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For untold centuries the streams and
rivers of the Great Smokies have provided the Cherokee people
with a bountiful source of food. Today, the 30 miles of
streams on the Cherokee Indian Reservation provide both
food and fun for serious and amateur anglers.
Regular stocking of the streams is the
responsibility of Cherokee Fish and Game Management that
each year adds nearly 400,000 trout to an existing population
of fish swimming in the crystal clear mountain waters. These
supplemental stockings include rainbow, brook and brown
trout of various sizes ranging up to trophy size. [ continued
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he $5.00 tribal permit for each person 12 years of age and over
is required to fish in Cherokee streams and ponds. Children under
twelve are allowed to fish with a permitted adult.
Two, three, and five-day permits are available
at a reduced rate and a season's permit costs $150.00. No other
type of fishing license is required nor accepted on the reservation.
Nearly two dozen businesses in Cherokee are authorized outlets for
fishing permits.
Most of March is closed to fishing with the
annual season opening the last Saturday of March, continuing for
eleven months and ending the last day of February the following
year.
Throughout the season, fishing is allowed from
one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Creel
limit is ten trout per day per permit holder.
For those interested in experiencing fishing
on the reservation but wish to avoid the streams, three well-stocked
ponds are located on Big Cove Road in front of the KOA Campground.
A tribal permit is required to fish in the ponds and the same hours
apply as for the streams.
Due to the weekly stocking program, certain
sections of the rivers, streams and the ponds are closed on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays. There are also areas of enterprise (tribal) waters
that are reserved for tribal members and not open to the general
public.
Exact areas are detailed in the brochure published
by Fish and Game Management and available at all locations where
permits are sold and at the Cherokee Visitor Center, located in
downtown Cherokee. The main fishing areas are known as Raven Fork,
Soco Creek and the Oconaluftee River.
The popularity of Cherokee as one of the country's
top places for trout fishing can be attested to by the annual issuance
of over 70,000 permits. While this number may seem high and produce
an image of shoulder-to-shoulder fishermen, it is easy to find a
place - even on busy days - where anglers can fish without encountering
a fellow sportsman. Even experienced fishermen will find excellent
fishing in the Oconaluftee River in the downtown area of Cherokee
where visitors can watch as the fishing "game" is played.
In recent years, Reservation waters have yielded
trout which have captured North Carolina records: one for a seven
pound, seven ounce brook trout and a 15 pound, eight ounce brown
trout.
From Florida to Wisconsin and Texas to Maine,
Cherokee's fishing opportunities are well known. Expert assistance
is available from several sources, such as One Feather Fly and Tackle
Shop in downtown Cherokee. Regardless of age or experience, fishing
can be a fascinating addition to other vacation activities on the
reservation.
For complete fishing information contact Cherokee
Fish and Game Management, P. 0. Box 302, Cherokee, NC 28719 or the
Cherokee Visitor Center, P. 0. Box 460, Cherokee, NC 28719.
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