Western North Carolina Best Fishing Lake Rankings

We have so many lakes here in Western NC and most of them are extremely deep and extremely clear! Every lake provides anglers with different opportunities for different species. Some lakes are more diverse, some lakes have larger fish and some lakes have more fish! This is the where they stack up against one another!

#1) Lake Chatuge, Hayesville NC
Without question Lake Chatuge is one of the most diverse fisheries in Western NC! Filled with all kinds of baitfish species it makes for one of the healthiest predatory fish habitats! Filled with gizzard shad, threadfin shad and blueback herring, Lake Chatuge largemouth, spotted bass and hybrid stripers grow to trophy sizes!

#2) Lake Glenville, Cashiers NC
Lake Glenville is the highest lake in elevation east of the Mississippi River. It's cold deep water is a nice home for GIANT smallmouth and big largemouth! The blueback herring in the lake make for great forage for big walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout and the occasional spotted bass as well!

#3) Lake Apalachia, Hiwassee Dam NC
This little whole in the wall lake in Western NC is full of GIANT bass! Smallmouth and largemouth gorge on trout and blueback herring in Apalachia! This fishery has some tanks and they stock trout to help control the herring population. It's well worth the adventure!

#4) Lake Hiwassee, Murphy NC
Tucked in the very west corner of North Carolina is a lake filled with a ton of beautiful views, different fish species and GIANT FISH! Lake Hiwassee is thick with baitfish species! Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, blueback herring, trout, bream, perch and crawfish! There are giant stripers, largemouth, smallmouth, spottedbass and walleye in Lake Hiwassee! Definitely one of the best lakes in the region!

#5) Nantahala Lake, Nantahala NC
Way up through the back roads of the Nantahala National Forest is a beautiful mountain gem filled with all kinds of amazing fish! Nantahala has a big threadfin shap population that feeds the present predatory fish that include, kokanee salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,

#6) Lake Junaluska, Waynesville NC
Lake J is 200 acres and filled with fish that will make you smile! The lake is suprisingly a phenomonal trohpy bass fishery and the local community stocks it with trout during the winter! It's a trolling motor only lake that doesn't see a lot of fishing pressure! It may be small but it is one of the best lakes in the mountains, don't let the size fool you!

#7) Fontana Lake, Bryson City NC
The mighty Fontana was known nationally as one of the most prolific big smallmouth fisheries in the country in the 90's and early 2000's! With the introduction of invasive spotted bass to Fontana the lake really spiralled out of control with the quantity of fish and lack of quality but there is no doubt that it is on its way back! Blueback herring have made their way into Fontana from Lake Glenville! The herring should help the grow GIANT largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass!

#8) Lake Santeetlah, Robbinsville NC
Located right next to Tail of The Dragon is the beautiful Lake Santeetleh! This lake has a very healthy population of largemouth bass and quite a few smallmouth! The size can be suspect as there are a ton of 1 pound to 1 1/2 pound fish in Santeetlah. Definitely a top 10 fishery of Western NC!

#9) Bear Lake, Tuckasegee NC
Bear lake is definitely a local favorite! Loaded with BIG bass and BIG trout Bear lake has a ton of trophy sized fish! This lake may actually possess the state record walleye too! The fish grow big in the deep clear water! This is a must fish if you've never fished it!

#10) Wolf Creek Lake, Tuckasegee NC
Wolf Creek sets up a lot like Bear Lake! Big walleye, trout, largemouth and smallmouth! Filled with threadfin shad and deep, clear water Wolf Creek can bring out the STUDS! It's beautiful shoreline, cliffs and beaches are great to fish for the different species! Way up 281 in Tuckasegee, it is well worth the drive!

Tell us what you think of our rankings and visit us at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply!

21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC