Blue Ridge, Georgia · Tailwater & Delayed Harvest
Toccoa River fishing guide
A cold tailwater below Blue Ridge Dam and a Delayed Harvest stretch above the lake, both stocked with trout.
- Where
- Fannin County, North Georgia
- Fish
- Rainbow and brown trout
- Tailwater
- About 15 miles below Blue Ridge Dam
- Delayed Harvest
- Nov. 1 – May 14, above the lake
About the water
The Toccoa gives North Georgia two kinds of trout water. Below Blue Ridge Dam, about 15 miles of cold tailwater are stocked with rainbows and browns every year, with hatches through much of the year.
Above Lake Blue Ridge, the river’s national forest stretch is Delayed Harvest water from Nov. 1 to May 14: catch-and-release, single-hook artificial lures only, and stocked through the season.
What’s biting, season by season
Delayed Harvest water above the lake is stocked and fishing well.
Hatches pick up on the tailwater, and Delayed Harvest runs to May 14.
The tailwater stays cold below the dam.
One of Georgia DNR’s fall picks for trout.
Tips from the guides
- Banks along the tailwater are mostly private, so a float trip covers the most water.
- Check TVA’s release schedule before you go; the water rises fast.
- Public access points include the TVA dam, Tammen Park, Curtis Switch, Horseshoe Bend Park and McCaysville City Park.
- On Delayed Harvest water, bring single-hook flies or lures and plan to release every fish.
Access & rules
TVA release information: 1-800-238-2264.
You’ll need a Georgia fishing license and a trout license.
Ask Chris
Headed to the Toccoa River? Ask Chris.
Chris Scalley has fished just about every water in Georgia and the Southeast, and he has guided since 1994. Ask him where to go, what’s biting, or who to fish with. He reads every question himself.
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From the guides at River Through Atlanta
Love the Toccoa? The Chattahoochee is Atlanta’s own tailwater, and you can float it with a guide.
Below Buford Dam, cold water from the bottom of Lake Lanier keeps 48 miles of the Chattahoochee cool enough for trout all year. It’s western-style fly fishing from a drift boat, for rainbows and wild browns, right through Atlanta. Our Orvis-endorsed guides have fished it since 1994, and beginners are welcome.
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