Nantahala (Delayed Harvest)

Live conditions for Nantahala (Delayed Harvest): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

74cfs→ lowcaution

Low and skinny at 74 cfs — wadeable, fish the deeper holding water · 0% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp—

Stage0.87 ft

Engine callOFF 74 cfs outside wade band 213–700

Gauge read 7:30 AM CDT · USGS 03504000. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

Nantahala (Delayed Harvest) is a tailwater in North Carolina, fished for trout — rainbow, brook, brown. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

troutrainbow troutbrook troutbrown troutWade only

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Nantahala Boat Launch (White Oak Creek Confluence)carry
Wayah Road Fish/Canoe/Kayak Access Area #1carry
Wayah Road Fish/Canoe/Kayak Access Area #2carry
Wayah Road Fish/Canoe/Kayak Access Area #3carry
Wayah Road Fish/Canoe/Kayak Access Area #4carry
Wayah Road Fish/Canoe/Kayak Access Area #5carry
Handicapped-Accessible Fishing Pier (Wayah Road)walk in
Nantahala Powerhouse Access (Lower DH Boundary)carry

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to Nantahala.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in October:

Midges

The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-03505550/ ↗

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