Toccoa River special regulations and enforcement of them is going to be the key to keeping the Toccoa River a healthy trout fishery for the long-term.  The DNR is currently gathering data and statistics so they can present to the state, recommendations for introducing special trout regulations on the Toccoa River.  The first step in special regulations on the river will be to implement a slot-limit on the Toccoa River.  DNR have tagged trout in the Toccoa River and are requesting anglers who catch tagged fish to call the phone number which is posted at each public access point on the Toccoa River.  The statistics obtained from anglers reporting tagged fish and where they caught them, is really important in the overall effort of the DNR acquiring special regulations in the future.

South Holston Trophy Brown Trout

This above Trout Unlimited ad pretty much says it all in a nut shell.  We have to take care of the trout on the Toccoa River by introducing appropriate special regulations where needed, and the fishing will begin to recover and have the opportunity to thrive down the road.  However, the best conservation regulations in place won’t make a difference unless they are enforced.  There has been numerous cases where the local DNR officer has been called about poaching and regulations being broken, and they did not take the time to follow up on the call.  It’s discouraging but I thank everyone who’s taken the time out of their fishing to report these instances.

The South Holston in Tennessee years ago was just a fraction of the quality trout stream it has become today.  The implementation of special regulations and the building of a weir for oxygen generation have completely revived the South Holston’s entomology bug life and trout fishing.  A slot-limit was introduced to allow fish to mature, and the average trout size has increased dramatically.  The Tennessee DNR also closes the river annually during the brown trout spawning season.  As stated above earlier, even more importantly the DNR has strictly enforced all of the special regulations in place.

South Holston Weir Dam

My dream for the future is seeing the Toccoa River getting the respect it deserves for its valuable resources, and in the near future, have special regulations implemented on the river modeled after the South Holston River in Tennessee.  This dream of mine is possible if we all work together.  Please make sure to help the local DNR out with their studies by calling in your tagged trout.  Clip off the tags so you can provide them with the serial number.  You can also help the Toccoa River by becoming a member of the Trout Unlimited Blue Ridge Chapter (696).  This TU chapter is also working very hard educating conservation on our trout waters in North Georgia, and volunteering their time in aiding the DNR in its efforts.

South Holston Map

The Toccoa River isn’t Dead by any means, but it’s more important than ever for us to move forward in our conservation efforts to ensure we protect the Toccoa River fishery for future generations.