French Broad River
Fishing and stocking
Stocked through the 2026 season program: muskellunge; 216 fish in the published allocation. One of 7 stocked waters on the Madison County record.
Madison County ยท North Carolina · see it on the national map
What swims here
Muskellunge
Season program record
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations. The North Carolina season shape statewide: march through may, october and november.
Agency feed checked today.
| Season | Species | Size | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 season | Muskellunge | yearling | 216 |
When to fish French Broad River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:13 am-12:13 pm and 10:36 pm-12:36 am | 4:30-5:30 am and 4:47-5:47 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:59 am-12:59 pm | 5:35-6:35 am and 5:14-6:14 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked through the 2026 season program
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · North Carolina fishing forecast
Gear for this water
For the muskie and pike (muskellunge on the season program here, moving water)
| Steel or heavy fluoro leader | non-negotiable; pike and muskie cut everything else |
| Oversized landing net | a stocked muskie fishery deserves a proper release tool |
| Heavy casting rod | 7.5 to 9 ft heavy with 65 to 80 lb braid; these fish punish light gear |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Little River TN | 9.5 mi | May 31 |
| W. Prong Little Pigeon R. (Pigeon Forge) TN | 17 mi | May 24 |
| West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg) TN | 17 mi | Jul 30 |
| Buffalo Creek TN | 23 mi | Oct 4 |
| Mossy Creek (NEW) TN | 23 mi | Jan 14 |
Follow Madison County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule