Localwaters

Caught 8/29/2009 targeting Lake Trout specifically

Calderwood Lake, Lake Trout. ©2014 (registered in batch on 2014)

Note to skeptical NCAngler Forum members: unretouched
Drone video of Calderwood Dam, Calderwood Lake / Little Tennessee River along with glimpses of the dewatered section of the Little Tennessee River that is just above Chilhowee Lake and right below Calderwood Lake Dam pool. Video shot in 2017. The public can not view the dam up close anymore since the buoys were placed to prevent boats from approaching the dam sometime around the year 2012. I was deeply disappointed when I first saw this. I’ve caught many trout beyond the buoy line and close to Calderwood Dam.

Highlights from a Calderwood canoeing trip… 9 hours later, lost! Lauch at the Magazine, Slickrock Creek campsite, the tunnel etc. Golden Retriver (glad) No fishing (sad)

History of Calderwood Lake and the Little Tennessee Rivers’ impoundments by Alcoa circa 1919. Cheoah, Santeetlah, Chilhowee and Calderwood Lake (Tennessee’s finger lakes) along with Fontana Lake and Tellico Lake impounded much later by TVA. #TennesseeFingerLakes #LittleTennesseeRiver

Lake Trout caught near Calderwood Dam September 2009 on Calderwood Lake Tennessee. We caught this about 25 feet deep while also having lines out at 90 and 120 feet. Calderwood was last stocked with Lake Trout by TWRA in 2001. Batch copyrighted 2014- taken in 2009

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Note to NC Angler forum member: how do those fingers look to you?

A comparison of the pink almost red meat of a hold-over brown trout about 16 inches to a recent stocker rainbow trout about 11 inches long. October 2016 on Calderwood Lake, North Carolina section. Most of the hold-over trout I’ve caught have been in the Tennessee section, mostly small stockers in NC. I mostly catch and release but my friends on this trip caught the fish and wanted to taste the red meat I’d talked about from fish caught years ago. The one time we’ve kept a laker, another friend caught it and wanted to eat it so I discovered the lakers have the same red meat. Also confirmed through the years that the red meat occurs in hold-over both native and stocked brook trout, rainbow and brown trout in the Little Tennessee finger lakes. It’s a matter of diet I’m told.

Calderwood Lake and dam from overlook on Hwy 129 Dragon’s Tail

Lake Calderwood dam on the Little Tennessee River, view from Highway 129 Tennessee

Calderwood Lake from overlook on Hwy 129 Dragon’s Tail

Calderwood Lake NC at Magazine campground

Slickrock Creek emptying into Calderwood Lake. Slickrock is the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee. Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness

Calderwood Lake, holdover brown trout caught near weed bed @ magazine

Calderwood Lake Fisherman in canoe

Calderwood Lake, Magazine campsite, end of the road. This was built on the old railroad bed that was used during the construction of dams on the Little Tennessee River. Some old chestnut railroad ties are still visible about 200 feet below this last campsite.

Calderwood Lake dam and pool below, view from Calderwood dam flood gate lip. The dam is buoyed off now and boats can not get near the dam. 2010

view from Calderwood Lake dam of dewatered section of Little Tennessee River beyond Calderwood pool. The dam is buoyed off now and boats can not get near the dam. 2010 The dewatered section of the Little Tennessee River is full of small rainbow trout for those with strong legs to get there. Watch out for copperheads!