Avid trout angler Brooke Stricklandlooks forward to the first Saturday in April all year.
That’s when the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open some 900 miles of hatchery supported trout waters,stocked with rainbow, brown and brook trout,at 7 a.m. April 4is a day whenanglers typically swarmWestern North Carolina rivers and lakes, knowing there will be plenty of fish for all.
“It’s a really exciting day for anglers and opens up waters that we haven’t been able to fish since the fall. It gives people a lot more opportunity to hit the water,” said Strickland, of North Asheville.
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She said she will most likely go fishing Saturday, but will be strictly adhering to coronavirus safety standards issued by local, state and federal government agencies.
“I’ll try to arrive early before the crowds get there. And if it gets too crowded, I’ll leave. It’s a matter of common sense,” she said.
“I would encourage people who are going out on Saturday to adhere to social distancing recommendations. Keep6 feet, or a fishing rod’s length away from others."
The opening day of trout season will be “fluid,” to say the least.
Doug Besler, the commission’s regional fisheries supervisor, said fish have been stocked, but with the exacerbating factors of people being cooped up under “Stay at Home” orders, and the warm, sunny weather forecast for the weekend, he is bracing for an onslaught.
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“My sense is there will be big crowds. In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen a significant increase in our boat access ramps. People really seem to want to get out. And our fishing license sales have increased dramatically,” Besler said.
Annual and short-term fishing licenses are up 17% this March compared to March 2019, said commission spokesman Ryan Kennemur, with 45,709 licenses sold.
Fishing under COVID-19 restrictions
Multiple fishing access points have been closed by other land management agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, N.C. Forest Service, National Park Service and N.C. State Parks, Besler said, so anglers need to visit the commission’s COVID-19 webpage to get the latest on closings, which are increasing daily.
RELATED: Outdoors-related closures and cancellations in WNC
"Don’t assume an area is open. We encourage anglers to take personal responsibility to make sure a place is currently open and legal to use at that time,” he said.
The wildlife commission has closed about 13 small impoundments that it manages, most of which have an accessible pier, including Lake Powhatan and Max Patch Pond, because, Besler said, they thought those places might become overwhelmed on opening day.
The agency also pulled down its stocking schedule, and will post only on the same day that a site has been stocked.
The actual activity of fishing is not restricted, but it may be limited by access points, including places like Graham County, which has closed its borders to non-residents;DuPont State Recreational Forest and the Great Smokies, which are closed;and the Davidson River, where access points like Sycamore Flats and Coontree picnic areas are closed. People can still park elsewhere and walk in to fish.
RELATED: DuPont State Recreational Forest closes until further notice
While fishing on hatchery supported trout waters, anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restrictions.
These waters, which are marked by green-and-white signs, have been closed since Feb. 29 for stocking. Certain streams will be stocked through August withnearly 767,000 trout — 96% of which will average 10 inches long, and4% exceeding 14 inches.
RELATED: NC Wildlife Commission passes 44 new hunting, fishing rules
“We advise anglers to take caution and adhere to all social distancing guidelines, not carpooling, and isolating themselves,” Besler said.
“Our enforcement staff is out there, and if they see a place that is too crowded, they will try to disperse people ifthey consider it a mass gathering. If that’s not effective, they will probably recommend to us that an area should be closed.”
RELATED: Where did all WNC's native brook trout go?
For a complete list of all hatchery supported trout waters, trout maps, daily stocking updates and rules of fishing etiquette, visit the commission’s trout fishing page.
Karen Chávez is an award-winning outdoors and environment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and USA TODAY Network. She is theauthor of "Best Hikes with Dogs: North Carolina," andis a former National Park Service ranger.
Reach me:KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or on Twitter @KarenChavezACT
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