Cheoah Reservoir Fishing
Swain County and Graham County, NCWRC District 9.
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Getting oriented on Cheoah Reservoir
Cheoah Reservoir covers part of Swain County and Graham County as a reservoir in NCWRC District 9. Supplies are closest in Fontana Dam, about 6 miles away. Its trout class is Hatchery Supported.
Records from the Commission list rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout. 3 mapped launches serve it, 1 of them NCWRC Boating Access Areas. The 2026 trout schedule lists 1 stocking date. Ownership of the ramps: Tennessee Valley Authority.
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- Lewellyn Branch1 lane, 11 trailer spaces, 2 docks, Tennessee Valley Authority
- Panel Branch Lake Accessboat ramp, public
- Rymers Ferry Lake Accessboat ramp, public
NCWRC shoreline access, Cheoah Reservoir
- Lewellyn Branch1 pier, owner NC WRC, open
Other ramps by Cheoah Reservoir
- 7th Inning Stretch Boating Siteboat ramp, fee, 2 miles south
- Blue HoleCheoah River, 6 miles southeast
- Avey CreekLake Santeetlah, 6 miles south
- Cheoah PointLake Santeetlah, 6 miles southeast
- Ranger StationLake Santeetlah, 10 miles southeast
- Cable CoveFontana Lake, 10 miles east
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and Public Fishing Areas, USACE Wilmington District, USFS and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.
The Cheoah Reservoir gauge
Brookfield Renewable (Smoky Mountain Hydropower), via safewaters.com, reading dated 2026-10-11. Agency page with the live chart.
Fish to target on Cheoah Reservoir
NCWRC publishes no species survey for most lakes, so this list comes from stocking, regulations, profiles and records that name Cheoah Reservoir. stocked: 3.
NCWRC 2026 stocking list, warm-water regulations, species profiles and state records.
Cheoah Reservoir stocking plan
Scheduled trout stockings, Cheoah Reservoir
NCWRC 2026 warmwater stocking list and the live trout stocking report. North Carolina stocking.
Cheoah Reservoir rules
Cheoah Reservoir appears by name in the NCWRC tables below.
| Species | Size limit | Daily creel |
|---|---|---|
| mountain trout | Cheoah Reservoir |
Public Mountain Trout Waters, Cheoah Reservoir
| Trout class | Daily creel | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchery Supported | 7 a day | no size limit | Aug. 1, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 and 7 a.m. April 3, 2027 – July 31, 2027 |
| 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 |
Rows depending on I-95 or I-77 are chosen for the location of Cheoah Reservoir.
NCWRC 2026-27 inland regulations (eRegulations), checked October 2026. All North Carolina limits.
Side by side with Cheoah Reservoir
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Stocked 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheoah Reservoir | 3 | yes | ||
| Calderwood Lake | 2 miles northwest | 570 | 1 | yes |
| Lake Santeetlah | 9 miles southeast | 2,884 | 5 | |
| Queens Creek Lake | 20 miles southeast | 28.8 | 1 | yes |
| Fontana Lake | 20 miles east | 10,290 | 8 | yes |
| Nantahala Lake | 24 miles southeast | 1,605 | 3 | yes |
Neighbors of Cheoah Reservoir on the map
Lakes close to Cheoah Reservoir
- Calderwood Lake2 miles northwest
- Lake Santeetlah9 miles southeast
- Queens Creek Lake20 miles southeast
- Fontana Lake20 miles east
- Nantahala Lake24 miles southeast
Bait stores near Cheoah Reservoir
- Fontana Village Resort & Marinamarina, Fontana Dam, 6 miles
- Santeetlah Marinamarina, Lake Santeetlah, 7 miles
- Fontana Lake Marinamarina, Graham, 7 miles
- G & S Baitbait and tackle shop, Andrews, 19 miles
- NOC Outfitter's Storesporting goods store, Bryson City, 21 miles
- Carolina Outfitterssporting goods store, Swain, 21 miles
Places to stay by Cheoah Reservoir
- Fontana Dam6 miles
- Lake Santeetlah7 miles
- Robbinsville11 miles
Which counties Cheoah Reservoir crosses
- Swain Countyseat: Bryson City
- Graham Countyseat: Robbinsville
Spinning, baitcasting and a weigh grip
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Common catches near Cheoah Reservoir
Photo: Eric Engbretson for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: BenitoJuarez98, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey from Reston, VA, USA, CC0 1.0
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Cheoah Reservoir in a few answers
Which corner of North Carolina holds Cheoah Reservoir?
Find it in Swain County and Graham County within District 9, about 6 miles from Fontana Dam.
What surface does Cheoah Reservoir cover at full pool?
No agency publishes an acreage for it.
Where is boating access on Cheoah Reservoir?
3 launches; Lewellyn Branch is one of them.
Which fish does NCWRC tie to Cheoah Reservoir?
Records point to rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout.
Does NCWRC stock Cheoah Reservoir?
The trout report lists 1 dates.
What are the creel limits at Cheoah Reservoir?
mountain trout: Cheoah Reservoir, .
What license fee applies at Cheoah Reservoir?
Residents buy the $32 inland license from age 16.
Does a gauge track Cheoah Reservoir?
The reading from Brookfield Renewable sits in the level box above.
Which tackle counter is nearest Cheoah Reservoir?
Try Fontana Village Resort & Marina, around 6 miles off.
Drive out to Cheoah Reservoir
Fees and every statewide limit sit on the license page.