Watauga River
Trout water; 4 stockings on the 2026 record.
Watauga County · North Carolina · see it on the national map
4
stockings 2026
May 4
last stocked
Oct 12
next announced
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Stocking record 2026
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| May 4wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| Oct 12wk | Trout | catchable | scheduled | |
| Nov 9wk | Trout | catchable | scheduled |
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (trout stocked 4 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork Holston River (Lower) VA | 13 mi | May 26 |
| Big Moccasin Creek VA | 13 mi | Apr 2 |
| Doe River TN | 13 mi | Jun 7 |
| Alexander Creek TN | 17 mi | Apr 19 |
| Laurel Fork TN | 18 mi | Jun 7 |
Records from N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
North Carolina fishing
regulations.