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.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hatchery Supported Trout Water — upper limit NCWRC · Transylvania County | Regulation section limit | 35.14281, -82.83899 | Upper 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. |
| 2 | Headwaters Outfitters 25 Parkway Rd, Rosman · fly shop & livery | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.14373, -82.83943 | Fly shop, guide service and canoe/kayak/tube livery at the forks where the French Broad begins. |
| 3 | Champion Park Access Rosman · Champion Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.14548, -82.82656 | First developed river access below the forks, in the town of Rosman. |
| 4 | USGS 03439000 — French Broad River at Rosman USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.14333, -82.82472 | Uppermost real-time gauge on the mainstem; the reading that tells you whether the headwaters reach is floatable. |
| 5 | Lonnies Landing Rosman | Access / boat ramp | 35.14215, -82.81795 | Small landing just downstream of Rosman. |
| 6 | Island Ford Access Island Ford Rd (S.R. 1110) | Access / boat ramp | 35.17787, -82.75510 | NCWRC access area on Island Ford Road; also the downstream limit of the Hatchery Supported section above. |
| 7 | Hatchery Supported Trout Water — lower limit NCWRC · Transylvania County | Regulation section limit | 35.17787, -82.75510 | Lower 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. |
| 8 | DD Bullwinkel's Downtown Brevard · outdoor store | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 35.23321, -82.73346 | Brevard outdoor store carrying tackle and fishing gear, about a mile off the river. |
| 9 | Hap Simpson River Access Transylvania County park | Access / boat ramp | 35.21763, -82.72006 | County river park and put-in below Brevard. |
| 10 | Pisgah Forest Access Pisgah Forest | Access / boat ramp | 35.25116, -82.69936 | Access at Pisgah Forest, just below the Davidson River confluence. |
| 11 | Penrose River Access Penrose | Access / boat ramp | 35.26945, -82.63614 | Quiet put-in on the flatwater between Brevard and Blantyre. |
| 12 | Blantyre River Access Blantyre | Access / boat ramp | 35.29926, -82.62340 | Access beside the Blantyre gauge. |
| 13 | USGS 03443000 — French Broad River at Blantyre USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.29917, -82.62389 | The reference gauge for the upper valley float between Brevard and Etowah. |
| 14 | Etowah School Road Stream Access Etowah School Rd | Access / boat ramp | 35.29680, -82.58149 | Bank and wade access on the Etowah flats. |
| 15 | Horse Shoe River Access Horse Shoe | Access / boat ramp | 35.32888, -82.57551 | Popular put-in for the Horse Shoe bend float. |
| 16 | Westfeldt River Park Access Henderson County · Westfeldt River Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.42195, -82.54194 | County river park with a ramp; common take-out above Mills River. |
| 17 | USGS 03447687 — French Broad River near Fletcher USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.42917, -82.55250 | Gauge for the Fletcher / Mills River reach. |
| 18 | Glen Bridge River Access Buncombe County · Glen Bridge River Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.45091, -82.55579 | County park and ramp at Glen Bridge, the standard start of the Asheville float. |
| 19 | Orvis Asheville 29 Schenck Pkwy, Biltmore Park · fly shop | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 35.48542, -82.55380 | Full-service fly shop in Biltmore Park. Placed from the street address, not an OSM shop node. |
| 20 | Firefighter Island Campsite Paddle-in island site | Campsite | 35.49206, -82.57820 | Primitive paddle-in campsite on the French Broad River Paddle Trail. |
| 21 | Bent Creek River Park Access Bent Creek River Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.50141, -82.59294 | Ramp at the Bent Creek confluence below the Biltmore Estate boundary. |
| 22 | Sportsman's Warehouse Asheville · tackle & fishing | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 35.52742, -82.60380 | Big-box tackle and fishing supply about two miles off the river in west Asheville. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Hominy Creek River Access Hominy Creek River Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.55522, -82.59106 | City ramp at the Hominy Creek confluence; the usual start of the in-town Asheville float. |
| 24 | Wilson's Riverfront RV Park Asheville · RV park on the bank | Campsite | 35.56572, -82.58814 | Riverfront RV park on the Asheville reach. |
| 25 | Asheville Adventure Company 521 Amboy Rd, Asheville · raft/tube/kayak | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.56636, -82.58660 | Riverside rafting, tubing and kayak outfitter on Amboy Road. Placed from the street address. |
| 26 | Carrier Park Asheville city park | Park / conservation area | 35.56593, -82.57952 | Riverside city park on the Amboy Road greenway. |
| 27 | Karen Cragnolin Park Asheville city park | Park / conservation area | 35.56647, -82.57215 | Restored riverfront park on the west bank. |
| 28 | Amboy Road River Park Asheville city park | Park / conservation area | 35.56743, -82.56825 | River park and greenway link on Amboy Road. |
| 29 | French Broad River Park Asheville city park | Park / conservation area | 35.57055, -82.56480 | Shaded riverside park with a wide bank walk. |
| 30 | USGS 03451200 — French Broad River at Haywood Rd at Asheville USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.58500, -82.56861 | In-town gauge at the Haywood Road bridge. |
| 31 | Jean Webb Park Asheville · River Arts District | Park / conservation area | 35.58594, -82.56798 | Small riverfront park in the River Arts District. |
| 32 | Craven Street Bridge Access River Arts District | Access / boat ramp | 35.58930, -82.57121 | Bank access at the Craven Street bridge. |
| 33 | Asheville Visitor Center Explore Asheville | Agency / conservation office | 35.59726, -82.56055 | Visitor centre near Montford, useful for corridor information. |
| 34 | Hunter Banks Fly Fishing 29 Montford Ave, Asheville · fly shop | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 35.59713, -82.55972 | Asheville's long-standing fly shop; flies, licences and local water reports. |
| 35 | Zen Tubing Asheville · tube rental & shuttle | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.60498, -82.57792 | Tube rental and shuttle on the in-town float. |
| 36 | USGS 03451500 — French Broad River at Asheville USGS streamflow gauge · the site's reference gauge | USGS gauge | 35.60889, -82.57806 | The gauge GuidedFloats reports for this river. Long record; the standard flow reference for the whole NC reach. |
| 37 | Richmond Hill Park Asheville city park | Park / conservation area | 35.61872, -82.59333 | Wooded park on the bluff above the river north of town. |
| 38 | Woodfin Park Access Woodfin Riverside Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.63172, -82.60041 | Ramp at Woodfin, below the Asheville wave park works. |
| 39 | Woodfin Riverside Park Town of Woodfin | Park / conservation area | 35.63217, -82.60016 | Riverside park and greenway at Woodfin. |
| 40 | French Broad River Campground Private campground on the bank | Campsite | 35.67566, -82.61204 | Riverside campground between Woodfin and Alexander. |
| 41 | Ledges Whitewater Park Access Buncombe County · Ledges Whitewater Park | Access / boat ramp | 35.68435, -82.61765 | County park and ramp at the Ledges rapids. |
| 42 | Alexander River Park Access Alexander | Access / boat ramp | 35.71927, -82.63639 | Ramp at Alexander, the usual start of the Madison County float. |
| 43 | Sandy Mush Game Land — river parking NCWRC game land | Park / conservation area | 35.72678, -82.65933 | NCWRC game land parking giving bank access on the left bank. |
| 44 | Walnut Island River Park Madison County park | Park / conservation area | 35.73316, -82.65679 | County river park at Walnut Island. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Walnut Island Access Madison County | Access / boat ramp | 35.73315, -82.65711 | Ramp at Walnut Island River Park. |
| 46 | USGS 03453500 — French Broad River at Marshall USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.78639, -82.66083 | Marshall gauge; the working reference for the Marshall-to-Hot Springs whitewater. |
| 47 | Marshall Nature Sanctuary Town of Marshall | Park / conservation area | 35.79513, -82.66982 | Riverside nature sanctuary at Marshall. |
| 48 | Capitola Dam Low-head dam — portage | Dam / hazard | 35.79456, -82.68000 | Low-head dam at Marshall. Scout and portage; low-head dams hold a dangerous hydraulic at most flows. |
| 49 | Blannahassett Island River Access Marshall · Blannahassett Island | Access / boat ramp | 35.79652, -82.68549 | Access at the island in the middle of Marshall. |
| 50 | Redmon Dam Low-head dam — portage | Dam / hazard | 35.79336, -82.71026 | Low-head dam below Marshall with a river-left portage at the access just downstream. |
| 51 | Redmon Dam River Access Madison County | Access / boat ramp | 35.79415, -82.71172 | Access and portage take-out at Redmon Dam. |
| 52 | Evan's Island Campsite Paddle-in island site | Campsite | 35.80119, -82.73073 | Primitive paddle-in site on the French Broad River Paddle Trail. |
| 53 | Barnard Park Madison County | Park / conservation area | 35.83757, -82.75386 | River park at Barnard, the put-in for the section 9 whitewater run. |
| 54 | Big Pine Campsite Paddle-in site | Campsite | 35.83781, -82.75603 | Primitive paddle trail campsite at Big Pine. |
| 55 | Barnard Park Boat Ramp Barnard | Access / boat ramp | 35.83825, -82.75446 | Hard ramp at Barnard; standard put-in for the Barnard-to-Hot Springs run. |
| 56 | Stackhouse Rapid Named rapid | Dam / hazard | 35.88064, -82.77157 | Named rapid above the Stackhouse access. Scout at high water. |
| 57 | Stackhouse River Access Madison County | Access / boat ramp | 35.88100, -82.77041 | Access at Stackhouse, an alternative put-in that skips the flatwater. |
| 58 | Needles Falls Named rapid | Dam / hazard | 35.87637, -82.80323 | Needles Falls, in the Hot Springs whitewater section. |
| 59 | Frank Bell's Rapid Named rapid — the big one | Dam / hazard | 35.87901, -82.81455 | Frank Bell's Rapid, the largest drop on the Hot Springs run. |
| 60 | USGS 03454500 — French Broad River at Hot Springs USGS streamflow gauge | USGS gauge | 35.88992, -82.82100 | Hot Springs gauge; the last NC gauge before the Tennessee line. |
| 61 | Hot Springs Campground Hot Springs · riverside campground | Campsite | 35.88998, -82.82314 | Campground at the Spring Creek confluence in Hot Springs. |
| 62 | Surprise Ledge Named rapid | Dam / hazard | 35.89021, -82.82174 | Ledge drop at Hot Springs. |
| 63 | Nantahala Outdoor Center Boat Launch NOC French Broad Outpost, Hot Springs | Access / boat ramp | 35.89285, -82.82216 | Ramp at the NOC outpost; the usual take-out for the Hot Springs run. |
| 64 | Bluff Mountain Outfitters Hot Springs · outfitter & supplies | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 35.89285, -82.82691 | Hot Springs outfitter; gear, licences and local information right on the river. |
| 65 | Laughing Waters Family Campground Madison County | Campsite | 35.90184, -82.84290 | Riverside campground below Hot Springs. |
| 66 | Murray Branch Boat Launch Pisgah National Forest · Murray Branch | Access / boat ramp | 35.91986, -82.87372 | USFS launch and picnic area; last NC access before the Tennessee line at Paint Rock. |
Gauge: USGS 03451500 — French Broad River at Asheville, NC. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Rainbow Trout, Redbreast Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
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.
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.