–Bald River Falls – Cherokee National Forest
-Bald River Gorge Wilderness
-Bald River Hiking Trail #88
-North Fork Citico Creek Hike & Fish
–North River Campground – Cherokee National Forest
-Tellico River – Cherokee National Forest (non Permit Area)
–Turkey Creek – Cherokee National Forest
-Upper Bald River Wilderness Hike & Fish
Bald River Falls – Cherokee National Forest
Bald River Falls – Cherokee National Forest
The 90 foot high Bald River Falls is recognized as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the region. It is easily accessed from Tellico River Road (NFRS 210), and provides outstanding photographic opportunities. Parking is limited, and visitor use is high on weekends and holidays. If possible, plan your visit during weekdays.
The Bald River empties into the Tellico River, one of the best trout rivers in the state. Fishing can be good above the Bald River Falls, but don’t forget to bring your hiking boots and prepare for a good workout.
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Bald River Gorge Wilderness
Bald River Hiking Trail #88
North Fork Citico Creek Hike & Fish
North River Campground – Cherokee National Forest
Cherokee National Forest – North River Campground
This is a great secluded place to camp and fish the North River, which flows into the Tellico River. One can camp just feet from the soothing sounds of the flowing North River. When I camped here in July 2021, I fished the North River near the campsite, but didn’t catch any fish. That doesn’t mean there weren’t any. I saw many fish, but I had trouble not spooking them, which must’ve been why I didn’t catch any, right? For the fly fisherman, you can see many of the bugs that I found at the campsite – Stonefly, Mayfly, etc…
Tellico River – Cherokee National Forest (non Permit Area)
From March 1 – August 15, a section of the Tellico River is closed to fishing. This is due to the Trout stocking management plan. Thus, in order to fish on the Tellico during this time, anglers must fish outside of the Tellico-Citico Permit Areas. In July of 2021, I found a couple fishy spots just outside of the closed sections and tied on a Jerkbait to see if anything would take. The very first cast landed a healthy Smallmouth Bass. Of course, when you catch a fish on the first cast, you are at a 100% catch rate, which influences your mindset on how the fishing will be every subsequent cast. This rang true. My catch rate went down with every cast until I was near 2%. While I don’t count my casts, I’ll bet I cast about 100 times and landed 2 fish. The other fish that day was a small Rainbow Trout, one that had swam downstream of the stocked areas. Despite the percentage, 2 fish is better than none!
Turkey Creek – Cherokee National Forest
Turkey Creek is a good place to hike and fish because fishing doesn’t require a special permit and live bait and treble hooks are allowed. It empties into the Tellico River along River Road (210) and there is room to park for a couple of vehicles. In June of 2021, I put on my waders and hiked about 1/2 mile upstream, fishing various holes and pools along the way. No monster fish were caught that day but many small ones were caught using earthworms and Gulp Floating Salmon Eggs. Along the creek were many beautiful waterfalls, well worth the hike.
