By James Marsh
Fly fishing the Tallulah River is more about its small tributary streams than the river itself. The creation of Lake Burton slowed down the flow of much of the river. It begins in North Carolina and proceeds through four lakes before reaching the Chattooga River about sixty miles away.
The upper section of the Tallulah River has about five miles of public access. This area lies above Lake Burton and extends up to the North Carolina state line. It has both wild rainbow and brown trout but is still stocked with additional fish. This section of the river is medium size, averaging about twenty to thirty feet wide.
The uppermost tributary is the Coleman River which begins in the Coleman River Wildlife Management Area. U.S. Highway 70 crosses the river above Lake Burton near Clayton. Its headwaters begin in the Nantahala Wilderness Area as a very small stream. Fly fishing the Coleman River is best from its confluence with the Tallulah River upstream to the Coleman River Scenic Area. There is only a small section of public water above there because it flows through some private property sections. The stream also becomes very small. The Coleman River isn’t stocked. It has a population of wild rainbow and some wild brown trout. Native brook trout are in its headwaters. The lower section can be accessed from Forest Service Road 70.
The next downstream tributary of the Tallulah River is Moccasin Creek, but it flows into the upper part of Lake Burton rather than the actual river. It begins in the Lake Burton Wildlife Management Area. A fish hatchery is located on the stream just outside of the Wildlife Management Area. The stream is dammed to get use of its water and then flows through Moccasin Creek State Park and on into Lake Burton. Anglers that fish the state park must be under 12 years of age or older than 65. This part of the creek is heavily stocked with larger trout.
The stream within the Lake Burton Wildlife Management Area can be accessed via the Hemlock Falls Trail. Above an area of water falls, Moccasin Creek contains wild rainbow and brown trout and there are some below the falls where the stream flows through a gorge. The stream flows through a valley. This is a very nice area to fish but requires a little effort to reach.
The next tributary that enters Lake Burton from the Wildlife Area a mile farther down the lake is Wildcat Creek. Fly fishing Wildcat Creek is a little different than fly fishing Moccasin Creek, but Wildcat Creek is stocked. It’s heavily fished by the bait guys. The best option to fish this stream is to fish up near where the stream enters the Tray Mountain Wilderness Area. There are more wild trout than stockers upstream and, of course, less bait fishermen. This area can be accessed via Forest Service Road 26-1. It follows along the creek, but of course that only makes it easier for others to access. This stream is capable of being a very good wild trout stream if it was managed properly.
All in all, the Tallulah River still has some good fly fishing opportunities if you pick and choose the exact locations to fish. Fly fishing the Tallulah River can be a lot of fun if you do that.