North Carolina counties
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Fishing in Clay County, North Carolina
Seat: Hayesville. NCWRC District 9.
- 2lakes
- 5launches
- 115trout streams
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Clay County, North Carolina
Fishing across Clay County
Clay County has its seat in Hayesville and sits in NCWRC fisheries District 9. Clay County spans 215 square miles of land and 5.8 square miles of water.
Of 2 lakes listed in the county, Chatuge Lake leads by size. The county has 5 launches, split 5 inland and 0 coastal or joint. Trout anglers have 115 designated streams here. The trout report lists 3 waters here.
2lake pages
5mapped launches
115trout streams
1shops
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Every access point in Clay County
NCWRC access areas, USACE, USFS, OpenStreetMap and NC DCM, checked October 2026.
Lakes
Impoundments in Clay County
- Chatuge Lakelake, 6,700 acres, 3 launches
- Nantahala Lakelake, 1,605 acres, 3 launches
Streams
Creeks in Clay County
- Nantahala Riverriver, Delayed Harvest, Hatchery Supported and Wild Trout, 1 launch
- Hiwassee Riverriver, 2 launches
- Fires Creekcreek, Delayed Harvest, Hatchery Supported and Wild Trout
- Buck Creekcreek, Hatchery Supported and Wild Trout
- Tusquitee Creek near Hayesville, Clay Countycreek, Hatchery Supported
- Mill Creek, Clay Countycreek, Wild Trout
- Tallulah Riverriver, Wild Trout
- Coleman Riverriver, Wild Trout
- Tusquitee Creek near Hayesville, Clay County, 0.7 micreek, Wild Trout
Trout streams of Clay County
Another 107 streams are Wild Trout Waters, fished with single-hook artificial lures for 4 trout a day.
- Allbone Branch1.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Bald Springs Branch2 mi, Wild Trout
- Barnards Creek2.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Barrett Branch0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Bee Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Beech Creek3.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Bethabara Creek0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Betty Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Big Tuni Creek5.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Black Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Bluff Branch1.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Boardtree Branch1.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Bob Branch3.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Boone Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Bristol Branch0.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Bullscrape Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Burnt Cabin Branch0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Caesar Austin Branch0.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Camp Branch3.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Carroll Branch0.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Carver Creek1.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Chairmaker Branch1.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Charlies Creek0.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Cherry Cove Branch1 mi, Wild Trout
- Chestnut Branch2.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Chimney Rock Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Church Branch0.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Clear Creek2.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Clear Spring Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Coldspring Branch4.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Collett Camp Branch1.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Compass Creek2.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Copper Mine Branch1.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Dave Barrett Creek2.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Davenport Branch1.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Deep Gap Branch0.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Eagle Fork Creek0.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Fall Branch2.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Far Bald Spring Branch1.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Fishprong Branch1.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Flintspring Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Game Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Glade Branch2.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Haigler Camp Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Hickory Cove Creek1.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Hothouse Branch0.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Hurricane Creek5.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Huskins Branch1.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Jake Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Jane Rabun Branch0.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Johnson Branch2.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Johnson Creek1.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Ketron Camp Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Laurel Creek2.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Leatherwood Branch1.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Ledford Branch0.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Ledford Creek2.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Lee Ledford Branch0 mi, Wild Trout
- Left Prong Johnson Creek0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Licklog Creek0 mi, Wild Trout
- Little Buck Creek2.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Little Fires Creek2.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Little Tuni Creek2.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Locust Log Branch0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Loggy Branch1.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Long Branch11.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Lynch Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Lyon Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Matlock Creek2.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Messer Branch0.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Moore Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Morgan Branch1.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Muskrat Branch2.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Nattie Branch0.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Old House Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Passmore Branch1.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Pendergrass Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Perry Creek2.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Pigpen Branch0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Potrock Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Pounding Mill Creek2.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Ridgepole Creek0 mi, Wild Trout
- Rockhouse Creek2.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Rocking Chair Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Rocky Cove Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Rocky Creek0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Rogues Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Sassafras Branch3.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Shearer Creek0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Shoal Branch1.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Short Branch0.8 mi, Wild Trout
- Snake Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Stable Branch0.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Stephens Branch1.2 mi, Wild Trout
- Steve Branch1 mi, Wild Trout
- Stillhouse Branch3.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Tate Branch1.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Tatham Cabin Branch1.3 mi, Wild Trout
- Thompson Creek0.4 mi, Wild Trout
- Thumping Creek0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Thunderstruck Branch0.7 mi, Wild Trout
- Tipton Branch0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Vineyard Creek1.1 mi, Wild Trout
- Water Spout Branch0.5 mi, Wild Trout
- Wateroak Creek0.9 mi, Wild Trout
- Wheeler Branch0.6 mi, Wild Trout
- Wolfpen Branch1 mi, Wild Trout
NCWRC Public Mountain Trout Waters 2026.
Launches
Access areas in Clay County
Inland boating access, Clay County (5)
- HayesvilleHiwassee River, paddle access
- JackrabbitChatuge Lake, 2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, restrooms, 1 dock
- Ledfords ChapelChatuge Lake, 2 lanes, 42 trailer spaces, restrooms, 1 dock
- Mission TrailraceHiwassee River, paddle access
- Boat launch, Chatuge LakeChatuge Lake, boat ramp
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and Public Fishing Areas, USACE, USFS and OpenStreetMap slipways.
Stocking
Stocked fish and record fish, Clay County
Clay County trout stocking dates
| Water | Dates | First |
|---|---|---|
| Buck Creek | 2 | 2026-04-14 |
| Fires Creek | 1 | 2026-05-06 |
| Fires Creek | 2 | 2026-05-06 |
| Tusquitee Creek | 2 | 2026-04-14 |
Record book entries, Clay County
| Species | Weight | Water |
|---|---|---|
| Bodie Bass (Hybrid Striped Bass) | 17 lbs, 7 oz | Lake Chatuge |
NCWRC 2026 warmwater list, live trout report and freshwater state records.
Limits
Creel rules in Clay County
| Species | Daily creel | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 a day | 14 in minimum | No closed season |
| Crappie | 20 a day | 8 in minimum | No closed season |
| Sunfish | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Striped and Bodie bass | 4 a day | 20 in minimum | No closed season |
| White bass | 10 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
| Walleye | 8 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
| Blue, channel and flathead catfish | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Trout (undesignated waters) | 7 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
NCWRC 2026-27 inland regulations; rows chosen by the county seat position against I-95 and I-77.
Local help
Shops and guides, Clay County
Bait counters across Clay County
- Chatuge Cove Marinamarina, Hayesville
Nearby
In reach of Clay County
Places in Clay County
- Hayesvillepop. 461
Next counties over from Clay County
- Cherokee County18 miles west
- Macon County20 miles east
- Graham County21 miles north
- Jackson County39 miles northeast
Pictures
What is near Clay County, in pictures
Photo: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Elizabeth Swift, CC BY 2.0
Photo: ChristopherM, CC BY 2.5
Photo: John Foxe, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Answers
Clay County in a few answers
How many ramps does Clay County count?
5 launches on file: 5 inland, 0 coastal or joint.
What is the best-known lake in Clay County?
Chatuge Lake, 6,700 acres.
Does Clay County have sound or ocean fishing?
Not in this county, which lies inland.
What NCWRC district is Clay County in?
NCWRC District 9.
Which counters carry tackle in Clay County?
Chatuge Cove Marina and others, 1 in all.
Do charter boats leave from Clay County?
Try the statewide guide page.
Are trout stocked in Clay County?
The 2026 lists cover 3 waters: 0 warmwater fish and 3 trout waters.
Which town governs Clay County?
It is Hayesville.
What license do I need in Clay County?
Inland waters take an NCWRC inland fishing license from age 16 ($32 resident, $56 nonresident).
Cast across Clay County
Pick a lake, ramp or pier above.