What is the best trout lake in the South?

Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee is our first pick; Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee are close behind.

When is the best time to fish for trout?

Warming. Fish early, or go deeper with weights. Warming. Fish early, or go deeper with weights.

Best trout lakes in the South: 9 lakes to fish

Trout need cold, clean water, so the trout lakes of the South are the deep, the high and the spring-fed. Here are 9 lakes where trout are on record, with where to start on each.

The lakes

Lake	State	Also holds
Dale Hollow Lake	Tennessee	smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie
Lake Keowee	South Carolina	largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, blu
Lake Jocassee	South Carolina	smallmouth bass, spotted bass
Lake Greeson	Arkansas	striped bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, cat
Chatuge Lake	North Carolina	catfish, crappie, walleye, bluegill
Rough River Lake	Kentucky	largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, catfish, crappi
Lake Burton	Georgia	spotted bass, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill
Lake Moomaw	Virginia	catfish, crappie, yellow perch
Nantahala Lake	North Carolina	largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish

1. Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee

Dale Hollow Lake covers some 27,700 acres. It holds trout, smallmouth bass, walleye and crappie. It goes down to about 130 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Dale Hollow Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake Keowee, South Carolina

Lake Keowee spreads over 18,500 acres of water. The lake is about 26 miles east of Greenville. The fish here are trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass. The deepest water is around 150 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Cools the Oconee Nuclear Station and is known for clean, clear water. It is a clear lake, so long casts and a quiet approach pay off.

Lake Keowee today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Lake Jocassee, South Carolina

At some 7,500 acres, Lake Jocassee is a good-sized lake. You will find it near Pickens. Jocassee Dam holds it on the Keowee River. Trout, smallmouth bass and spotted bass are the draw. The deepest water is around 326 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. One of the clearest and deepest lakes in the Southeast, set within Devils Fork State Park. The water is known for being clear: lighter line and natural colours help.

Lake Jocassee today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Lake Greeson, Arkansas

Lake Greeson is a reservoir of some 7,260 acres. The lake is about 6.1 miles south of Murfreesboro. It is the Little Missouri behind Narrows Dam. Expect trout, striped bass, largemouth bass and spotted bass. Lake Greeson is an Ouachita Mountains reservoir on the Little Missouri River known for striped bass fishing.

Lake Greeson today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Chatuge Lake, North Carolina

Chatuge Lake spreads over 7,000 acres of water. You will find it next to Hiawassee. It is the Hiwassee River behind Chatuge Dam. Expect trout, catfish, crappie and walleye. The deepest water is around 144 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Straddles the North Carolina-Georgia border at Georgia's highest major-lake elevation.

Chatuge Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Rough River Lake, Kentucky

At some 5,100 acres, Rough River Lake is a good-sized lake. The lake is about 35 miles west of Owensboro. Rough River Dam holds it on the Rough. Expect trout, largemouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass. The deepest water is around 65 ft. Rough River Lake is a Corps of Engineers reservoir in central Kentucky that is stocked with rainbow trout below the dam.

Rough River Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Lake Burton, Georgia

Lake Burton spreads over 2,780 acres. The lake is near Clayton. Expect trout, spotted bass, largemouth bass and white bass. At about 120 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Georgia Power's highest-elevation lake, known for clear water in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The water is known for being clear: lighter line and natural colours help.

Lake Burton today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Lake Moomaw, Virginia

Lake Moomaw spreads over some 2,500 acres. The lake is near Warm Springs. It is the Jackson River behind Gathright Dam. The fish here are trout, catfish, crappie and yellow perch. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Lake Moomaw today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Nantahala Lake, North Carolina

Nantahala Lake covers about 1,220 acres. The lake is near Andrews. The fish here are trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and catfish. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Known for exceptionally clear water and a popular trout and bass fishery in the Nantahala National Forest. It is a clear lake, so long casts and a quiet approach pay off.

Nantahala Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Trout through the year in the South

The water temperature on the day matters more than the calendar: each lake page on LakeScope shows today's surface temperature and how the fish should react to it.

Spring: Warming. Fish early, or go deeper with weights.
Summer: Too warm up top. Fish deep and cool, or near cold inflows.
Fall: Warming. Fish early, or go deeper with weights.
Winter: Good range. Near the surface and along shorelines.