Cherokee North Carolina Outing, Date February 14-16, 2025
Cherokee, NC is not just one of the best places in the state to find excellent fishing waters, it is one of the best in the country. Want to plan a trout fishing trip to the mountains of NC? Come fish the crystal clear waters of Cherokee, brimming with brook, large browns, and rainbow trout. Renowned for 18-inch and above record-size trout Cherokee’s 30 miles of accessible fishing water is the single largest managed trout fishery in the eastern states.
From beginners to experts, anglers of all skill levels will love trout fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Clear streams and rivers run through the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Fisheries and Wildlife Management stocks these clean mountain waters with nearly 400,000 rainbow, brook and brown trout annually. Unlike in many other areas, Cherokee trout fishing is permitted throughout the year.
ly Fishing The Raven Fork (Cherokee Tribal Waters) North Carolina
The Raven Fork is a beautiful freestone mountain stream that flows from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While the stream is difficult to access inside the park (a separate section is available for the Raven Fork inside the park) it is very easy to access outside the park in the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The fishing is under the control of the Cherokee Indian Nation (Cherokee Tribal Waters) who stocks and manages the Raven Fork.
The trout shown above is a Palomino Trout. It is a hybridized pure stain of a Golden Trout and a rainbow. The stream is also stocked with brown and rainbow trout.
There is a special “catch and release” section of the Raven Fork that is about two miles long. An annual permit is required for fishing the Catch and Release Area. Tribal Permits are required to fish any area of the Raven Fork outside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There are some trout that hold over and continue to grow. There are also some very large trout that are stocked. It is not unusual to see rainbows in the twenty inch range caught from the Raven Fork.
For fly fishing the Raven Fork within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, see this section of our website. It is the best brook trout stream in the park but it does require some leg work to reach the best waters.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Raven Fork:
Fishing conditions can be crowded in the Special Catch and Release Section at times.
The Raven Fork flows in from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a short distance and is joined by the waters of Straight Fork Creek which flows from a different section of the park. At that point it becomes a larger stream. There are pools and runs in the upper section of the stream. Some areas of this part is pure pocket water. Farther downstream near the town of Cherokee, the stream widens out and flows over shallow riffles for much of its length. There are also some long, large pools.
The Raven Fork is stocked at several locations on a regular basis. The fish tend to congregate in certain areas and so do the anglers. The large Palomino trout can be easily spotted due to their light, bright color. They are cast at often.
Downstream of the Catch and Release Section, the fishing is more the normal trout stream fly fishing but it too, is stocked heavily – just with by huge trout.
From beginners to experts, anglers of all skill levels will love trout fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Clear streams and rivers run through the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Fisheries and Wildlife Management stocks these clean mountain waters with nearly 400,000 rainbow, brook and brown trout annually. Unlike in many other areas, Cherokee trout fishing is permitted throughout the year.
ly Fishing The Raven Fork (Cherokee Tribal Waters) North Carolina
The Raven Fork is a beautiful freestone mountain stream that flows from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While the stream is difficult to access inside the park (a separate section is available for the Raven Fork inside the park) it is very easy to access outside the park in the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The fishing is under the control of the Cherokee Indian Nation (Cherokee Tribal Waters) who stocks and manages the Raven Fork.
The trout shown above is a Palomino Trout. It is a hybridized pure stain of a Golden Trout and a rainbow. The stream is also stocked with brown and rainbow trout.
There is a special “catch and release” section of the Raven Fork that is about two miles long. An annual permit is required for fishing the Catch and Release Area. Tribal Permits are required to fish any area of the Raven Fork outside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There are some trout that hold over and continue to grow. There are also some very large trout that are stocked. It is not unusual to see rainbows in the twenty inch range caught from the Raven Fork.
For fly fishing the Raven Fork within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, see this section of our website. It is the best brook trout stream in the park but it does require some leg work to reach the best waters.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Raven Fork:
Fishing conditions can be crowded in the Special Catch and Release Section at times.
The Raven Fork flows in from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a short distance and is joined by the waters of Straight Fork Creek which flows from a different section of the park. At that point it becomes a larger stream. There are pools and runs in the upper section of the stream. Some areas of this part is pure pocket water. Farther downstream near the town of Cherokee, the stream widens out and flows over shallow riffles for much of its length. There are also some long, large pools.
The Raven Fork is stocked at several locations on a regular basis. The fish tend to congregate in certain areas and so do the anglers. The large Palomino trout can be easily spotted due to their light, bright color. They are cast at often.
Downstream of the Catch and Release Section, the fishing is more the normal trout stream fly fishing but it too, is stocked heavily – just with by huge trout.
Primary Fishing Location: Raven Fork
How do I purchase a tribal fish permit on-line?Instructions for purchasing permits on-line:
Fish Cherokee.com (Cherokee NC)
1) Go to https://fishcherokee.com,
2) Click on the Buy A Permit tab at top of page,
• if you have previously purchased a tribal fish permit and have your tribal sportsman number, click on “I have a sportsman number and am ready to buy permit,”
• if you have not previously purchased a tribal fish permit or you cannot remember your sportsman number, click on “Register for a Sportsman Number and Buy Permit,”
3) Enter your personal information and continue,
4) Select the respective permit by clicking on the calendar to the right,
5) Selecting the start date (make sure start date is correct, dates cannot be changed),
6) Click inside the box to the right (a checkmark will appear),
7) Tournament registration may be purchased at same time by clicking inside box to right of selected tournament (a checkmark will appear),
8) Make sure your selections and permit dates are correct,
9) Select continue to enter payment method,
10) Enter your payment information and verify for accuracy,
11) Select continue,
12) Once payment is accepted, the system will generate a printable permit (if system buffers or appears to be processing slow, be patient until permit is viewable),
13) Print your permit (must have a working printer – email confirmations are not available),
14) Exit print page.
15) To purchase for 2nd person, return to home page by clicking on the fish cherokee logo and begin process again.
How do I purchase a tribal fish permit on-line?Instructions for purchasing permits on-line:
Fish Cherokee.com (Cherokee NC)
1) Go to https://fishcherokee.com,
2) Click on the Buy A Permit tab at top of page,
• if you have previously purchased a tribal fish permit and have your tribal sportsman number, click on “I have a sportsman number and am ready to buy permit,”
• if you have not previously purchased a tribal fish permit or you cannot remember your sportsman number, click on “Register for a Sportsman Number and Buy Permit,”
3) Enter your personal information and continue,
4) Select the respective permit by clicking on the calendar to the right,
5) Selecting the start date (make sure start date is correct, dates cannot be changed),
6) Click inside the box to the right (a checkmark will appear),
7) Tournament registration may be purchased at same time by clicking inside box to right of selected tournament (a checkmark will appear),
8) Make sure your selections and permit dates are correct,
9) Select continue to enter payment method,
10) Enter your payment information and verify for accuracy,
11) Select continue,
12) Once payment is accepted, the system will generate a printable permit (if system buffers or appears to be processing slow, be patient until permit is viewable),
13) Print your permit (must have a working printer – email confirmations are not available),
14) Exit print page.
15) To purchase for 2nd person, return to home page by clicking on the fish cherokee logo and begin process again.
Alternative Fishing Location: Oconaluftee
Alternative Fishing Location: Tuckaseegee
Outing Lodging:
Group Events:
Thursday: Event Location & time & address
Friday: Event Location link & time & address
Saturday: Outing Dinner TBD
Thursday: Event Location & time & address
Friday: Event Location link & time & address
Saturday: Outing Dinner TBD
