The lower portion of the Toccoa River is ideal for float trips, with a bit of wading mixed in. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs

By Kevin Dallmier

The North Georgia highlands near the town of Blue Ridge are the setting for what could be one of the best Georgia trout fishing stories ever told. "A Tale of Two Rivers" would be an appropriate title for this saga. What makes the story interesting, besides the fact that it deals with some of the Peach State's best trout fishing, is that if you look on a map, you see only one river. Talk to those familiar with the area, though, and you find that from an angler's perspective the stream in question has a split personality. Unlock the secrets to both, and you have enough trout fishing to last a lifetime.

The setting for the story is the Toccoa River. This river stretches nearly 60 miles from its headwaters on the Tennessee Valley Divide near the town of Suches to where it crosses the state line into Tennessee at McCaysville in Fannin County. Along the way, Blue Ridge Lake interrupts the river's flow. The lake is what gives the river its two different faces. Above the impoundment, the Toccoa resembles a typical North Georgia trout stream, albeit a large one. Below the lake, Blue Ridge Dam regulates the river's flow. The result is a typical tailwater fishery characterized by water more easily floated than waded, and rapid water level changes that dramatically affect the fishing. Let's examine both sections and what each has to offer the angler.

Anglers can either wade or float the river. Wading is generally easy, and fishermen can use national forest land to reach the river. The combination of a good map of the area and a willingness to take a short hike pays off in plenty of unpressured water to fish. Good success can be had by wading the roadside access points, but walking a distance separates you from most of the competition.

For years, many anglers have preferred to float the river, but finding somewhere to take out was somewhat of a problem. In response, the Forest Service has completed the Toccoa River Canoe Trail, with several developed access points. The trail starts at the Deep Hole Recreation Area and flows 13.8 miles to the new take-out at the Sandy Bottoms access area. The Sandy Bottoms facility provides van and car parking, toilets and a ramp to the water's edge that is accessible to people with disabilities.

The upper Toccoa has two good day trips. The first is from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms or Dial crossroads, and the other is from there downstream to just above Blue Ridge Lake. The last good take-out above the lake is at a rapid known as Noontootla Boil. This is where Aska Road parallels the river for a half-mile or so. You can choose to finish your trip by running this Class II rapid or you can take out above it. The closer you get to the lake, though, the more the river becomes marginal trout water, especially in the heat of summer. The Shallowford Bridge area is generally considered the cutoff point for trout fishing.

Recently, a controversy has arisen over public access to a portion of the river a short distance downstream of the Deep Hole Recreation Area. According to information released by the Forest Service, a landowner has posted signs and stretched a cable across the river in an apparent attempt to deny public access to that portion of the river.

Georgia law regarding navigation rights and public access to small waterways is complex. Historically, when these types of issues have arisen in other parts of the state, it has taken years of court battles for the situation to sort itself out. Until the conflict is resolved, anglers should keep the issue in mind when planning any float trip to that part of the upper Toccoa.

Natural trout reproduction in the river itself is very limited, so most of the fish caught are stocked rainbows. Not only does the Toccoa receive its own stockings, but a few of its tributaries - namely Coopers and Rock creeks - are some of the most heavily stocked trout streams in Georgia. Trout wandering downstream into the Toccoa make good use of its abundant food supply, and quality fish are possible.

Wild browns and rainbows that have migrated out of the tributary streams are also possibilities and add extra interest to the angling. With all the fish the river receives, either directly or indirectly, it is not surprising that the angling is as good as it is.

Developed facilities on the upper Toccoa are fairly limited. The Deep Hole Recreation Area contains not only a paved canoe launch, but also a wooden fishing pier designed to allow physically challenged anglers access to the river. Especially during the summer, the upper Toccoa is popular with paddlers and tubers. Recreational use of the river is not so heavy that it is takes away from the fishing, though.

When float-fishing the Toccoa, you have to pick your spots or you will never reach the take-out before dark. Since the available access points dictate a long float, time constraints likely preclude thoroughly fishing every good-looking piece of water. The river alternates between sections - those that are wide, shallow and swift and those that are deep, still pools - so carrying two rods is a good idea if you have room. Rig one rod for a shallow presentation and one for deeper fishing. A 1/16-ounce in-line green spinner is a local favorite, and a small gold or silver jerkbait is also a good lure. A sinking jerkbait can be a good choice for reaching down into the deeper holes.

Fly casters find the upper Toccoa to their liking as well. The deep, slow-moving pools beg for the presentation of a dry fly when the mist is just beginning to burn off the water. Since major hatches are rare, an attractor pattern can serve you well. Use nymphs to comb the deeper water in search of bigger fish.

One great thing about the upper Toccoa for fly-fishers is plenty of casting room. Unlike most Georgia trout streams, which are narrow and overgrown with mountain laurel and rhododendron bushes just waiting to grab an errant back cast, the upper Toccoa has plenty of room, even for the neophyte fly-rodder. Easy wading, plenty of fish, and lots of casting space are the perfect ingredients for introducing a newcomer to the sport.

If fly-fishing or casting spinners isn't your favorite approach, nothing beats natural bait. Salmon eggs, corn, worms and crickets bumped slowly along the bottom of pools produce fish. An ultralight spinning or spincast outfit spooled with 4-pound-test monofilament, a small hook and a few BB-sized split shot are all the tackle you need to fill your stringer.

To reach the Deep Hole Recreation Area from Morganton, drive 14.6 miles south on State Route 60 to the entrance road on the right. Other access points can be reached by county roads branching off SR 60, or from Blue Ridge by traveling south on Aska Road.