Fly Fishing the Toccoa River. Jimmy Harris

      Toccoa River (Georgia)

       Location: North Georgia, about 1½ hours north of Atlanta; 2 hours east of Chattanooga, and 2½ hours south of Knoxville, Tennessee.

      Trout-angling opportunities on Georgia tailwater streams are scarce, but the Toccoa River near the eclectic little community of Blue Ridge has become one of the favored Southeast destinations for fly anglers. Flowing north out of Lake Blue Ridge, the Toccoa has more than 15 miles of clear, cold Appalachian water running hard up against the Tennessee and North Carolina borders. But the Georgia section is the one known for impressive trout fishing.

      The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) sets generation schedules, but a strong working relationship among the Authority, the Georgia Department of Natural

      Resources, and Trout Unlimited has resulted in much more angler- and trout-friendly discharges in recent years than prevailed previously. As a result, the town of Blue Ridge is now officially recognized as the Trout Capital of Georgia.

      This North Georgia river has the traits characteristic of most tailwater trout fisheries—cold water and good insect populations. The hard granite substrate of most southern Appalachian trout streams is known for great water quality, but poor aquatic insect populations due to the almost neutral pH. But on the Toccoa tailwater, TVA installed a dissolved oxygen injection system several years ago at the bottom release from Lake Blue Ridge, resulting in impressive hatches year-round. Seasonally, you’ll find the ubiquitous midges, Little Black Stones, Quill Gordons, and March Browns, or tasty Blue-winged Olives, Sulphurs, Light Cahills, and terrestrials.