Wildlife Commission Opens Delayed-Harvest Waters on Oct. 1

[NCangler]

RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 22) - On Oct. 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement annual delayed-harvest regulations for 18 designated trout waters in 14 counties of western North Carolina.

Delayed-harvest waters, posted with black-and-white signs, create high-quality fishing opportunities where anglers can fish densely stocked trout streams on a catch-and-release basis fall through spring.

Under delayed-harvest regulations, no fish may be harvested or possessed from these waters between Oct. 1, 2005, and one half-hour after sunset on June 2, 2006. No natural bait is allowed, and anglers can fish only with single-hook, artificial lures.

The Wildlife Commission plans to stock delayed-harvest waters with 225,000 catchable-sized trout - 90,000 brook trout, 45,000 brown trout and 90,000 rainbow trout.

"The fish hatchery staff will be stocking trout during the first week of October, November, March, April and May," said Carl Kittel, fish production coordinator for the Wildlife Commission. "We encourage anglers to take advantage of fishing opportunities when they can and remind them to please be respectful of the land and streams where they fish."

At 6 a.m. on June 3, 2006, delayed-harvest waters open to fishing under hatchery-supported regulations, which means no bait restrictions, no minimum length limit and a seven-trout-per-day creel limit. Hatchery-supported regulations remain in force until Oct. 1 each year.

The delayed-harvest program began in 1992 with spring stockings of 18,000 catchable-size trout in four streams. Due to strong public interest and support, the program expanded in 1996 to incorporate both spring and fall fishing.

A list of all delayed-harvest waters is below:

Ashe County
Trout Lake
Helton Creek (Virginia state line to New River)
Burke County
Jacob Fork (Shinny Creek to lower South Mountains State Park boundary)
Haywood County
West Fork Pigeon River (Queen Creek to the first game land boundary upstream of Lake Logan)
Henderson County
North Fork Mills River (game land portion below the Hendersonville watershed dam)
Jackson County
Tuckasegee River (N.C. 107 bridge at Love Field to the Dillsboro dam)
Macon County
Nantahala River (Whiteoak Creek to Nantahala Power & Light powerhouse discharge canal)
Madison County
Big Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge to the U.S. 25-70 bridge)
Shelton Laurel Creek (N.C. 208 bridge at Belva to the confluence with Big Laurel Creek)
McDowell County
Curtis Creek (game land portion downstream of the U.S. Forest Service boundary at Deep Branch)
Mitchell County
Cane Creek (N.C. 226 bridge to N.C. 80 bridge)
Polk County
Green River (Fishtop Falls access area to the confluence with Cove Creek)
Surry County
Mitchell River (0.6 mile upstream of the end of S.R. 1333 to the S.R. 1330 bridge below Kapps Mill Dam)
Transylvania County
East Fork French Broad River (Glady Fork to French Broad River)
Little River (confluence of Lake Dense outflow to Hooker Falls)
Watauga County
Watauga River (S.R. 1557 bridge to N.C. 105 bridge and S.R. 1114 bridge to N.C. 194 bridge to Valle Crucis)
Wilkes County
East Prong Roaring River (mouth of Bullhead Creek downstream to Stone Mountain State Park boundary line)
Stone Mountain Creek (from falls at Alleghany County line to confluence with East Prong Roaring River and Bullhead Creek)

For more information on delayed-harvest regulations, weekly stocking updates or a set of trout maps designating fishing regulations in effect on specific streams, visit the Wildlife Commission's Web site, www.ncwildlife.org. Click on the Fishing link. Subtopics are listed at the top of the page.