🐟 What fish can you catch in Linville?

Most commonly caught species around Linville , NC : Rainbow trout - 2,758 reported catches Largemouth bass - 2,433 reported catches Brown trout - 1,058 reported catches Smallmouth bass - 967 reported catches Bluegill - 612 reported catches .

📢 What are the latest Linville fishing reports?

The latest Linville , NC fishing reports are: @isaiah__ reported a nice Bluegill at Watauga Lake . @Ethan_Kuhlman_NC reported a nice Channel catfish at Lake Rhodhiss . @cunningham-malachi reported a nice Redear sunfish at Lake Rhodhiss . @CharLikesToFish reported a nice Largemouth bass at Land Harbors Lake . @ty.burch reported a nice Largemouth bass at Lake Rhodhiss . .

Fishing in Linville, NC

Q: 🎣 Where to fish in Linville, North Carolina?

Anglers in Linville , NC recommend these top fishing spots: Watauga River , South Fork New River , Doe River , North Toe River , Johns River .

Q: 📅 What is the best time to go fishing in Linville?

Download the Fishbrain app and see today's Fishing and Weather Forecast for Linville , NC . We give you weather trends and help you find the perfect window to catch your next personal best. With Fishbrain Pro , you will get the following capabilities: Plan smarter: Get hour-by-hour fishing weather conditions. Fish at peak times: Use BiteTime™ predictions to maximize catches. Stay ahead of the weather: Get hyper-local, real-time updates. .

North Carolina, United States

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Top fish species in Linville

Latest Linville fishing reports

Bluegill

Watauga Lake

6 in · 5 oz

Channel catfish

Lake Rhodhiss

length · weight

Redear sunfish

Lake Rhodhiss

length · weight

Largemouth bass

Land Harbors Lake

12 in · 1 lb

Largemouth bass

Lake Rhodhiss

13 in · 1 lb 3 oz

Largemouth bass

Lake James

length · weight

Largemouth bass

Lake Rhodhiss

length · weight

Largemouth bass

Peppertree

8 in · 6 oz

Spotted bass

Lake Rhodhiss

length · weight

Brook trout

Elk Creek

length · weight

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Fishing regulations in Linville

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in North Carolina can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Rainbow trout as of May 26th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Select species

Rainbow trout

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

Aggregate

A license that provides trout fishing privileges may be used to fish on Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Resident and nonresident anglers may instead purchase a three-day Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license valid only on Mountain Heritage Trout Waters.

Mountain waters that support trout and are open to public fishing are designated as "Public Mountain Trout Waters" by the Wildlife Resources Commission and are managed for public trout fishing.

Maps of trout water and their classifications may be viewed at ncwildlife.org/trout.

UNDESIGNATED TROUT WATERS

No closed season; No size limit; daily creel limit 7; no lures/ bait restriction

All other Public Mountain Trout Waters are as follows:

HATCHERY SUPPORTED TROUT WATERS

Season: Aug. 1, 2023 – Feb. 29, 2024; 7 a.m. April 6, 2024 – July 31, 2024

No size limit; daily creel limit 7; no lures/ bait restriction

No fishing allowed: March 1, 2024 – April 5, 2024

Linville River and tributaries within Linville Gorge Wilderness Area

Power reservoirs and municipal water supply reservoirs

No closed season; No size limit; daily creel limit 7 No lures /bait restriction

DELAYED HARVEST TROUT WATERS

Oct. 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024

No trout may be possessed

No fishing allowed from 1⁄2 hour after sunset on May 31, 2024, to 6 a.m. on June 1, 2024

Artificial lures with a single hook. Natural bait may not be possessed.

No size limit; daily creek limit 7

Aug. 1, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2023

June 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024

(Note: youth under 18 years old only fishing from 6 a.m. until noon on June 1, 2024)

No size limit; daily creel limit 7; no lures /bait restriction

WILD TROUT WATERS

No closed season; 7 inches minimum size; daily creel limit 4; Artificial lures with a single hook.

WILD TROUT NATURAL BAIT WATERS

No closed season; 7 inches minimum size; daily creel limit 4; Artificial lures or natural bait with a single hook. No live fish allowed as bait.

CATCH AND RELEASE / ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND LURES ONLY TROUT WATERS

No closed season; No trout may be possessed; Artificial flies and lures with a single hook. Natural bait may not be possessed.

SPECIAL REGULATION TROUT WATERS

Catawba River from Muddy Creek to Morganton water intake dam

No closed season; 14 inches minimum size; daily creel limit 2; No lures /bait restriction

Apalachia Reservoir

No size limit but only one trout may be greater than 14 inches; daily creel limit 3 including only one trout greater than 14 inches; No lures /bait restriction

For more information please see https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing/regulations

Excellent

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Regulations for

36°04′2.6″N 81°52′17.4″W

Regulations in the map

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FAQ about Linville fishing

Anglers in Linville, NC recommend these top fishing spots: Watauga River, South Fork New River, Doe River, North Toe River, and Johns River.

Most commonly caught species around Linville, NC:

Rainbow trout - 2,758 reported catches
Largemouth bass - 2,433 reported catches
Brown trout - 1,058 reported catches
Smallmouth bass - 967 reported catches
Bluegill - 612 reported catches

The latest Linville, NC fishing reports are:

@isaiah__ reported a nice Bluegill at Watauga Lake.
@Ethan_Kuhlman_NC reported a nice Channel catfish at Lake Rhodhiss.
@cunningham-malachi reported a nice Redear sunfish at Lake Rhodhiss.
@CharLikesToFish reported a nice Largemouth bass at Land Harbors Lake.
@ty.burch reported a nice Largemouth bass at Lake Rhodhiss.

Download the and see today's Fishing and Weather Forecast for Linville, NC. We give you weather trends and help you find the perfect window to catch your next personal best. With Fishbrain Pro, you will get the following capabilities: