Yellow Perch Fishing in Franklin North Carolina

The topic of this article will be yellow perch fishing in Franklin, North Carolina. Fishing is very popular in North Carolina, however most target the more popular species, especially trout and bass. However, there is very good fishing for yellow perch in the western part of the state where the waters are cooler. Yellow perch are aggressive, beautiful, put up a great fight on light tackle, and are fantastic eating! What more can an angler ask for?

Read my comprehensive article on fishing in Franklin North Carolina

The most consistent yellow perch fishing in Franklin is in Lake Emory. Lake Emory was formed by a dam placed on the Little Tennessee River in Franklin, North Carolina. The lake is fairly narrow and has a light current. It does have a lot of shoreline cover and fairly steep banks, though it is not very deep. The entire lake is “no wake”, making for easy and safe boating. There is a nice surfaced ramp for larger boats and nice kayak launches at the dam and the Tassee Launch off the Greenway.

There are some yellow perch below the dam in the faster water where anglers normally catch smallmouth bass. They will usually be found in the slower, deeper pools. There are plenty of sunfish and other panfish in this section of the river as well.

Tackle is pretty simple when fishing for yellow perch in Franklin, North Carolina as well. I opt for an ultra light spinning rod, 6 feet in length with a fast action and matching 1000 series reel. I usually spool it with 4 pound monofilament line, but will use 6 pound at times. Anglers can certainly use braided line as well. I usually tie straight to the braid and do not use a leader.

Fishing for yellow perch in Franklin North Carolina

Fishing for yellow perch and other panfish is not complicated. In most cases live bait is the best choice. The two top baits are worms and nightcrawlers and minnows. Unfortunately, minnows are not available for purchase. Anglers can catch their own if desired. However, live nightcrawlers work very well and are easily obtained at several locations. Lures can be productive and that is the way I prefer to fish for yellow perch.

Anglers can present a live bait is several ways. The time honored method of fishing a worm or minnow under a float works well when fishing the shoreline cover. The float is fixed 2 to 3 feet above a #6 or #8 baitholder style hook. I tiny split shot can be added. I will often free line a crawler, using nothing but the hook and maybe a tiny split shot. This allows the bait to sink naturally through the water column. Bottom fishing with a heavier weight and a high low rig works best when vertically fishing structure in deeper water.

In most cases, half a nightcrawler is perfect and will catch more than one perch. Worms also catch plenty of panfish such as sunfish and bluegill. Most anglers are fine with a few of these species interrupting their perch fishing! A whole red wiggler or garden worm hooked through the head works great as well. Anglers using minnows will do best with baits that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and hooked through the lips.

Fishing for yellow perch using artificial lures

While live bait is probably more effective and reliable, I actually prefer to fish for them using artificial lures. I enjoy the casting and retrieving, and the strikes can be ferocious. My three favorite lures are small Rapala jerkbaits, a jig head with a chartreuse curly tail grub, and a 1/8 ounce black Beetle spin spinnerbait. All will catch plenty of yellow perch as well as bass, panfish, and other species.

Rapala jerkbaits (and crankbaits) are effective yellow perch fishing lures. They allow anglers to cover a lot of water in search of fish. They also appeal to the aggressive nature of yellow perch. Green is a good color, and I have done well with white. I honestly think action is much more important than color. An erratic retrieve with a pause in between works best.

A jig with a soft plastic grub is an excellent all round lure. Anglers can cover the entire water column with them. The weight of the jig will be determined by the water depth and current. I like a slow steady retrieve with the occasional hop and fall. They can be vertically fished as well.

The Beetle spin is one of my “go to” lures for all freshwater fishing. This simple lure pretty much catches everything. It is easy to use and will cover a variety of depths, which an be adjusted but allowing it to fall longer as well as the retrieve speed. In most cases, a slow steady retrieve works best.

Other yellow perch fishing spots near Franklin North Carolina

Anglers willing to drive a little bit have other options when it comes to fishing for yellow perch. For the most part, there are lakes, most of the rivers mainly hold trout and a few bass and panfish.

Cliffside Lake

Cliffside lake is 30 minutes from Franklin on the road to Highlands. It is a nice little lake in a park with good access and facilities. There is a $5 charge. It is a good live bait lake and anglers fishing worms and crawlers will catch trout and panfish as well.

Glenville Lake

Glenville Lake is a beautiful mountain lake located 45 minutes from Franklin. It is on a bit of a twisty road. Glenville gets a lot of recreational boat traffic in summer and on weekends. It has big yellow perch as well as bass, trout, panfish, and even walleye. There are good ramps at the north end.

Lake Nantahala

Lake Nantahala is a pristine mountain lake that is 45 minutes west of Franklin. The road is a bit difficult. However, anglers will find some of the largest yellow perch found anywhere there. Structure on deep water points is the best bet.

Tuchasegee chain

The 3 larger lakes on the Tuckasegee chain of lakes are all pretty and productive lakes. The harder they are to get to, the better the fishing. Cedar Cliff is the easiest, Bear Creek the next, and Wolf Creek is the most difficult lake to reach. All are clear, deep lakes with the best fishing along the shoreline, in tributaries, and at the dam.

In conclusion, this article on yellow perch fishing in Franklin North Carolina will help anglers catch more of these tasty and hard fighting fish!