June 11, 2018 — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has partnered with Alleghany and Surry counties to provide anglers with two new public fishing areas on the New River and Ararat River.
Farmers Fish Camp Public Fishing Area (PFA), a joint partnership between the Commission and Alleghany County, provides access to the New River northwest of Sparta. The PFA has access stairs with a handrail and a slide for canoe, kayaks and other paddlecraft. GPS coordinates are 36.551317, -81.182612
The Commission previously had a public fishing area at this site but it was closed in 2013 when the bridge adjacent to the launch site was destroyed by a flood. Although the bridge was eventually replaced, alterations to the former access site made during construction of the new bridge prevented the area from being used as a fishing access again, until now.
“While the design of the new bridge made it more difficult to provide fishing access, we were able to restore fishing access to this location thanks to the cooperation we received from the N.C. Department of Transportation and neighboring landowners,” said Kin Hodges, the Commission’s fisheries biologist in the region. “Anglers launching from Farmers Fish Camp PFA can fish for smallmouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish and muskellunge.”
The Commission constructed Farmers Fish Camp PFA using money from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, as well as fishing license sales receipts. Alleghany County will maintain the area.