Georgia Natural Wonder #113 - Noontootla Falls – Noontootla Creek. 2,857

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Georgia Natural Wonder #113 - Noontootla Falls – Noontootla Creek

We are going from Swamps to Waterfalls for a stretch on these Georgia Natural Wonders and we are back in North Georgia for another waterfall off Georgia Highway 60 north of Woody Gap. I thought I was getting close to the Rich Mountain Wilderness so now I have information on Woody Gap and Rich Mountain all cued up up for future Natural Wonders.  But it turns out today's Fall originates from Springer Mountain. I am going to hold Springer for a future GNW by itself so there was the challenge to supplement a simple half mile waterfall hike and I came across several sites that talked about trout fishing on today's creek and it got pretty detailed. I looked up the private property section Noontootla Creek Farms, and the daily rates for Fly Fishing were $240 per day. So today we focus on the waterfall and 12 mile length of Noontootla Creek. This tall waterfall is on a small tributary of Noontootla Creek and is very close to the road. You can't see all of it from the base so it is hard to judge the waterfall's full height.



Noontootla Falls can be accessed from FS 58 by a short scramble up the very steep slope on the east side of the road and north side of the creek to the base of the falls. Earlier post detail how you get to the Three Forks area of Fannin County. Long Creek Falls GNW #109 - Falls of Jones Creek GNW #86. Now FS 58 starts from the south at the Three Forks. But for today's directions let's keep it simple and go North on Hwy. 60 past Woody Gap to the intersection and paved road Doublehead Gap Road on your left. Take Doublehead gap South for 5.7 miles till you get to FS 58 going left. Travel 3.1 mile on the dirt road till you cross Noontootla Creek, the 2nd creek past FS 58B. The fall is up to your left this way, just go upstream. Keep a sharp eye out for Noontootla's large boulders and park here.

Waterfall Location: 34.686100, -84.194833



Our first Internet hiker starts at the Three Forks and travels north on FS 58 for 2.4 miles brings you also to Noontootla Creek a small tributary on the right tumbling off the steep mountain and going under the road via a culvert . You have to be alert or, like me, you will drive right past it. A 200 yard climb up a 50 degree slippery slope brings you to a place where you can get a decent shot of the major portion of the waterfall.


TRD shots of Falls.

Another hiker drove the whole length of FS 58 to look for waterfalls.  The creek along this road (Noontootla Creek below Three Forks, I'm not sure which creek it is above that) has lots of small drops and rocks, and is therefore quite a "talkative" creek.  It sounds like it has a lot more falls than it actually has.



We also found the short, steep trail to Noontootla Falls - which is distantly visible from the road, right up at the top of the ridge.



There is also a fair sized "braided" falls right at the road on the same side branch.



Falls #1 & #2 are across from each other.  Falls #1 is in Noontootla Creek, and falls #2 is at the base of the side branch that has Noontootla Falls at the top of the ridge. Noontootla Falls is the wavy white streak that goes from near the top of the photo to about the center of the photo.



Falls #3 and #4 are just below the main falls, still in the public Blue Ridge section of the creek.



Noontootla tumbles North off Springer Mountain to the South.



Falls #5 & #6 are right across from each other a little down.  Falls #5 is in the main creek beside the road.



#6 is on a side creek just above the road.



I found this You Tube of the main waterfall at low water conditions.



Then I found this You Tube about fishing on Noontootla Creek and it set me off on a whole other tangent.


And it got that song stuck in my head.

First, we have Wikipedia Description of Noontootla Creek

Noontootla Creek is a small mountain stream situated in the Chattahoochee National Forest in north Georgia. The creek has a healthy population of trout and is managed to imitate a natural stream.Noontootla Creek begins close to Springer Mountain at an elevation of 3045 feet above sea level. From there it flows northwest for approximately eleven miles where it joins the Toccoa River. Noontootla is a name derived from the Cherokee language meaning either "land of the shining water" or "middle sun".



Noontootla Creek offers anglers a variety of trout-fishing opportunities in its approximately dozen miles of waters. The year-round cold waters of the Noontootla hold wild browns and rainbows that, because of the special regulations, grow to heftier sizes than the average wild fish. The two species were introduced decades ago and have adapted well to the hemlock and mountain laurel shaded waters. The rainbows and browns have successfully bred into ample self-sustaining populations. The species have not been stocked since the mid-1960s.


Noontootla Creek Farms $240 Trout.

Several small feeder streams containing populations of wild brook trout join to form Noontootla's headwaters. These native inhabitants still thrive in the smaller waters, some of which are at elevations of more 3,000 feet, where the non-native brown and rainbow trout have not been able to reach.



Toward the stream's mouth, miles of private land stretch along Noontootla Creek, which runs through more gentle terrain of rolling fields and woodlands. The notable section is owned and managed as pay-to-fish water by Noontootla Creek Farms. It is home to some much larger brown and rainbow trout, many of which are trophy-sized fish. This section is so popular with anglers that when one mentions fishing on Noontootla Creek the next question is almost always "on public waters or at NCF?"



Noontootla Creek and the greater portion of its feeder creeks lie within Fannin County, southeast of the town of Blue Ridge. The stream originates in southern Fannin County close to the Lumpkin and Union County borders. It tumbles down in a northwesterly direction from Springer Mountain, very near the origination point of the Appalachian Trail. It's public waters, consisting of about two-thirds of the river, lie within the boundary of Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area within the Chattahoochee National Forest. Finally, Noontootla Creek dumps into the Toccoa River southeast and upstream of Blue Ridge Reservoir, just below the crossroads of Dial.Along this course, the entire watershed is open to fishing year 'round.

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Now to be honest, I have never really trout fished except in a trout pond. There are dozens around and it is always great to catch a few for camping out wrapping the fish in aluminum foil to cook on the campfire with ears of corn and baked potatoes. But the descriptions and images I found along this creek make it a stand alone GNW, so I copy and paste a few narratives of fishing this creek. There are no real trails or hikes to detail. A few folks complained about directions on one site but it looks like you just drive FS 58 by the creek and if you see something, park and scramble to the creek for explorations.



About 20 miles south of the town of Blue Ridge, a dirt and gravel USFS Road 58 climbs through a dense Chattahoochee National Forest. This area of Fannin County is known as the Trout Capital of Georgia. Just as Aska Road follows the Toccoa River, Forest Road 58 also mirrors Noontootla Creek. As the Noontootla descends toward the Toccoa, fast moving riffles, deep pools and undercut banks provide the perfect habitat for wild trout, an angler's paradise.



The creek is locked in the shade of a thick tree canopy and the banks are lined with rhododendron. The fast moving stream is littered with rounded stones and truck-sized boulders. Occasionally, a level river bank area, carpeted in pine needles, makes a cozy camping area. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, serenaded by a cascading brook and having one of the best trout streams at your feet, could this be any better?



Noontootla Creek begins near Frying Pan Gap on Springer Mountain. It's born in the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area and is a tributary of the Upper Toccoa River. The thing I like about it the most is the fact it's "catch and release" only. Actually, that isn't exactly true because you can keep one trout 16 inches long but that's good enough. Live bait isn't permitted. In a state that has twenty to one more "kill all you can catch" trout streams than it does "catch and release" stream, that means some concerned anglers thought enough of the stream to see that it's well managed.



Noontootla Creek has wild rainbows and brown trout with brook trout in some of its tributaries in the headwaters. Most of the rainbows average about six inches long. Most everyone will say they run from six to twelve but there are a lot more that are close to 6 inches than 12. The browns are different. Brown trout of over twenty inches long are not common, of course, but are said to exist in the stream according to the shocking reports that have been done there.



Noontootla Creek has three small tributaries in its headwaters which start at about the 3000 feet level. They are Chester Creek, Stover Creek and Long Creek. They join at an area called Three Forks (I always thought the dirt road intersection was the Three Forks). These streams are said to contain native brook trout. We have only fished downstream of there.You would think this would be a crowded trout stream but its far from it. We have only fished the stream twice. On our first trip there in the Fall season several years ago, I don't remember ever seeing another angler. It made us think we were fishing a lousy stream until we started catching trout. Just about the entire stream is followed closely with Forest Service Road 58. Access is easy.



Our second trip was also during the Fall, three years ago. We still didn't see the first angler fishing the stream. Much of the time we were in the creek fishing and it's highly possible others were there, but we didn't see the first person, fishing or not fishing. The Fall season also probably had something to do with it. Noontootla Creek is a very good little trout stream and you would think it would be more popular than it is. The property outside the Blue Ridge Wildlife Area is private. There's one private outfit called Noontootla Creek Farms that's a pay to fish arrangement. Fishing there can be arranged through Unicoi Outfitters. There's a lot of other private property along the stream before it reaches the Toccoa River. It flows through farmland and open areas, so it appears to be doubtful as to whether it would continue to support any wild trout very far outside of the forest area.



We took samples of the aquatic insect larvae from the stream each time we were there. It has a large diversity of insects, but doesn't seem to have any species that are highly plentiful other than stoneflies. We found a lot of Little Yellow, Little Brown, Winter Stones, Needtlflies, some Goldens and a few Giant Black stoneflies.There were several species called Blue-winge Olives, Blue Quills, Quills Gordons, American March Browns, Light Cahills, Cream Cahills, and a few other species but none seemed to be highly plentiful.



There were even fewer caddisfly species. Lots of Little Black Caddis, some Cinnamon and a few Green Sedges. Great Autumn Brown sedges are also present. Ants and beetles are plentiful and there's probably a few hoppers that can be important in some areas. Sculpin are highly plentiful, along with a few minnows and baitfish.

Seasons:

You can fish the stream anytime of the year.

Spring:

Spring is the best time of year to fish the river because
of the hatches.

Summer:

The stream fishes fine most of the Summer.

Fall:

Autumn is a great time to fish. The fall foliage along the
stream is beautiful. Brown trout spawn in the fall.

Winter:

Warm winter days brings some good fishing at times

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Again, I am not a Wild Trout fisherman but the Fish Hatchery is off FS 69 over by the Little Rock Creek Falls GNW #105 and I always thought they are managing this creek too. Here is a very descriptive Fish instruction about the whole creek.



Can’t wait to finally catch your trophy trout? Well, try it in Noontootla Creek and you’ll surely get your chance. This beautiful creek is one of the best trout fishing areas in the southeast of the country. Kent Klewein became a fly fishing guide at an early age of 10. He became a fulltime guide in North Georgia and North Carolina upon graduation from college with a Bachelor’s Degree and Business Administration and the completion of Bressler Outfitters fly fishing guide school in 2000. He is well-known for being the top guide for putting clients on trophy rainbow and brown trout on the Toccoa River and the Noontootla Creek as well as other tributaries in North Georgia. He has been recognized in publications and media such as The Southeast’s Best Fly Fishing, American Angler Magazine, Georgia Sportsman’s Magazine, Trout Unlimited Magazine, ESPN The Fly Fishing Masters, and Aarons Outdoors - Pursuit Channel. He has also been featured in fly fishing catalogs for Scott Fly Rods, Korkers, and Redington.



Noontootla Creek is a mountain trout fishery located in North Georgia, southeast of the United States. It is the biggest tributary of the Toccoa River. The creek is divided into both private and public sections. For the trout fishery itself, majority on the private section is wild trout, wild rainbow, and brown trout. In the public section of the Nontootla Creek, there is 100 per cent wild rainbow trout and brown trout. Some brook trout are also present up in the high head waters of the creek and its tributaries. It is relatively a small stream with a lot of pocket water, boulders, and rhododendron, but it’s a very good place for anglers to not only challenge themselves, but also improve their skills since the stream demands it. At the foothills of the public section of the Noontootla Creek, you will be looking at around 2400 feet with the headwaters pushing over 3,000 feet of elevation. The area is quite hilly and mountainous. There are also sections that are easy to get in and out of and fish and wade.



There are three good tributaries in Noontootla – Lovinggood Creek, Long Creek, and Fridge Creek – all of which have significant amount of fishable water. Lovinggood Creek is the best and the biggest tributary of Noontootla Creek. It offers a lot of brook trout since it is on the top half. Fishing for brook trout requires high enough water for anglers to start catching them. Anglers need to be above the barriers where the rainbows and browns can’t get up. In Long Creek, you have to go over a 30-foot waterfall to get brook trout. Fridge Creek is located around a mile upstream. In the fall, there is a good population of brown – around 30 to 40 percent - that swim upstream into Noontootla Creek and other tributaries of the Toccoa River to spawn. The majority of the brown trout that are moving upstream to spawn on the Toccoa, stay in its main branches. A lot of people underestimate the degree of smartness that the trout in Noontootla have. They are wild fish with great instincts. There are a lot of predators here and quite a bit of fishing pressure.

HEADWATERS

A great facet of fishing the Noontootla Creek watershed is the opportunity to hook into true native brook trout. Natural and manmade barriers in a few of the creek's feeder streams prevent the nonnative browns and rainbows from establishing themselves in these upper waters. That allows the native brookies to thrive and flourish. Stover Creek is one of the three tributaries that join at Three Forks to form Noontootla Creek. With the combination of a natural barrier waterfall and many hours of stream restoration work by Trout Unlimited volunteers, the small stream maintains a healthy brook trout population.



I can attest to Stover Creek being a quality brook trout fishery, after briefly testing its waters one afternoon last fall. I don't often fish such small mountain trout streams. It isn't because I don't appreciate the miniature colorful species that inhabit them, but because of my frustrations with tangled lines and the close quarters of the rhododendron canopy. These small waters just usually whip my butt! However, I really do get more satisfaction from hooking into these wild gems than many fish of much larger proportions.



After surveying a few easily accessible sections of Stover Creek, I tied on a Royal Wulff and approached a small run to drift my fly through. Conditions were good, not much glare and I could easily watch the fly as it made its drift through the rocks. In an instant, I spotted a dark shape dart out from one of the rocks and attempt to inhale the fly. I was slow to react and missed the fish, but my spirits were up. They were definitely in here, and they liked what I was offering.Another brookie gave me a chance in the same run, but I missed it as well or -- as I usually describe it -- the fish missed my fly. I quickly switched to another pool. I have learned that most wild brookies only give you one chance and then its time to move on.



I dropped my fly in a deeper run where it drifted underneath an overhanging tangle of branches and twigs. I clearly saw what looked too large to be a brook trout swim straight for my Royal Wulff and quickly gulp it in! I watched the fish with the fly in his mouth for what seemed to be several moments, though probably only a second or two. I clumsily couldn't get the slack out of my line or my rod tip up from under the overhanging branches to set the hook.The fish had to have been 11 to 12 inches, but got away. Not really expecting a second chance, I dropped my fly into the same spot. A slightly smaller fish came out from a different direction and sucked up the Wulff. I was successful in landing this fish and it turned out to be a 9 1/2-inch brookie! Though the second fish was a real wild trophy, I only wish that I had successfully landed the first one. But I know he's still there. I saw more fish and even hooked a couple more brook trout that afternoon. It was a good experience and I am ready to explore more of the upper reaches of Stover Creek in the near future.



Noontootla Creek does offer trout anglers a smorgasbord of trout-fishing opportunities. I honestly can't say that I enjoy one section of this stream over another. It is just good to have the choice of all of its year-round options! To have success in the public section, the first thing you need is patience, especially in wading as quietly and slowly as you can. The next thing is to wear camouflage, green, or earthly tone colors since fish will pick you up coming downstream 50 yards down. The third thing is to take the time to find vantage points where you can sight fish so if you spot a big fish, you can quietly get back down in position. A lot of times, in Noontootla, you only get one or two shots. They are either not going to eat or they are going to get spooked.



If you’re looking for a guide in Noontootla, it takes at least a month to make reservations to get a guide – that is, during slow seasons. During peak seasons, it will take around a month-and-a-half or two. Although the Noontootla is a year-round fishery, fishing slows a little bit during the colder months. For bigger catches in the public water of Noontootla, there are two best times to fish – during late spring and late fall.Noontootla Creek is one of the most fertile streams in North Georgia. There are mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, and midge populations. The fertile streams are mostly because of the national forest or wildlife management area. There is no development here so you have good gravel and rock that is obviously the type of habitat that aquatic bugs need to thrive.



The most important thing to remember if you’re fishing in Noontootla Creek is that you’re being stealthy, you’re taking your time, and that you’re making that first fast count. During the winter, for example, you need to be looking for the trout in different kinds of water. Anglers should be searching for water depths between two to six feet plus in depth. Anything under two feet is too fast.To be able to catch a trophy trout, the most important thing to do and remember is that you have to be able to steer or have control of the fish the best you can at all times during the fight. You have to keep a perpendicular fight to the fish. Another tip is to let the fish run and keep low side pressure and try to work the fish out. Understanding how to use side pressure when fighting fish is critical to gain an advantage and steer it into the direction you want to go.

PUBLIC WATERS

The public access portion of Noontootla Creek in the Blue Ridge WMA is a premier trout-fishing stream. It is greatly popular with anglers who visit its waters hoping to land a 16-inch or larger wild trout, while also knowing that 11- to 13-inch ones are common. By any standard, these are respectable sized fish, but by Appalachian wild trout standards, these are trophies.These stretches of Noontootla Creek have been under restrictive regulations for more than four decades. Only artificial lures are allowed, and the creel limit is one fish per day that must measure 16 inches or larger. That makes Noontootla, for all practical purposes, a catch-and-release fishery.



Even though access is fairly easy from Forest Service Road 58 that parallels the creek its entire length, fishing pressure is surprisingly low, especially on weekdays. This is probably because many trout fishermen are looking to put some fish on the dinner table. The combination light fishing pressure and special regulations has made the creek a premier fishery. Noontootla Creek on the WMA is a small to medium-sized stream. At Three Forks where the Appalachian Trail crosses Chester Creek (the main upstream fork of the creek) is joined by Long and Stover creeks. Above this point the fishing is tight on all three creeks.



Although past electro-fishing surveys have shown that healthy populations of colorfully hued fish inhabit the creek, catching them is not always easy. Fishing Noontootla can be a humbling experience. Still, Peach State trout anglers place Noontootla Creek high on their list of North Georgia mountain streams for quality trout fishing.David Hulsey grew up fishing Noontootla Creek with a spinning rod in hand, so the stream is not just for fly-fishers. He suggested using small No. 0 or 1 Rooster Tails or Mepps in-line spinners with gold blades and single, barbless hooks.For fly-rodders, Hulsey recommends general nymphs, such as Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ears, Princes and Pheasant Tails. For dry-fly fishing he suggests an Elk Hair Caddis or a Parachute Adams. In the warmer months, Black Ant patterns work well.

PRIVATE WATERS

On the lower stretches of Noontootla Creek, Noontootla Creek Farms encompasses and manages two miles of the stream, just a couple miles upstream of where it joins the Toccoa River. In this section, anglers have a very good chance of hooking up to a 20-inch or larger stream-reared rainbow or brown. A guide and a fly rod are required to fish these waters. The guides of Unicoi Outfitters' Blue Ridge shop are the folks to call when wanting to wet a line in this private stretch of the Noontootla.Unicoi Outfitters with their knowledge and experience in taking customers to NCF were able to save the day (or really the week) for me and a relative to whom I owed a "fishing" favor. It was my turn to take my Uncle David fishing after he had patiently shown me the ropes of surf-fishing on the Delaware coast for several days earlier in the year.



Thus, I knew what my options were for taking my uncle fishing. He is an accomplished saltwater fisherman, but I hoped to help him land his first freshwater fish on a fly. I called Jimmy Harris, the owner of Unicoi Outfitters. He had the solution and waters where my uncle would successfully catch his first trout on a fly and even a few more after that one.Characteristics of Noontootla Creek make it the go-to stream in many instances when other waters just aren't fishable because of high water. After heavy rain events, Noontootla Creek is usually clear enough to fish in a matter of a few hours or a day at most. Even with a slight stain to the water, anglers have a greater advantage over the typical gin-clear conditions. The stream is rarely difficult to wade.Also, in the heat of summer when many streams are too warm for trout fishing, Noontootla's year-round cold temperatures keep it a viable option even in the driest and warmest of times.



David Hulsey, store manager of Unicoi Outfitters in Blue Ridge, was our guide for a day of fishing at NCF. He rigged my uncle's 5-weight line with an olive Woolly Bugger and, using a couple feet of fluorocarbon tippet, added a Chamois Worm as a dropper. Hulsey explained that he preferred using fluorocarbon for droppers because it is denser, allowing the fly to sink faster. And it has the same refractory index as water making it harder for the fish to see.Being accustomed to catching saltwater species where there is no doubt when you get a strike, this action would be a bit different for my uncle. After a few casting tips and pointers on using the strike indicator, he learned that the slightest change in direction or hesitation of the indicator means it's time to set the hook and hang on. He soon hooked into a rainbow, and a 17-inch brightly colored one at that! Hulsey's fly recommendations included brown hellgrammite patterns with light pink San Juan Worms as droppers, or No. 12 epoxy-back Pheasant Tails. The San Juan Worms seemed to be the fly of the day, provoking most of the strikes from the 16- to 22-inch 'bows that we managed to net and release. After running out of the light pink worms, the bright pink ones served just as well.Stonefly, caddis and mayfly patterns work here in the spring months, and during the summer, a huge brown or rainbow is just as likely to inhale a hopper.



The NCF property provides a small-stream fly-fishing experience with the chance to catch browns and rainbows in the 16- to 30-inch range. A day's catch often averages 18 inches in length, but the action is not like catching fish from a barrel. The setting and conditions are authentic and can sometimes prove challenging for even experienced anglers.



Researching today's post reveals Deep Hole - Toccoa River floats - Towns of Dial and Aska. This will be a fun area to explore for future Georgia Natural Wonders.


Roughing it in North Georgia.


Endless supply of women who fish. Vote the fisher woman GNW Gal of day.