Ever heard of Northeast Tennessee’s Laurel Creek? Ever fly fished Laurel Creek? I bet you haven’t. That’s cause it’s one of Tennessee’s least fished creeks. And for good reason.
First reason is, almost all of it is closely paralleled by a busy road, TN 91. So you’re GOING to HEAR and see some HEAVY TRUCKS and LOUD MOTORCYCLES, while fishing. And second, it’s surrounded by several more popular trout fishing destinations. So most people aren’t going to bother to fish it. And why would they when Virginia’s legendary Whitetop Laurel Creek is right over the mountain pass. Or you could just fish the South Holston or Watauga rivers instead. Even the Doe River isn’t too far away.
That said, fly fishing Laurel Creek in Northeast Tennessee ain’t all that bad. You just need a good reason to go fish it.
Whitetop Laurel Creek: Emergency
For me, unfortunately, this was someone else’s emergency. You see, I was planning to fly fish Whitetop Laurel Creek one day from my hammock in Taylors Valley, when I saw several emergency rescue vehicles rushing upstream with an ATV in tow. No doubt, some cyclist had gotten injured on the Virginia Creeper Trail. And now the EMTs were going to do a trail rescue.
But most importantly for me, well, all those vehicles and the trail rescue were surely going to get in the way of me parking upstream. Thus, my access to Whitetop Laurel was effectively cut off.
Talk about a dilemma. I mean, I’d just woken up from my afternoon hammock nap after lunch. And now I was ready to fly fish away the rest of the day. But here I was blocked from my favorite fishing holes. What was I going to do?
Suddenly, it just dawned on me. Why, I could just drive back over the mountain pass to the Laurel Creek watershed in Tennessee and fish those roadside holes along TN 91.
And so, I immediately got my lazy bones up and began packing up my Eno Hammock and Atlas Straps.
Getting into my truck, I started her up. Then took Dollarsville Road over the mountain pass, dropping into the Laurel Creek watershed. And soon, I took a right turn into the Laurel Creek Trailhead access area. A good place to enjoy Laurel Creek with the family, by the way. The kids can swim in the creek. Well, at least, they can splash around in it.
Anyway, it didn’t take me long to get my fly fishing gear set up. And soon, I was on my way, hiking across the hikers’ bridge in the access area. Bearing right on the Laurel Creek Trail. This is one of the few places along this creek that’s not completely roadside. So you won’t get overwhelmed with the sounds of heavy trucks and motorcycles here. A real pro, if you ask me.
Laurel Creek Tennessee: A Tranquil and Pretty Creek
So, after a while of hiking along the trail, I finally found a steep bank to descend into the creek without killing myself. If you’re used to fly fishing, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
And now that I was safely down in the creek, itself, I tried fly fishing a couple spots in my immediate vicinity. But had no luck. Still, up and downstream of me, the creek looked tranquil and pretty. And very fishy, too. I also appreciated the general riffly gradient of this stream. A perfect flow for drifting nymphs. And, I also spotted a nice hole upstream.
Laurel Creek Tennessee: Catching Wild Rainbow Trout
And you know, of course, I soon waded my way up there, and immediately started fly fishing that hole. Landing, not one, not two, but three very decent wild bows! Wild trout, in general, are usually a bit smaller than their stocked brethren. But the wild ones are more colorful. More spirited. And some would say way more fun. In fact, I don’t know any respectable fly fisherman who’ll complain about catching stream-bred, wild trout. But, if you’re one of those guys, well, I know of this great pay-per-pound stocked trout pond where the real action is at.
Laurel Creek Tennessee: Fly Fishing the Perfect Fishing Hole
So, after landing those feisty bows, I waded further downstream away from the trailhead area. Then found a perfect fishing hole. Had to have a big one. Why? Well, it was a deep hole. In the shadows. Had good current to bring lots of food to those trout. But not too fast to wear those fish out.
But to my shock and surprise, I didn’t even catch one single fish there. None. Nada. I’d soon find out why.
Suddenly, I spotted a disturbance in the water out of the corner of my eye. A wild rainbow trout was struggling in the shallows on the other side of the creek. Looked to me, as if he was caught in someone’s leftover hook and fishing line. But when I approached the trout, I saw that the poor bow was caught in the jaws of a big banded water snake. Yikes!
Come on, buddy! I said to myself. Don’t give up. You can make it.
But it soon became very clear that this snake was, indeed, a master fish catcher. As it hauled that poor trout high out of the water onto the bank. I could tell that it was just waiting for that fish to take its last breathe before it swallowed him whole. A sad scene, indeed. But it was also a testament to the wildness of this creek, despite the close proximity of the road. So kudos to Laurel Creek. I guess.
Laurel Creek Tennessee: Losing a Larger Stocked Rainbow Trout
At that point, I decided to head further downstream, leaving the snake to its fish and hole. And, lo and behold, at another pothole type of hole about 1/8 of mile away, I hooked a big bow. How do I know it was a big bow? Because I jerked it out of the trough, when I hooked it. And then fought it in the shallows, where I could clearly see it, for four or five minutes, before it finally shook the hook loose and got away. Son of a gun! But, at least, I didn’t lose my fly.
At this time, I figured it was about time that I should get back to Whitetop Laurel Creek for more wilderness fly fishing along the Virginia Creeper Trail. And somewhere within those special regulation waters, I did manage to land a 13-inch stream-bred bow. And get this, a very nice 14-inch wild brown trout, as well, which unfortunately flipped out of my hand before I could get a picture of him.
That said, I couldn’t complain. After all, I’d had a great day of fly fishing. I’d landed some nice wild bows over on Tennessee’s Laurel Creek. And then, I’d returned to Whitetop Laurel Creek, one of my favorite places to fish, and caught a couple of real nice trout!
Fly Fishing Laurel Creek: Fun Fishing In Sum
So since that awesome day of fly fishing on Laurel Creek, I’ve returned there many times to fish and hardly ever left disappointed. No, it’s not a destination fishery by any means. Not even close. Like I said, almost all of the creek is roadside, so you’re not gonna get a lot of peace and quiet fishing it. Moreover, a lot of the trout are wild bows. So they’re smaller, but feisty and fun.
Still, no one in their right mind is going to travel across state lines for these smaller bows. That said, I’ve landed a few nicer ones, between 13 and 15 inches on Laurel Creek. But these bigger ones don’t come easy. And I seriously doubt that you’d ever catch ’em ; )
All in all, though, I’d say that Laurel Creek is a great place to fly fish, if you’re in the area, or you find yourself driving along TN 91 between Damascus, VA and Laurel Bloomery, TN–two nice small towns. If you do drive that way, you could stop at the Laurel Creek Trailhead access area, which is close to Dollarsville Road. Or, you could find yourself a legal pullover along TN 91, that’s not posted. Then, get into the creek and try a few holes.
Laurel Creek Tennessee: Fly Fishing Beside TN 91
How I usually end up fishing Laurel Creek is this. Either fishing is slow on Whitetop Laurel Creek. Or, after a good day of fishing in Virginia, on the way home, I stop along the road and proceed to fish the tempting darker waters on Laurel Creek. And guess what? Despite, it being one of Tennessee’s least fished creeks, I usually leave there with a smile on my face.
Why? Well, most of the time, Tennessee’s Laurel Creek has some pretty darn good fly fishing. So give it a try sometime. The wild bows will probably be biting. But please don’t keep those wild trout for sustainability reasons. And I hope you enjoy your fishing or other outdoor activities on this unique watershed.
Laurel Creek versus Laurel Fork, Tennessee
I should also mention that Laurel Creek in Tennessee, which runs between Laurel Bloomery, TN and Damascus, VA, should not be confused with Laurel Fork, Tennessee. Laurel Fork, by contrast, runs through Hampton, Tennessee. And, if you’re interested, Laurel Creek in Tennessee is joined by its tributary Whitetop Laurel Creek in Virginia. And, a little further downstream, it is also joined by another tributary Beaverdam Creek. Making Laurel Creek a sizable mountain stream at this point, which is a tributary to the South Fork of the Holston River. Also, if you’d like to read about my harrowing ordeal fly fishing Beaverdam Creek, please click here. Or, if you’d prefer to read about my epic fly fishing trip to Whitetop Laurel, then click here.
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Gary Alan
After a long career in the publishing industry, Gary Alan left his corporate job to pursue his next adventures in life as a blogger, writer, investor, fly fisherman, hiker, and traveler. He is the author of the adventure fiction book, 'Big Thunder-Hearted River'.