By Aaron Kephart
While the foundation of my guide service is fishing for trophy smallmouth and spotted bass, I do dabble in, and guide for, other species (crappie, stripers, catfish, bluegill, and trout among them). This month I am going to take a break from the smallmouth and talk about an exceptionally unique fishery: the trophy trout on Apalachia Lake.
In case you are not familiar with the lake, Apalachia is located west of Murphy. It is exceptionally secluded, and is known as a run of river reservoir. It is around 10 miles long and contains about 1,100 acres. Water levels can fluctuate up to 8 feet in a day, and current from Lake Hiwassee just upstream is a huge factor on Apalachia. Current can also severely impact navigation and boat launching/loading, so I always recommend that you fish the lake with someone who knows it before attempting it yourself.
The trout fishery on Apalachia was begun as an experimental program back in 2011. It was implemented because of the presence of blueback herring, an invasive baitfish. The state has stocked 5,000 trout a year since 2011, mixing browns and rainbows. The trout seem to have really put a dent in the herring numbers (we caught a 20 inch brown last weekend that had four-6 inch herring in it’s throat).
In terms of the fishery itself, the growth rate on the trout has been phenomenal. They have only been in the lake for going on 6 years now, but my personal best is a brown that was just under 10 pounds. I also know of other trout in the 10 pound range that have been caught, and even rumors of a couple of 12 pounders. However, these are exceptional fish. Your average fish on Apalachia will run between 14 and 20 inches, although you could hook into a monster at any time. The best time to fish for them is right now. I have had the most success in the December-March time frame, with the best fishing usually occurring in January and February.
While most people associate trout with light tippets and fly rods, Apalachia is a different situation. These fish are not confined in a small stream: they have a ton of water they can, and do, roam around in, constantly searching for their next baitfish. I am not saying that fly-fishing will not work, but I will say that it’s not the best way to cover a lot of water. In addition, the trout in Apalachia are meat eaters whose diets consist almost entirely of large herring, and because of that, we have the most success on conventional tackle and bigger lures. Anything that mimics a herring can possibly get a bite from a giant trout on Apalachia, and we catch a lot of them accidentally while fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Just this year I have caught them on hair jigs, spoons, three different topwater plugs, swimbaits, spinners, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and live bait (I may have caught one or two on something else, but that is what I can remember off the top of my head).
In closing, Apalachia is probably the best place in the state to catch a truly huge trout, and it is an absolutely gorgeous body of water. It is also a great place for someone who doesn’t really want to wade around in a slick creek all day long, but still wants to catch a trout or two. It is a fishery that offers not only trophy potential, but also makes catching a trout possible for someone physically unable to wade a river or stream.
If you are interested in going after a giant trout, smallmouth, spotted bass, striper, or some crappie, give me a call at 865-466-1345. Also, visit us on Facebook@mountainlakesguideservice. We are Murphy, North Carolina’s premier trophy smallmouth and spotted bass guide service, and we offer trips for just about anything else that swims in our area lakes. We look forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to learn some tactics for catching some big winter bass, call Aaron Kephart with Mountain Lakes Guide Service at 865-466-1345, or visit us on Facebook @mountainlakesguideservice. We are Murphy, North Carolina’s premier trophy spotted and smallmouth guide service, and I would love to put you on some winter giants!