Delayed Harvest – Paces Mill
Why we like this location:
Paces Mill is one of the best in-town trout fisheries in the country with it’s delayed harvest between November 1st through March 14th. The section is well stocked in a variety of sizes from cookie cutter to trophy rainbows.
Access:
There are several sections starting with Cochran Shoals located just upstream (north) of 285 which is accessed from the Parking lot on the west side of the river. It is a favor locale for hikers, and so you will be fielded a lot of questions about “How is the fishing?”, but you will be rewarded by great access to shoals fishing with vegetation that is a great source of food for large trout. Akers Drive access point will make you feel like you are not in the city at all. It is a much longer carry to the river down a winding trail, but you will not see as many people. Whitewater is almost like a private park in a very upscale neighborhood, but the road takes you to a small parking lot next to the river. It is a great destination for fishing during lunch hours or after work as you can get and off the river very quickly. You can fish either directly across from the parking lot, or walk downriver along a trail. It is a great location to be bring others that may not fishing as it presents a nice hiking opportunity. The most downstream location, Paces Mill, is likely the most popular destination for fly fishing as it is well stocked, and has a variety of experiences from wading to float tubes. Definitely fish the boat ramp as that is where most fish are dropped off, however, a large team of volunteers run bucket stocking all throughout the area.
Flies:
View the Atlanta Fly Fishing Club’s top ten flies for the Hooch page. >
Setup:
- Dry Fly
- Dropper
- Euro Nymph
Safety:
Life vests are not required but are common sense. This section goes from very shallow water to water that is over your head in just a few feet.
View the release schedule for Morgan Falls Dam before going to the dam and if this is your first time visiting, please take a look at understanding the flow rates.
Location:
Cochran Shoals:
Akers Drive:
Whitewater:
Paces Mill: