Deep Creek
Deep Creek Description
Deep Creek is part of the Little Tennessee River drainage on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and flows about 15 miles before emptying into the Tuckasegee River at Bryson City. Fly fishing is great and very rewarding for the entire length of Deep Creek where catching a rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout in a single outing is possible. Approximately 90% of the stream lies within the GSMNP and is regulated for single hook artificial lures only.
Fly Fishing Tactics
(excerpt from The Fly Fisherman's Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In early season small- to medium-size dry flies (March Brown, Adams, and Dark Caddis, sizes 12 to 18) are good, and nymphs (Black Stone, Pheasant Tail, and Hare's Ear, sizes 12 to 18) are dependable. In summer large dry flies (Elk-Hair Caddis, Royal Wulff, and Thunderhead, sizes 10 to 14) and big nymphs (Golden Stone, Prince, and My Pet, sizes 8-14) yield well. These same flies are suitable into the fall, along with terrestrials (Chartrueuse Inchworm, Joe's Hopper, and Fur Ant, sizes 12 to 8). Some big browns move into the lower reaches of Deep Creek in the late fall and winter and can be taken on streamers (Grey Ghost, Woolly Bugger, and Muddler Minnow and various egg patterns.
Deep Creek Access
The Deep Creek Trail follows the creek from the Newfound Gap Road to the Deep Creek Campground. The Deep Creek trailhead is located on the Newfound Gap Road (RT 441) about half way between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN (see map inset). Starting at the trailhead, the hike to Bryson City is approximately 13 miles with several campsites located along the way. The trail can be very steep and grueling at times. The lower end of Deep Creek is accessible from the Deep Creek Campground via Bryson City. On the lower end of Deep Creek the best fishing is above Indian Creek Falls, below this point the river is frequently used by tubers in the summer.
Available Fishing Reports
The Orvis fishing report for small streams in the Great Smoky Mountains is pretty decent and will give you a good idea of what to expect.
Acknowledgments
I'd like to thank my friend Jerry at Trout University who contributed to this fly fishing guide.
[...] some of the better known Smoky Mountains trout streams, including: Abrams Creek, Catalooche Creek, Deep Creek, Hazel Creek, Little River East Prong, Little River Middle Prong, Little River West Prong, Raven [...]
[...] Horace Kephart certainly kept good company with some excellent trout streams, like Hazel Creek and Deep Creek, during his tenure living in the wilds of western North Carolina, an area that would later become [...]