The Wild & Scenic border river between Georgia and South Carolina — cold, tumbling headwater forks holding native specks, opening into wild rainbow and brown water downstream. Rugged, beautiful, and almost entirely public.
- Acidic metamorphic
Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Warm — slow21.9°Cideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 21.9°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface
Hatch predictions
See the full sub-surface read with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence
Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.
Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
1
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 21.9°C. Nothing cooler within range.
Gallery · 2
20171114-FS-CHF-SMB-00 Terrain map
About this water
Conservation note
Native brookies in the cold upper forks; wild rainbow/brown lower. brook_trout (char comfort-overlay), rainbow_trout and brown_trout all score post-seed; native brookies handled conservation-first.
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
- Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Chattooga River' (GAR030601020222), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Metals Other Than Mercury, Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.
Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.
EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · GAR030601020222
The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 80%
How the 16 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature12 × 28%3.4
Flow55 × 22%12.1
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity33 × 12%4.0
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.9°C) is outside Rainbow Trout's preferred range (10–18°C)= 39
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Related guides
Booking & contacts
Chattooga River (headwaters)
The Wild & Scenic border river between Georgia and South Carolina — cold, tumbling headwater forks holding native specks, opening into wild rainbow and brown water downstream.
Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Warm — slow21.9°Cideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 21.9°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface
Hatch predictions
See the full sub-surface read with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence
Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.
Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
1
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 21.9°C. Nothing cooler within range.
Gallery · 2
20171114-FS-CHF-SMB-00 Terrain map
About this water
The Wild & Scenic border river between Georgia and South Carolina — cold, tumbling headwater forks holding native specks, opening into wild rainbow and brown water downstream. Rugged, beautiful, and almost entirely public.
- Acidic metamorphic
Conservation note
Native brookies in the cold upper forks; wild rainbow/brown lower. brook_trout (char comfort-overlay), rainbow_trout and brown_trout all score post-seed; native brookies handled conservation-first.
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
- Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Chattooga River' (GAR030601020222), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Metals Other Than Mercury, Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.
Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.
EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · GAR030601020222
The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 80%
How the 16 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature12 × 28%3.4
Flow55 × 22%12.1
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity33 × 12%4.0
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.9°C) is outside Rainbow Trout's preferred range (10–18°C)= 39
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Related guides
Booking & contacts