Laurel Creek Tennessee Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Brown Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Brook Trout (native) headwaters
Size
Small
Location
Northeastern Tennessee
Nearest Towns
Damacus Virginia
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Tennessee
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The season runs year-round
Winter:
Trout can be caught on warm days during the winter
Spring:
Spring is the best time for fly fishing Laurel Creek.
Summer:
Summertime is okay in the uppermost headwaters but
the water can get a little too warm on hot days in the
lower area.
Fall:
Fall is the best time for big browns in the lower section.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Laurel Creek Tennessee
Not many anglers are aware that Laurel Creek exist in Tennessee. It’s thought of as a Virginia stream because it flows into the South Fork of the Holston River in Virginia. Beaverdam Creek and Whitetop Laurel Creek are both tributaries but they join it just inside the state of Virginia near Damascus. It turns into a rather large stream after picking up water from its tributaries. It’s easy to find from Damascus, Virginia, but not so
easy from Tennessee. It’s stocked by the state of Tennessee but it also has an excellent population of wild trout.
Much of Laurel Creek flows through farming areas on private property. It flows through Shady Valley Tennessee into Damacus Virginia along State highway #91. Its headwaters are near Laurel Bloomery. The best part of the stream is close to the Tennessee state line.
There the stream is well shaded by trees which helps keep the water cool.
The creek flows through agricultural land which raises the water pH level quite a bit. It supports a huge number of aquatic insects many of which are not common to
small mountain streams. We have found Yellow Drakes and other drake mayflies in the stream. The creek has an excellent population of wild brown trout as well as some rainbows. There’s also plenty of larger holdover brown trout. Fly fishing Laurel Fork can be a lot of fun during a hatch and there are plenty of hatches.
The lower end of this stream consist mostly of pocket water. There are a few riffles and runs and some larger, deep pools that make the perfect habitat for a brown trout.
Not all the tributaries are in Virginia. Gentry Creek is the largest one in Tennessee that holds trout. It’s in the streams headwaters above Laurel Bloomery. Gentry Creek has both rainbows and brown trout with brook trout in its uppermost sections.
Kate Branch is a small tributary of Gentry Creek that has native brook trout. Gilbert Branch is another of the small headwater tributaries of Gentry Creek.