Fish Western North Carolina lakes and rivers with a licensed bass guide
Full day trips are 8 hours and half day trips are 4 hours on the water.
Up to 3 people
Guide, transport, gear
Join Captain Ty Mooney for a guided bass fishing charter using light tackle gear on lakes and rivers in Western North Carolina. Choose a half-day or full-day trip suited for beginners through expert anglers, with kids ages 6+ welcome.
A valid North Carolina fishing license is required and is not included. All participants (and guardians for minors) must sign an acknowledgement of risk and release of liability form before the trip.
This booking is for the whole experience, which fits up to 3 guests.
Cancel 7+ days before: full refund. Cancel 3–6 days before: no refund of your 50% deposit. Cancel less than 3 days before or no show: no refund and your card will be charged the full trip cost at time of booking. Full refund if they cancel due to an electrical storm, high water, or air/water temps.
Bring a valid North Carolina fishing license; it isn’t included. Your captain will confirm which license you need.
Meet at 9:00 a.m. for full-day trips and half-day morning trips (unless your guide specifies otherwise in advance). Meet at 1:00 p.m. for half-day afternoon trips.
Yes. All participants (and legal guardians for anyone under 18) must read, complete, and sign an acknowledgement of risk and release of liability form before you can go out.
Headwaters
This family-owned outfitter has clearly mastered the art of making everyone feel at home on the French Broad River. The staff consistently earns praise for being friendly, professional, and genuinely passionate about what they do. Guides like Jeremy, Patrick, Gavin, Ty, and Bret get specific shoutouts for their patience and expertise, particularly with first-timers who've never touched a fly rod or sat in a kayak. Multiple reviewers mention feeling confident and comfortable even as complete beginners, which speaks volumes about the instruction quality. Beyond the guided trips, the self-guided kayak floats are a major draw. The three-hour paddle seems to be the sweet spot for a relaxed, scenic journey where you'll likely spot deer, osprey, herons, and kingfishers along the way. Equipment stays in excellent condition, and the logistics run smoothly from start to finish. The base has evolved into more than just a put-in point too, with a taproom, coffee truck, and food trucks making it easy to turn your river day into a full experience. Repeat visitors keep coming back, which tells you everything you need to know about consistency here.
My wife, and I, plus another couple, did the Hannah Ford Kayak trip on May 15, 2026 and had a terrific 3.5 hour trip. headwaters staff was terrific, we interacted with 4 different people and all were very friendly and helpful, Danielle was our main person and she was a delight. Friendly, knowledgable and interesting and caring. The river was at low flow, so, not ideal, but still was so enjoyable. We were on tandem kayaks and scraped in about 10 spots, but it wasn't a big deal, the riffles were very enjoyable. The trip is scenic and on a weekday in mid May, we had the river to ourselves. Saw kingfishers and other water birds, no herons or otters, but immensely enjoyable. The taproom is a good hang as well.
Neal Zimmermann
May 16, 2026
My wife, and I, plus another couple, did the Hannah Ford Kayak trip on May 15, 2026 and had a terrific 3.5 hour trip. headwaters staff was terrific, we interacted with 4 different people and all were very friendly and helpful, Danielle was our main person and she was a delight. Friendly, knowledgable and interesting and caring. The river was at low flow, so, not ideal, but still was so enjoyable. We were on tandem kayaks and scraped in about 10 spots, but it wasn't a big deal, the riffles were very enjoyable. The trip is scenic and on a weekday in mid May, we had the river to ourselves. Saw kingfishers and other water birds, no herons or otters, but immensely enjoyable. The taproom is a good hang as well.
Neal Zimmermann
May 16, 2026