Boot Lake Fishing Guide, Transylvania County, North Carolina

• Overview

  Transylvania County, North Carolina, is where Boot Lake sits. The water sits 2,969 feet up. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it is in the upper part of our North Carolina listings. Brevard is the closest town at 7.6 miles. Then Slater-Marietta, 13 miles, and Etowah, 14 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Boot Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 36°F to 71°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Plan any trip to Boot Lake around it. Cool nights slow the mornings but sharpen the evenings.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The water borders Crown Of The Mountain Bridge Nature Preserve, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Betty-Kay Lake, 0.2 miles out. Ask locally about Boot Lake if anything is unclear.