Another Conservation Success at Linville Gorge

[Woolly Bugger]

Linville Gorge is often called the Grand Canyon of the East, and for good reason.  At the head of this federally-designated Wilderness Area lies North Carolina's most iconic and most-visited waterfall – Linville Falls.  The confluence of US Forest Service and National Park Service-Blue Ridge Parkway conservation land around the gorge is impressive, and it will soon grow.

Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) recently purchased 52 acres at the head of the gorge in the headwaters of Dugger's Creek, the last tributary entering the Linville River before tumbling over its massive falls.  This is an important area for critical wildlife habitats, but it also protects water quality.  Development or logging on this land could have had devastating long-term impacts on views from Linville Falls trails, and sent muddy water over Linville Falls and the smaller Dugger's Creek Falls near Linville Falls Visitor Center.


https://ctnc.org/linville-falls-duggers-creek/

[OldKent]

I remember when I was young the Linville River was a fertile, solid trout stream with lots of wild fish. Around say 35ish years(?) or so ago, it seemingly went to crap almost immediately. I went back a few times shortly after to see if it had improved - it had gotten worse.

This was a long time ago. Does anyone fish it anymore, has it improved?

[Onslow]

I remember when I was young the Linville River was a fertile, solid trout stream with lots of wild fish. Around say 35ish years(?) or so ago, it seemingly went to crap almost immediately. I went back a few times shortly after to see if it had improved - it had gotten worse.

This was a long time ago. Does anyone fish it anymore, has it improved?

I've been contemplating giving the upper gorge a try.  I know a fella who when there about 12 years ago, and he caught a fair amount of smallmouth.

The main issue I see with the Linville is the gorge does not appear to have any connected habitat.  In other words, if the gorge crashes, there are no feeder creeks to supply trout.  I fished the BRP waters above the gorge many years ago. I recall the river being bathtub warm with some stockers panting at a small trickle pouring in.  I was able to catch wild browns in Camp Creek.  That is probably the only trib near the falls with a good reservoir of wild browns. 1998, 2002, 2008 were really hard for large trout streams in terms of temps and drought.  Tropical floods are not helpful either.  The Linville has seen several major flood events in the last 10 years.

If I were to try it, I'd go mid late October when the water is exceptionally skinny and when the browns are prepping to spawn.  The gorge has too much cover and undercut rocks like the Pinnacle gorge on the Dan. This can make fishing exceedingly frustrating if they're not cooperating.

What really pisses me off is the park rangers carefully check people going down below the falls from the BRP area. No fishing is allowed immediately below the falls.  That being said swimming isn't either, but there were cliff jumpers, swimmers, babes in thongs when I went. No fishing was taking place.  That visit took place the Summer before Helene.

FYI, I've seen pics of a mount that measured 27 inches.  That fish was caught about 25-30 years ago.



 

[OldKent]

Thanks so much for the reply! Interestingly I had also heard tales (from many years ago) that biologists once considered the upper Linville (above the gorge) the most fertile trout stream in the state...kinda hard to believe now. Oh well, thanks again and hope you have a wonderful holiday. 

[Sedition and Pockets]

Large HOA lakes with top release dams have destroyed the lower river as wild trout habitat.  Simply too hot.

[Woolly Bugger]

Large HOA lakes with top release dams have destroyed the lower river as wild trout habitat.  Simply too hot.

This is the reason... Damn dams

[Onslow]

There are many other issues above the BRP.  Denuded riverbanks, possible ag chemical runoff due to plant and tree nurseries, yard chemical runoff.  The only saving grace is some of the tribs have wild brown populations.

Being the portion of river above the gorge is low gradient, fish will be transient. I've spent most of my trout fishing career fishing trout streams in the New river basin, and I can tell you all the trout don't stay put.  These streams have transient trout.  Wild brookies will show up in big streams in the Winter, browns will move into smallie water to spawn.  Wild browns are frequently caught around Mouth of Wilson due to Fox Creek.

I'm of the opinion the waters would cool in the Linville gorge due to less light exposure. The only drawback is it's a south facing watershed. Temps on the SE side of the Blue Ridge are much warmer than those at the same altitude on the NW side.


Cool kayak vid

[Onslow]

If we want to learn more about the Linville River, data is needed.  May I propose an activity for this Summer that involves a July dog day evening temp reading at four locations at the exact same time @ 5:30 PM.  Four volunteers will be needed.

Locations of testing >

Pineola at the upper end of the public hatchery section

Mouth of Camp Creek near the BRP.  A Camp Creek reading will be gathered as well.

Base of Linville Falls.  It would be great if someone could dive to the bottom of the pool with the flashlight to get a deep pool reading.

Babel Tower area. 

After the data is gathered, it can be compared with realtime USGS data at places like the looch, or the Chattooga at Burrells Ford.

[The Dude]

Geologically, that is one of the few areas of WNC that has some limestone.  It has fertility potential, if not for all of the other issues noted in the thread, however.

[Onslow]

None of the streams the NCWRC sampled prior to 2018 in the Linville watershed indicated the presence of brook trout or rainbow trout.  While this does not mean there are few around, that's not the point.  The issue is water temps of the tributaries themselves, and how it effects the gorge.  This is surprising since the watershed is very high altitude but that is not the only factor to consider.  The tributaries are generally low gradient, and the banks are not terribly steep. The best brook trout streams at low altitude are the ones with scary steep walls and see little sunshine.  The Linville upper watershed does not have gorges except for many a small one at the State Forest. Unlike the NF New and N Toe, the mountains in the drainage are not terribly impressive and the coolest watershed has been impounded. Whether or not the water cools once it enters the gorge is the million dollar question that needs to be answered.  There are also too many miles of tributary and main stem streambank that are tree less. 

I don't believe the limestone is present in the areas above the gorge.  The gorge itself is a product of the sedimentary rock. I'm skeptical the river at the falls is any fertile than the N Toe, NF New, SF New, Little. Sometimes productivity of a stream is better defined by its habitat than fertility. Wood=stoneflies. Shallow cobble=nymphs. 

The perfect stream from my perspective is one that has well shaded banks, lots of bends/cliffs where trees fall in the stream. Long runs of shallow cobble that I tend to think of as trout nurseries. There also needs to be ledge push water in the shadows of tall bluffs. Tributaries that are substantial enough to hold trout on their own is critical.

I plan to fish a 2 mile section below the falls where it's mostly untrailed in 2026.  I will also attempt to fish the tiny tributaries as well.  Maybe I'll find a 4 inch wild brown in the tiny creeks.

[Woolly Bugger]

I puckered up on that video 

[Sedition and Pockets]

Map study is cool and all, but the most reliable predictor of stream fecundity and big wild freestone trout is long term human habitation and settlement, preferably with ongoing agricultural land use.  The main reason that 5% of anglers catch 95% of the big trout is that fly fishermen are soyboys who are afraid to catch a charge.

[Onslow]

Welp, here is your fishing report for the Linville well above the Falls.  I suspect the vid was shot at the Crossnore area.

One stocker bow, one stocker brown, and a couple smaller streambred browns, and a smallmouth.

[Rhody]

Holy Boulders Batman! That was very tight quarters paddling, very impressive.

[Woolly Bugger]

One stocker bow, one stocker brown, and a couple smaller streambred browns, and a smallmouth.

Thanks for watching and counting so I wouldn't have to "wade" through that video...