, the Chattooga has no roads paralleling its best water. Access is by trail, which means the quality of fishing increases dramatically with every minute of hiking away from the parking lots.
Either a valid Georgia or South Carolina fishing license is accepted for fishing the border waters between the two states — anglers do not need both. The Highway 28 delayed harvest section from Reed Creek to the SC 28 Bridge is managed as catch-and-release with single-hook artificial lures only from November 1 through May 14 in South Carolina and October 1 through May 15 in Georgia. Standard trout regulations apply from Reed Creek upstream to the North Carolina border, with bait and harvest allowed at normal limits. The North Carolina headwaters section requires a North Carolina license — there is no reciprocal agreement with GA or SC. A trout license is required in addition to the basic fishing license in both Georgia and South Carolina. The Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area has no special regulations beyond standard trout rules for the respective state.
The Chattooga holds all three Appalachian wild trout species — brown, rainbow, and brook trout — in its upper reaches and tributary streams. Wild browns dominate the upper river above Burrells Ford and produce some of the largest fish in the Southeast for anglers willing to hike for them. Rainbows are more common in the mid-section around Burrells Ford. Brook trout occupy the smallest, coldest tributaries above the main river and are an incidental catch for anglers fishing near tributary mouths. The stocked fish around Burrells Ford Campground are planted as sub-adults rather than hatchery-size fish in many stretches, giving them time to acclimate and feed naturally — these holdovers are noticeably more challenging than freshly stocked fish and provide good sport for the technical fly fisher who arrives after the initial stocking pressure subsides.
Spring from late March through May is the peak dry fly season with the most diverse hatches of the year. The progression runs from Quill Gordons and Blue Quills in late March through Hendricksons and March Browns in April, Sulphurs and Light Cahills in May, and Little Yellow Stoneflies through late spring and early summer. Fall from October through November brings October Caddis hatches — large, visible insects that draw aggressive strikes — and is arguably the best time to target the river's larger browns as they enter pre-spawn behavior. Winter fishing with BWO and midge patterns on warmer afternoons can be surprisingly productive given the freestone character of the river. Summer hiking pressure from non-fishing visitors peaks in July and August, making early morning starts and backcountry sections essential for a quality summer experience.
Two USGS gauges cover the Chattooga trout fishery — Burrells Ford in Rabun County Georgia covers the mid-section and serves as the primary reference gauge for the upper wild trout water, and the gauge near Clayton covers the lower river and delayed harvest section. The Chattooga is a freestone river with no impoundment upstream of the trout section, meaning flows respond directly to rainfall and drop relatively quickly after storm events. Optimal wading conditions exist from about 150 to 600 CFS on the Burrells Ford gauge.