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Chattooga River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Deliverance river fishes gentler than its legend: wild and scenic water where Georgia and Carolina trade casts over wild browns.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
169 cfs
Air / High
90 / 90 F
Wind
ESE 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02177000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Chattooga River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 169 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind ESE around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 90. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 93 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Chattooga near Clayton.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02177000.

244384524169 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp90 F
High / Low90 / 71 F
WindESE 5-8 mph
Pressure1015.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain16% cloud, 10%
Sunrise / Sunset07:08 / 19:55
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 90/71 F, wind 11 mph, rain 10%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Chattooga River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Chattooga River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Chattooga River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 89 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 90 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 88 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Georgia requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

GA or SC license (shared-water reciprocity). Delayed Harvest rules seasonal: wilderness sections standard: check both states.

Access

Burrells Ford walk-in, Highway 28 bridge, Ellicott Rock trailheads.

About this water

The Wild & Scenic border river, Rabun County GA / Oconee County SC. Protected trout water of the Southeast.

Fishing Chattooga River: the full guide

Wild and scenic reality

The Chattooga runs the GA-SC line through National Wild & Scenic corridor: the Southeast's most protected river: famous for its film history, beloved by anglers for what the protection preserved: wild browns and rainbows in the upper reaches, stocked water at the accesses, and a roadless feel an hour from civilization.

The trout water

Above Highway 28 the river narrows into trout country: the Delayed Harvest section (GA-SC cooperative water: fall-spring stocking with catch-and-release rules) offers the friendly classroom, while the backcountry miles above (Burrells Ford, Ellicott Rock wilderness) hold wild browns earned by boot leather. Rock Gorge's deep pools hide the river's rumored giants.

Reading the border river

Either state's license works on the shared water (a rare courtesy): the river fishes classic freestone (attractors and droppers, streamers in the dark pools): and summer's rafting reaches stay downstream: the trout miles remain paddle-free by rule. Winter DH weekends bring the crowds: midweek owns the wilderness.

Corridor practicalities

Access walks in: Burrells Ford's campground (the storied base), Highway 28's bridge, the Ellicott Rock trails: quarter-mile buffers keep vehicles from the banks everywhere: the protection is the experience. Clayton (GA) and Walhalla (SC) bracket services: our Clayton gauge reads the river's mood.

Common questions

Do I need both licenses on the Chattooga?

Either works on the shared main stem: the states honor each other here. Tributaries revert to their own bank's rules.

Where are the wild trout on the Chattooga?

Above Burrells Ford into the Ellicott Rock wilderness: browns that never met a stocking truck. The walk filters the crowd: the fish reward it.

Is fishing good at Chattooga River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Burton15 miLake Jocassee22 miLake Keowee23 miLake Chatuge26 miChatuge Lake27 miLake Hartwell28 mi
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