Franklin North Carolina Guided Fishing Trips!

My name is Capt Jim Klopfer and I offer anglers guided fishing trips in Franklin, North Carolina. I was a saltwater guide in Sarasota, Florida for 35 years. I bought a place in Franklin in 2019 and spent most of my time learning the waters.

I do things a little bit differently than some of the other guides. I enjoy trout fishing, but I really love to target smallmouth bass in the Little Tennessee River. This works out perfectly since I come up in April and leave around Thanksgiving. I definitely do trout fish, both locally in Franklin and the Nantahala River.

I also run some trips on Lake Emory right in Franklin and Bear Creel and Cedar Cliff Lake. Also, not being an outfitter, I do not supply waders. However, other that fall when it gets cold, wet wading is mostly done, especially one we get to mid May.

Guided fishing in Franklin, North Carolina

Franklin, NC lies in the very western tip of North Carolina. It is 20 miles or so from the Georgia line. It is a quaint little mountain town with some excellent fishing opportunities both in town and within an hour’s drive. I offer trips to cater to the clients time frame and goals.

Guided fishing for smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass are my favorite species and there are several options when it comes to targeting them. My favorite body of water for smallies in the Little Tennessee River. It flows right through Franklin. A dam creates Lake Emory and below the dam is 20 miles of terrific smallmouth water. For the most part this is a numbers game, but there are some big fish as well. The lake has smallmouth in it as well as Bear Creek Lake and Cedar Cliff Lake.

I have a little 10′ Dave Scadden raft that I use to float the Little Tennessee River. I can only take one client. The smaller raft is required for the section that I like to fish as access is limited. My favorite float is from the dam to the park on Bryson City Road. Also, the portion from there to the takeout spot behind the BP is another good drift.

Both of these sections are easy drifting and rowing with terrific fishing and scenery. When fly fishing I like poppers, Clouser patterns, and wooly buggers. My top lures when spin fishing is the Rapala Husky Jerk. Beetle spins, jigs, and topwater plugs are also effective. Anglers can also expect to catch spotted and largemouth bass, several panfish species, and the occasional trout.

I also offer wading trips on the Little Tennessee River. I fish the section off of Needmore Rd. This area is shallower, wider, and faster. It is pretty easy wading when the water is normal, though the rocks are slippery. Anglers catch trout at times as well as redhorse shiners.

Guided trout fishing in Franklin, North Carolina

There is little dispute that trout are king in western North Carolina! While smallmouth are just my personal favorite species, I certainly enjoy trout fishing as well. I offer several options for anglers to choose from. Most of the fish are stocked in the waters that I fish, I really do not hike up into the higher elevations for native trout.

Trout fishing in Franklin North Carolina

There is decent trout fishing right in and close by to Franklin. The Cullasaja River, Cartoogechaye Creek, and Burningtown Creek are all stocked pretty heavily and provide good action when conditions are right. All three waters offer very good access. Anglers can read more about trout fishing in Franklin in this article.

Cartoogechaye Creek runs from out west of town and empties into the Little Tennessee River. There is excellent access at Parker Meadows Sports Complex. Anglers can also access it from a nice park in town as well as the Greenway. This is “urban fishing” to some degree, but is a fine option for those with limited time who want to catch some fish.

The Culasaja River flows from Highlands to Franklin and also empties into the Little Tennessee River. In the upper reaches it flows through a gorge, has good fishing and excellent scenery. There are wild fish present. In the lower reaches it is more developed, but stocked with decent access.

Burningtown Creek is a small stream 20 minutes outside of Franklin. It is pretty and is well stocked for it’s size. It does not get a ton of pessure and is a good spot in spring and early summer. There is limited access.

Guided trout fishing on the Nantahala River

My favorite trout water by far is the Nantahala River! It is an hour or so west and north of Franklin. It is a pristine fishery with fantastic scenery and loads of access, perfect!  It has easy wading, anglers can actually fish many spots without even getting wet. The Nantahala River is classic pocket water and is very easy to fish, especially for novice fly anglers. There is a delayed harvest section that gets heavily stocked in fall and therefore has very good fishing later in the season when other waters are fished out.

Lake Emory guided fishing trips in Franklin, NC

I also offer anglers fishing trips on Lake Emory. This lake is really just a slowing and widening of the Little Tennessee River behind the dam. It was good variety with some decent fish as well. It is a very good panfish fishery. Largemouth bass, Spotted bass, smallmouth bass, trout, yellow perch, bluegill, redbreast, crappie, and redears are all available.

I use a 15′ Siesta Skiff for these trips. It is wide and stable with decks fore and aft. The entire lake is a “no wake” zone, so there aren’t any waves. This is a great trip for an angler with kids who just wants to catch a few fish. I will fillet and bag some panfish if so desired by the client.

When targeting bass, I usually have my clients casting lures that cover a lot of water. These include topwater plugs, jerk baits, and spinnerbaits. Fly anglers usually stick with a popper. We often mix it up and focus on bass early then switch to panfish later if the bite slows.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of panfish in Lake Emory. Of course, many of them will be small. However, there are plenty of “eaters” for anglers looking to take a few home to eat. Yellow perch run a bit larger and are a good fish to catch when it cools off. In the warmer months when trout and bass fishing really slows down, fishing for panfish gives anglers a chance to catch a lot of fish and take a few home to eat.

I use a combination of lures and live bait when targeting panfish. Worms are readily available and tough to beat when it comes to using live bait. I will often fish it under a float but free lining can work as well. As for artificial lures, I basically use two. These are a 1/16 ounce Beetle Spin and a 1/8 ounce jig with a soft plastic grub, usually chartreuse. Both of these lures produce panfish and every other species.

I also really enjoy fly fishing for panfish. It is easy and productive and is a good strategy to use to hone the fly fishing skills in summer when trout fishing is tough. Success is virtually guaranteed. I always start with a small popper or foam spider. Most trips we fish that all morning. I will opt for a wooly bugger later in the morning if need be.

Fishing other nearby lakes

I do travel a bit to a couple other nearby lakes. These include Bear Creek Lake and Cedar Cliff Lake. They are both a bit less than an hour away. They have nice scenery and the fishing can be good. However, it is harder for me as a guide to stay on top of them since I cant fish them as often.