Hazel Creek Watershed:
| Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
Description:
Hazel Creek is the most popular stream on the park side of Fontana Lake.
Stream Size:
Hazel Creek is a large stream by Smoky Mountain standards.
Accessibility:
The stream is accessed from Hazel Creek Trail.
The closet point of access to cross Fontana Lake is the Cable Cove launch ramp.
Species:
The stream has a good population of both rainbow and brown trout. Brook trout are
found in its headwaters and tributary streams. Smallmouth bass are also present
in the lower part of the stream.
Average Fish Size:
The average size of the fish in Hazel Creek is probably above average for the park.
Popularity:
This is the most popular stream that requires either a long hike or crossing
Fontana Lake. Most anglers fish the lower portion of the stream. The headwaters
see little pressure.
Difficulty:
Hazel Creek is not a difficult stream to fish from a casting standpoint. It offers plenty
of room in its lower reaches. The fact that it sees more pressure than any of the
streams on the park side of Fontana Lake and it has a good population of brown
trout doesn't make fishing any easier.
Tributary Streams:
Hazel Creek has several tributary streams.
Sugar Fork:
Sugar Fork is a small stream tributary of Hazel Creek. It usually has a good
population of rainbow trout. Two small tributary streams flow into Sugar Fork, the
Haw Gap Branch and Little Sugar Fork. Sugar Fork is located 5 miles upstream of
Fontana Lake. It is accessible from the Sugar Fork Trail. Sugar Fork is near
campsite #84.
Bone Valley Creek:
Bone Valley Creek is a small to medium size stream that flows into Hazel Creek. It
has rainbows in its lower portion and brook trout in its headwaters. Bone Valley
Creek is about 5 and one-half miles upstream of Fontana Lake. It has several
small tributary streams, Defeat Branch, Wooly Branch, Desolation Branch and
Roaring Fork. These small tributaries have populations of brook trout.
Walker Creek:
Walker Creek is another small tributary of Hazel Creek that is only accessible by an
unimproved path or by fishing upstream. Most of the trout below the falls are
rainbow trout. This stream is about 9 miles upstream of Fontana Lake.
Proctor Creek:
Proctor Creek is yet another small stream that flows into Hazel Creek about 10
miles upstream of Fontana Lake. It can be accessed from an unimproved trail. The
tributary streams of James Creek Branch and Long Creek Cove also offer anglers
a chance at its brook trout.
Comments:
Hazel Creek is certainly one of, if not the best, trout streams in the park. It has a
wide diversity of species and large supply of aquatic insects for the trout to eat. This
valley and the creek's drainage was once the home of several families of mountain
people. It was also the site of a huge lumber operation at one time. This damaged
the stream in many ways but also, at least from a few standpoints, improved the
stream insofar as its ability to support non native species of fish.
The National Park Service transports vehicles across the lake to take family
members to visit the graves of their people at certain times of the year.
Copyright 2007 James Marsh
Hazel Creek is the most popular stream on the park side of Fontana Lake.
Stream Size:
Hazel Creek is a large stream by Smoky Mountain standards.
Accessibility:
The stream is accessed from Hazel Creek Trail.
The closet point of access to cross Fontana Lake is the Cable Cove launch ramp.
Species:
The stream has a good population of both rainbow and brown trout. Brook trout are
found in its headwaters and tributary streams. Smallmouth bass are also present
in the lower part of the stream.
Average Fish Size:
The average size of the fish in Hazel Creek is probably above average for the park.
Popularity:
This is the most popular stream that requires either a long hike or crossing
Fontana Lake. Most anglers fish the lower portion of the stream. The headwaters
see little pressure.
Difficulty:
Hazel Creek is not a difficult stream to fish from a casting standpoint. It offers plenty
of room in its lower reaches. The fact that it sees more pressure than any of the
streams on the park side of Fontana Lake and it has a good population of brown
trout doesn't make fishing any easier.
Tributary Streams:
Hazel Creek has several tributary streams.
Sugar Fork:
Sugar Fork is a small stream tributary of Hazel Creek. It usually has a good
population of rainbow trout. Two small tributary streams flow into Sugar Fork, the
Haw Gap Branch and Little Sugar Fork. Sugar Fork is located 5 miles upstream of
Fontana Lake. It is accessible from the Sugar Fork Trail. Sugar Fork is near
campsite #84.
Bone Valley Creek:
Bone Valley Creek is a small to medium size stream that flows into Hazel Creek. It
has rainbows in its lower portion and brook trout in its headwaters. Bone Valley
Creek is about 5 and one-half miles upstream of Fontana Lake. It has several
small tributary streams, Defeat Branch, Wooly Branch, Desolation Branch and
Roaring Fork. These small tributaries have populations of brook trout.
Walker Creek:
Walker Creek is another small tributary of Hazel Creek that is only accessible by an
unimproved path or by fishing upstream. Most of the trout below the falls are
rainbow trout. This stream is about 9 miles upstream of Fontana Lake.
Proctor Creek:
Proctor Creek is yet another small stream that flows into Hazel Creek about 10
miles upstream of Fontana Lake. It can be accessed from an unimproved trail. The
tributary streams of James Creek Branch and Long Creek Cove also offer anglers
a chance at its brook trout.
Comments:
Hazel Creek is certainly one of, if not the best, trout streams in the park. It has a
wide diversity of species and large supply of aquatic insects for the trout to eat. This
valley and the creek's drainage was once the home of several families of mountain
people. It was also the site of a huge lumber operation at one time. This damaged
the stream in many ways but also, at least from a few standpoints, improved the
stream insofar as its ability to support non native species of fish.
The National Park Service transports vehicles across the lake to take family
members to visit the graves of their people at certain times of the year.
Copyright 2007 James Marsh
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Site Map (Click on Links)
Abrams Creek Fishing Methods Marine Food Species
Anthony Creek Forney Creek Mayflies Spring
Big Creek Freestone Streams Midges Stoneflies
Beginners Recommended Gear Misc N.C. Streams Straight Creek
Caddisflies Hatches Misc Tenn. Streams Streams
Casting Hazel Creek Middle Prong Little Pigeon River Summer Season
Cataloochee Creek Headwater Stream Middle Prong Little River Terrestrials
Cosby Creek Caddisfly Imitations Noland Creek Twenty Mile Creek
Deep Creek Mayfly Imitations Oconaluftee River Wild Trout
Midge Imitations Other Aquatic Insects Winter Season
Eagel Creek Home PH West Prong Little Pigeon River
East Prong Little River Stonefly Imitations Presentation West Prong Little River
Fall Season Streamers Raven Fork Spring Hatch Chart
About Us Terrestrial Imitations Reading Hatch Charts Summer Hatch Chart
Recommended Flies Links Seasons Winter Hatch Chart
Fall Hatch Chart
Abrams Creek Fishing Methods Marine Food Species
Anthony Creek Forney Creek Mayflies Spring
Big Creek Freestone Streams Midges Stoneflies
Beginners Recommended Gear Misc N.C. Streams Straight Creek
Caddisflies Hatches Misc Tenn. Streams Streams
Casting Hazel Creek Middle Prong Little Pigeon River Summer Season
Cataloochee Creek Headwater Stream Middle Prong Little River Terrestrials
Cosby Creek Caddisfly Imitations Noland Creek Twenty Mile Creek
Deep Creek Mayfly Imitations Oconaluftee River Wild Trout
Midge Imitations Other Aquatic Insects Winter Season
Eagel Creek Home PH West Prong Little Pigeon River
East Prong Little River Stonefly Imitations Presentation West Prong Little River
Fall Season Streamers Raven Fork Spring Hatch Chart
About Us Terrestrial Imitations Reading Hatch Charts Summer Hatch Chart
Recommended Flies Links Seasons Winter Hatch Chart
Fall Hatch Chart
Hazel Creek is low on water
in this scene, but not near as
low as other park streams.
in this scene, but not near as
low as other park streams.
The Hazel Creek trail is more
like a fine dirt road than a
trail. Getting around is easy.
like a fine dirt road than a
trail. Getting around is easy.
The lake is seven-tenths of a
mile but it is a 21 mile hike to the
Forney Creek Trail.
mile but it is a 21 mile hike to the
Forney Creek Trail.
Typical pool, run, riffle, type
of water makes up most of
the lower end of Hazel.
of water makes up most of
the lower end of Hazel.
It seems like a large brown
trout should be in every few
feet in this stream.
trout should be in every few
feet in this stream.
This is the entrance to the
Hazel Creek off the main part of
the lake. .
Hazel Creek off the main part of
the lake. .
This one wasn't as lucky.
This rainbow never made it
to Angie's hand. It jumped
off shortly after this image.
to Angie's hand. It jumped
off shortly after this image.
This is a fat, nice size rainbow Angie caught on a size 20 BWO Dun.
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