The Magnificent Chattooga River

Chattooga National Wild & Scenic River

I spent a recent day fishing the Chattooga River with a friend. We chose a fairly remote section that required modest hikes in and out and a couple of miles of trekking through the riverbed.

Occasionally, I need to pause to ponder what a blessing it is to have the Chattooga National Wild & Scenic River so close to home. The Chattooga rises high on Whiteside Mountain in Western North Carolina and runs nearly its entire course through forested public land on the Nantahala, Chattahoochee, and Sumter national forests. Wild and Scenic River designation protects the river corridor from development or road encroachment.

I’ve spent dozens of day — maybe more than 100 — fishing, hiking and rafting along the Chattooga. I’ve camped by the river, explored wild and unforgiving areas like Rock Gorge and the Canyon of the Five Falls, but most days have been spent fishing for trout and/or Bartrams bass.

Part of the appeal of the Chattooga from an angling perspective is the diversity of opportunities. 

The far upper section is pure wild trout waters, with wild native brook trout if you go far enough up.

The sections around Burrells Ford is heavily stocked. Below the bridge is a long section that contains a mix of helicopter stocked rainbows, wild rainbows and brown and “semi-wild” brown that are helicopter stocked as subadults during late fall and grow up in the river like wild fish. 

The three miles above the Highway 28 bridge are managed with delayed harvest regulations. Below 28, some trout get stocked in a couple of areas, but Bartrams bass are more prevalent.

The Chattooga also offers tremendous variety in its character, although changes are throughout the river as opposed to differing by major section. From high in the mountains to the lower reaches, where the Chattooga is large for an Appalachian mountain river, it continuously shifts from broad, shallow runs to long, deep pools to crashing rapids, a few of which are better described as waterfalls.

The common denominator is that the river is stunning, with a backcountry feel and water that stays clear even after most rains. It also has a backcountry feel nearly throughout, and several areas are only accessible via significant walking or skilled paddling.

The Chattooga also has an extraordinary network of tributaries that include some of my favorite places in Georgia, but that’s probably another story for another time!

Bonus Backcountry Bartrams Bass

Chattooga River Bartram's bass

Rainbow and brown trout were the target species during a recent wade-fishing trip, and we caught plenty of them. Bartrams bass were a bonus — an excellent bonus from my standpoint.

I wasn’t shocked to catch Bartrams bass. I’d caught them from the same section of the Chattooga River before — while fishing with the same friend, in fact. And I’ve caught many Bartrams farther downstream on the same river. I did not expect to catch enough bass to lose count, but that’s exactly what happened.

Interestingly, I think I could have caught far more. The Bartrams mostly came late in the day. We were fishing through a section of remote river and needed to keep moving to ever get to where we could reasonably get out and connect with a trail. I was casting while walking and in places getting at least one hit on almost every cast.

I’m a huge fan of Bartrams bass. While they don’t grow very large, they are feisty and fun to catch and ways have fabulous markings.

Bartrams bass, by the way, are upland black bass — one of the redeye species — and they are only found in the upper Savannah River watershed. Hybridization with non-native Alabama bass and spotted bass has substantially reduced their range over the years. Select water still have strong populations, though.

The trout also served up big fun, but that’s another story! To see the river and catches of trout and bass, check out “Brown Trout, Rainbows & Bartrams Bass — Walk-in Fishing Adventure” on Fishing on Foot YouTube.

A Few More Species Added to 2026 Catch List

My most recent post focused on others’ reports of fish biting because I hadn’t been out, and I ended it with me saying I hoped my next post would be a positive fishing report of my own. I’m glad to say that is indeed the case.

I can’t report a bunch of fish or a red hot bite. In fact, I only caught three fish in a couple of short afternoon outings. That said, all three were different species, and all were species I’d not yet caught this year. Bartrams bass, redbreast sunfish and shoal bass bring the 2026 species total to nine.

All were caught on Rebel Ultra-Finesse Jigs, which I was taking photos of as my primary objective both afternoons. They are brand new from Rebel. In fact, they were just released on Lurenet today! Because they are so new, I’m pretty confident I caught the first-ever Bartrams and Shoal bass on them. 

To check out the catches, hop on over to Fishing on Foot on YouTube.

As a bonus, the Bartrams bass gets me started on this year’s Georgia Bass Slam. 

Shoal bass are a qualifying species also, but the minimum size for keeping a shoal bass is 15 inches, so that’s also the minimum for a Slam qualifying fish, and mine was only 11 inches. Good chance I can find a bigger one eventually this year.

All three were fun to catch!

Chattooga River Bartrams Bass

 One of my favorite fishing outings, and one I try to make at least a few times every year, is a hike-in wading trip on the Chattooga National Wild and Scenic River to fish for Bartrams bass. I’ve only made two trips this year, and the season if quickly passing for the way I like to fish, so that might be it for 2022.

If you don’t know Bartrams bass, they are one of several species of black bass that are collectively called redeye bass. When I first started chasing these fish, nearly three decades ago, they were categorized as shoal bass, but there was no explanation as to why shoal bass in other areas grew substantially larger. Then they were recognized as redeyes, but lumped with Coosa redeye bass. More recently, biologists recognized redeyes in the Savannah River watershed as genetically distinct and named them Bartrams bass.

There’s no hot section of the Chattooga for these fish, from my observation. I’ve caught them well up into trout waters and at the far lower end of the river run and have found similar success throughout. Numerous trails and a couple of roads provide access in different areas, from Georgia and South Carolina. River levels, the amount you are willing to do and the character of stream you seek are better determinants for the best section for any given day. 

Some areas are pretty easy to access with a short walk and well suited for quick outings. Others can only be reached with a lot of walking, wading, rock hopping, climbing etc. Some areas have no practical fishing access.

I keep my fishing approach simple for these fish, wading wet and carrying a single light or ultralight spinning outfit and a small box of lures that I can put on a backpack or vest pocket. I like small, crawfish-imitating crankbaits, topwater lures and small soft plastic baits. If I could have only one bait for this fishing it would be a Rebel Deep Teeny Wee Crawfish. Top producers on this year’s outings were the new Bobby Garland Mayfly and a Bomber 6A.

It’s important to note that much of the Chattooga corridor is rugged and remote, and currents, vertical drops, slippery rocks and more can be dangerous. Water levels are also ever changing, totally changing the river’s character and accessibility. 

A fishing license is required, but a reciprocal licensing agreement makes either a valid Georgia or South Carolina license valid anywhere on the river.