North Carolina · river

Cape Fear River

The Cape Fear River is a 191.08-mile-long (307.51-kilometer) blackwater river in eastern North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. From Wikipedia

Length
202 mi
Flows into
Atlantic Ocean

Flow now

Cape Fear R At Lock 1 Nr Kelly, NC, 21 mi from the river.

737cfsat build, Nov 12, 11 AM MT

01,1952,390Oct 12Nov 11

The typical week here, from 10 years of record: 1,060 cfs to 2,390 cfs, around 1,410 cfs.

Water temperature at the gauge: 49°F.

Also gauged at Black River Near Tomahawk, NC: 60 cfs, Nov 12.

The season, November

Usually workable this week. Pick your window and fish it well.

  • Midgessizes 18 to 22
  • Small eggs and worms
  • Pheasant tail and zebra midge nymphsunder an indicator

Typical for the week over 10 years: 1,060 to 2,390 cfs. Running 737 cfs today, below that range. Flows are not forecast; check the gauge the day before.

Brown Trout are spawning (October to December). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Brook Trout are spawning (September to November). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Mountain Whitefish are spawning (October to December). The egg bite behind spawning whitefish is the best winter nymphing of the year: an egg pattern below the riffles.

  • Flows swing a lot this week most years. Carry both a heavy nymph rig and a dry-dropper and let the gauge decide.
  • Egg patterns in the runs below the spawning gravel, never on it.

Written by the app's rules engine from the calendar, the gauge record and the snowpack, not by hand, so it says only what the data says. The weather for the week comes with the app.

Fly shops on this water

  • Intracoastal Angler WilmingtonWebsite

Open Cape Fear River in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.

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Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.