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Home › Waters › North Carolina › French Broad River
River · Blue Ridge · North Carolina

French Broad River Fishing Guides

One of the oldest rivers in the world, flowing north through Asheville with a strong smallmouth and musky fishery and cold trout water in the headwaters above Rosman.

A shallow rocky river running clear through eastern woodland

Map of the French Broad River

66 numbered points: 24 access points, 7 campsites, 5 bait & fly shops, 3 outfitters, 11 parks and conservation areas, 1 agency office, 2 regulation section limits, 6 hazards, 7 USGS gauges. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 25, 2026.

Printable version →
  • Access / boat ramp (24)
  • Campsite (7)
  • Bait, tackle & fly shop (5)
  • Outfitter / canoe rental (3)
  • Park / conservation area (11)
  • Agency / conservation office (1)
  • Regulation section limit (2)
  • Dam / hazard (6)
  • USGS gauge (7)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.

Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.

Open the printable map
All 66 points on this map
#PointTypeLat, LonNotes
1Hatchery Supported Trout Water — upper limit
NCWRC · Transylvania County		Regulation section limit35.14281, -82.83899Upper end of the NCWRC Hatchery Supported designation on the French Broad mainstem: the confluence of the North Fork and West Fork French Broad. See the NCWRC regulations for what applies.
2Headwaters Outfitters
25 Parkway Rd, Rosman · fly shop & livery		Outfitter / canoe rental35.14373, -82.83943Fly shop, guide service and canoe/kayak/tube livery at the forks where the French Broad begins.
3Champion Park Access
Rosman · Champion Park		Access / boat ramp35.14548, -82.82656First developed river access below the forks, in the town of Rosman.
4USGS 03439000 — French Broad River at Rosman
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.14333, -82.82472Uppermost real-time gauge on the mainstem; the reading that tells you whether the headwaters reach is floatable.
5Lonnies Landing
Rosman		Access / boat ramp35.14215, -82.81795Small landing just downstream of Rosman.
6Island Ford Access
Island Ford Rd (S.R. 1110)		Access / boat ramp35.17787, -82.75510NCWRC access area on Island Ford Road; also the downstream limit of the Hatchery Supported section above.
7Hatchery Supported Trout Water — lower limit
NCWRC · Transylvania County		Regulation section limit35.17787, -82.75510Lower end of the NCWRC Hatchery Supported designation: the Island Ford Rd (S.R. 1110) access area. Below here the mainstem carries no mountain-trout designation.
8DD Bullwinkel's
Downtown Brevard · outdoor store		Bait, tackle & fly shop35.23321, -82.73346Brevard outdoor store carrying tackle and fishing gear, about a mile off the river.
9Hap Simpson River Access
Transylvania County park		Access / boat ramp35.21763, -82.72006County river park and put-in below Brevard.
10Pisgah Forest Access
Pisgah Forest		Access / boat ramp35.25116, -82.69936Access at Pisgah Forest, just below the Davidson River confluence.
11Penrose River Access
Penrose		Access / boat ramp35.26945, -82.63614Quiet put-in on the flatwater between Brevard and Blantyre.
12Blantyre River Access
Blantyre		Access / boat ramp35.29926, -82.62340Access beside the Blantyre gauge.
13USGS 03443000 — French Broad River at Blantyre
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.29917, -82.62389The reference gauge for the upper valley float between Brevard and Etowah.
14Etowah School Road Stream Access
Etowah School Rd		Access / boat ramp35.29680, -82.58149Bank and wade access on the Etowah flats.
15Horse Shoe River Access
Horse Shoe		Access / boat ramp35.32888, -82.57551Popular put-in for the Horse Shoe bend float.
16Westfeldt River Park Access
Henderson County · Westfeldt River Park		Access / boat ramp35.42195, -82.54194County river park with a ramp; common take-out above Mills River.
17USGS 03447687 — French Broad River near Fletcher
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.42917, -82.55250Gauge for the Fletcher / Mills River reach.
18Glen Bridge River Access
Buncombe County · Glen Bridge River Park		Access / boat ramp35.45091, -82.55579County park and ramp at Glen Bridge, the standard start of the Asheville float.
19Orvis Asheville
29 Schenck Pkwy, Biltmore Park · fly shop		Bait, tackle & fly shop35.48542, -82.55380Full-service fly shop in Biltmore Park. Placed from the street address, not an OSM shop node.
20Firefighter Island Campsite
Paddle-in island site		Campsite35.49206, -82.57820Primitive paddle-in campsite on the French Broad River Paddle Trail.
21Bent Creek River Park Access
Bent Creek River Park		Access / boat ramp35.50141, -82.59294Ramp at the Bent Creek confluence below the Biltmore Estate boundary.
22Sportsman's Warehouse
Asheville · tackle & fishing		Bait, tackle & fly shop35.52742, -82.60380Big-box tackle and fishing supply about two miles off the river in west Asheville.
23Hominy Creek River Access
Hominy Creek River Park		Access / boat ramp35.55522, -82.59106City ramp at the Hominy Creek confluence; the usual start of the in-town Asheville float.
24Wilson's Riverfront RV Park
Asheville · RV park on the bank		Campsite35.56572, -82.58814Riverfront RV park on the Asheville reach.
25Asheville Adventure Company
521 Amboy Rd, Asheville · raft/tube/kayak		Outfitter / canoe rental35.56636, -82.58660Riverside rafting, tubing and kayak outfitter on Amboy Road. Placed from the street address.
26Carrier Park
Asheville city park		Park / conservation area35.56593, -82.57952Riverside city park on the Amboy Road greenway.
27Karen Cragnolin Park
Asheville city park		Park / conservation area35.56647, -82.57215Restored riverfront park on the west bank.
28Amboy Road River Park
Asheville city park		Park / conservation area35.56743, -82.56825River park and greenway link on Amboy Road.
29French Broad River Park
Asheville city park		Park / conservation area35.57055, -82.56480Shaded riverside park with a wide bank walk.
30USGS 03451200 — French Broad River at Haywood Rd at Asheville
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.58500, -82.56861In-town gauge at the Haywood Road bridge.
31Jean Webb Park
Asheville · River Arts District		Park / conservation area35.58594, -82.56798Small riverfront park in the River Arts District.
32Craven Street Bridge Access
River Arts District		Access / boat ramp35.58930, -82.57121Bank access at the Craven Street bridge.
33Asheville Visitor Center
Explore Asheville		Agency / conservation office35.59726, -82.56055Visitor centre near Montford, useful for corridor information.
34Hunter Banks Fly Fishing
29 Montford Ave, Asheville · fly shop		Bait, tackle & fly shop35.59713, -82.55972Asheville's long-standing fly shop; flies, licences and local water reports.
35Zen Tubing
Asheville · tube rental & shuttle		Outfitter / canoe rental35.60498, -82.57792Tube rental and shuttle on the in-town float.
36USGS 03451500 — French Broad River at Asheville
USGS streamflow gauge · the site's reference gauge		USGS gauge35.60889, -82.57806The gauge GuidedFloats reports for this river. Long record; the standard flow reference for the whole NC reach.
37Richmond Hill Park
Asheville city park		Park / conservation area35.61872, -82.59333Wooded park on the bluff above the river north of town.
38Woodfin Park Access
Woodfin Riverside Park		Access / boat ramp35.63172, -82.60041Ramp at Woodfin, below the Asheville wave park works.
39Woodfin Riverside Park
Town of Woodfin		Park / conservation area35.63217, -82.60016Riverside park and greenway at Woodfin.
40French Broad River Campground
Private campground on the bank		Campsite35.67566, -82.61204Riverside campground between Woodfin and Alexander.
41Ledges Whitewater Park Access
Buncombe County · Ledges Whitewater Park		Access / boat ramp35.68435, -82.61765County park and ramp at the Ledges rapids.
42Alexander River Park Access
Alexander		Access / boat ramp35.71927, -82.63639Ramp at Alexander, the usual start of the Madison County float.
43Sandy Mush Game Land — river parking
NCWRC game land		Park / conservation area35.72678, -82.65933NCWRC game land parking giving bank access on the left bank.
44Walnut Island River Park
Madison County park		Park / conservation area35.73316, -82.65679County river park at Walnut Island.
45Walnut Island Access
Madison County		Access / boat ramp35.73315, -82.65711Ramp at Walnut Island River Park.
46USGS 03453500 — French Broad River at Marshall
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.78639, -82.66083Marshall gauge; the working reference for the Marshall-to-Hot Springs whitewater.
47Marshall Nature Sanctuary
Town of Marshall		Park / conservation area35.79513, -82.66982Riverside nature sanctuary at Marshall.
48Capitola Dam
Low-head dam — portage		Dam / hazard35.79456, -82.68000Low-head dam at Marshall. Scout and portage; low-head dams hold a dangerous hydraulic at most flows.
49Blannahassett Island River Access
Marshall · Blannahassett Island		Access / boat ramp35.79652, -82.68549Access at the island in the middle of Marshall.
50Redmon Dam
Low-head dam — portage		Dam / hazard35.79336, -82.71026Low-head dam below Marshall with a river-left portage at the access just downstream.
51Redmon Dam River Access
Madison County		Access / boat ramp35.79415, -82.71172Access and portage take-out at Redmon Dam.
52Evan's Island Campsite
Paddle-in island site		Campsite35.80119, -82.73073Primitive paddle-in site on the French Broad River Paddle Trail.
53Barnard Park
Madison County		Park / conservation area35.83757, -82.75386River park at Barnard, the put-in for the section 9 whitewater run.
54Big Pine Campsite
Paddle-in site		Campsite35.83781, -82.75603Primitive paddle trail campsite at Big Pine.
55Barnard Park Boat Ramp
Barnard		Access / boat ramp35.83825, -82.75446Hard ramp at Barnard; standard put-in for the Barnard-to-Hot Springs run.
56Stackhouse Rapid
Named rapid		Dam / hazard35.88064, -82.77157Named rapid above the Stackhouse access. Scout at high water.
57Stackhouse River Access
Madison County		Access / boat ramp35.88100, -82.77041Access at Stackhouse, an alternative put-in that skips the flatwater.
58Needles Falls
Named rapid		Dam / hazard35.87637, -82.80323Needles Falls, in the Hot Springs whitewater section.
59Frank Bell's Rapid
Named rapid — the big one		Dam / hazard35.87901, -82.81455Frank Bell's Rapid, the largest drop on the Hot Springs run.
60USGS 03454500 — French Broad River at Hot Springs
USGS streamflow gauge		USGS gauge35.88992, -82.82100Hot Springs gauge; the last NC gauge before the Tennessee line.
61Hot Springs Campground
Hot Springs · riverside campground		Campsite35.88998, -82.82314Campground at the Spring Creek confluence in Hot Springs.
62Surprise Ledge
Named rapid		Dam / hazard35.89021, -82.82174Ledge drop at Hot Springs.
63Nantahala Outdoor Center Boat Launch
NOC French Broad Outpost, Hot Springs		Access / boat ramp35.89285, -82.82216Ramp at the NOC outpost; the usual take-out for the Hot Springs run.
64Bluff Mountain Outfitters
Hot Springs · outfitter & supplies		Bait, tackle & fly shop35.89285, -82.82691Hot Springs outfitter; gear, licences and local information right on the river.
65Laughing Waters Family Campground
Madison County		Campsite35.90184, -82.84290Riverside campground below Hot Springs.
66Murray Branch Boat Launch
Pisgah National Forest · Murray Branch		Access / boat ramp35.91986, -82.87372USFS launch and picnic area; last NC access before the Tennessee line at Paint Rock.

Guides on the French Broad River

Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.

About the French Broad River

The French Broad rises in Transylvania County and runs north through Brevard, Asheville and Marshall into Tennessee, where it joins the Holston to form the Tennessee River. It is one of a handful of rivers in the world that runs north through an ancient mountain range, and around Asheville it has become the center of a genuinely busy river economy: guides, brewery patios, greenways and a summer tubing crowd.

For anglers it is primarily a warm-water float. Smallmouth bass are the main quarry from Brevard down through Asheville and on to Marshall and Hot Springs, and the river also holds a well-regarded and challenging muskellunge fishery that a handful of local guides specialize in. Redbreast sunfish, rock bass and catfish fill out the day. The float from Bent Creek through the Biltmore water and into downtown Asheville is the classic half-day, and it is one of the few urban floats in the Southeast that is genuinely good fishing.

Trout live here too, but higher up: the headwaters above Rosman and the tributaries, particularly the Davidson, Mills River and North Mills River in the Pisgah National Forest, are the cold-water fisheries the region is known for. The main stem through Asheville is too warm for trout in summer.

The Asheville gauge reads a large mountain basin and responds fast to storms in the Blue Ridge. Summer fishing flows are typically in the several-hundred to low-thousand cfs range, wading and floating both comfortable; after heavy rain the river browns out and rises quickly.

Asheville has everything a visiting angler needs and then some. Book guides ahead in October.

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Reader photo license v1.0 — the short version:

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  • You confirm that you took the photo yourself, that publishing it does not infringe anyone else’s rights, and that anyone recognisable in it (or a parent or guardian, if they are under 18) is happy for it to appear here.
  • Credit is printed beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, using the credit name you give us. Leave it blank and we use your name; write “Anonymous” for no name. Your email address is never published.
  • Withdrawing is one email to hello@guidedfloats.com naming the photo. It comes off the site within 7 days.
Read the full license

Version 1.0, dated 6 September 2026. Applies to every photograph submitted to GuidedFloats through the contact form, a species page, or the community board.

1. What you give us

By ticking the box on the form you grant Guided Floats, LLC (“GuidedFloats”, “we”) a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, copy, resize, crop and display your photograph on guidedfloats.com, in GuidedFloats’ own social media accounts and mobile apps, and in material that promotes the site itself, in connection with the fish, water or community feature you sent it in for. The license lasts until you withdraw it (section 4).

You keep the copyright. The license is not exclusive, so you can use the photo anywhere else and license it to anyone else. We will not sell your photo, license it on to anyone else on its own, or use it in paid advertising for a third party.

2. What you confirm

You confirm that you took the photograph yourself (or otherwise own the rights to it), that you have the right to grant this license, and that publishing the photo does not infringe anyone else’s copyright, privacy or other rights.

If any person is recognisable in the photo, you confirm that they have agreed to its being published here, and that a parent or guardian has agreed on behalf of anyone under 18. Please do not send photographs of other people’s catches, screenshots, or pictures copied from other websites or social media.

3. Credit

We print the credit name you give us beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, and record it as the photo’s creator in the page’s structured data. If you leave the credit blank we use the name you gave us on the form. Write “Anonymous” if you prefer no name at all. Your email address, phone number and the exact spot the photo was taken are never published.

4. Withdrawing the license

You can withdraw the license at any time by emailing hello@guidedfloats.com, or by using the contact form, and telling us which photo you mean. We will remove the photo from guidedfloats.com within 7 days of receiving your message and stop using it in anything new. Copies that are already outside our control — search-engine caches, social posts that have already gone out, printed material already produced — may take longer to disappear or may not be recallable, and we are not responsible for those.

5. What we may do

We choose which photos to publish and may decline any submission without giving a reason. We may crop, resize, sharpen or colour-correct a photo for display, and we may remove a photo at any time. We will not alter a photo in a way that misrepresents the fish, the water or you.

6. Your details

We keep your name, email address, the credit name, the water and date you gave us, and the network address the submission came from, with the submission record, as our evidence of this license. We hold that record for as long as the photo is published and for the retention period described in our privacy policy. Location data that your camera or phone embedded in the file is removed before the photo is published.

7. Versions

The version of this license you accepted is stored with your submission and printed with the photo. A later version does not apply to a photo you have already sent unless you agree to it.

Flow alert

Tell me when the French Broad River cfs

Now: 1,020 cfs, read 1:30 am CDT, Mon Oct 19, 2026 (USGS 03451500, FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NC).

We never use this address for anything else and never share it. See the privacy policy.

Access

Rosman and Brevard: upper river access, cooler water, the top of the float.
Hap Simpson and Penrose: Transylvania County ramps above Asheville.
Bent Creek River Park: the standard put-in above the Biltmore water.
Amboy Road and French Broad River Park, Asheville: town ramps and greenway access near the gauge.
Woodfin, Alexander and Marshall: ramps on the middle river north of Asheville.
Hot Springs: lower river access near the Tennessee line.

Seasons

March through May: pre-spawn smallmouth and musky, higher water, big fish.
June through August: the main float season, topwater smallmouth early and late, heavy tubing traffic midday on some reaches.
September through November: the best fishing of the year, falling water and aggressive fish.
December through February: musky season; smallmouth hold deep and slow.

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Questions

What is the current flow on the French Broad River?

As of Oct 19, 1:30 am, the USGS gauge FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NC reads 1,020 cfs, the 49th percentile for this date, with water temperature 58.1 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.

What species can you catch on the French Broad River?

Anglers target Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Rainbow Trout, Redbreast Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass on the French Broad River in North Carolina.

Are there fishing guides on the French Broad River?

GuidedFloats lists 3 guides and outfitters on the French Broad River. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.

Where can you access the French Broad River?

Rosman and Brevard: upper river access, cooler water, the top of the float. Hap Simpson and Penrose: Transylvania County ramps above Asheville. Bent Creek River Park: the standard put-in above the Biltmore water. Amboy Road and French Broad River Park, Asheville: town ramps and greenway access near the gauge. Woodfin, Alexander and Marshall: ramps on the middle river north of Asheville. Hot Springs: lower river access near the Tennessee line.

When is the best time to fish the French Broad River?

March through May: pre-spawn smallmouth and musky, higher water, big fish. June through August: the main float season, topwater smallmouth early and late, heavy tubing traffic midday on some reaches. September through November: the best fishing of the year, falling water and aggressive fish. December through February: musky season; smallmouth hold deep and slow.

Where are the fishing regulations for the French Broad River?

Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the North Carolina agency site: https://www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations