I and a group of friends a.k.a. “The Silverback Adventure Society” because we are middle aged men except for my son who is 19, have taken a few canoeing/kayaking trips. Until now we have focused our time on the Chattooga River in SC and had a blast. We are wanting a change in scenery and thought we would give the Thompson River a go. We are avid anglers and can’t pass up a chance at a trophy Brown or Rainbow.
Has anyone made the trip across Lake Jocassee?
We’ve crossed the lake to the Thompson
outlet. Also, if you have reasonable ground clearance (as in our old Outback), you can drive in from the west, cross the Whitewater River, and thump and bump to a bridge crossing of the Thompson. Beyond that, you need more than an Outback, 'cause it gets real rough.
There’s an unofficial trail to one of the huge falls on the Thompson. One way passage only for trout.
I think there’s some trout fishing on the Whitewater also, from stocking, though more can fish there.
Paddling can also get you across the lake to the outlets of the Horsepasture and Toxaway. The lower parts may be fishable, especially the Toxaway. Note that rules do not allow camping along the Jocassee shores, except at the paddle to/from State Park campsite about a mile from the drive to campsite, which is west of the Jocassee outlet dam.
Jocassee may be very low in this drought. That could mean a portage in the narrows leading to the Toxaway outlet. I don’t think it would affect access to the Thompson or Whitewater outlets, but we haven’t paddled the lake when it was low.
Are you aware of the trout fishing along the creeks running into the lake below Jocassee? One creek name that comes to mind is something like “Etastoe”. Don’t quote me.