By James Marsh
The Pigeon River itself is basically too warm to hold trout but it has several tributaries that do provide good trout fishing. Some areas are stocked and others are designated as wild trout streams. Most of the fishable waters lie within the Shining Rock Wilderness Area near the Blue Ridge Parkway above Bethel North Carolina.
The most productive of these streams is probably the East Fork of the Pigeon River. The section of the river that flows along Highway #276 doesn’t contain trout, or at least isn’t designated as trout waters by the state. The six mile section of its headwaters above Highway #276 does. It contains a population of wild brown and rainbow trout. It lies within the Shining Rock Wilderness Area and requires hiking to get to its waters. The stream is accessible from the Big East Fork Trail that follows along the stream. Its trailhead is located near the highway #276 bridge over the East Fork. The stream is small to medium size in this area. The East Fork has two small tributary streams – North Prong Shining Creek and Dark Prong Creek both of which are rather small but have wild trout.
Another stream that is a main tributary of the Pigeon River is the Little East Fork of the Pigeon River. There are about two miles of wild trout waters above the Boy Scout Camp Daniel Boone located on the Little East Fork Road. It can be accessed from highway #215 above Bethel. This is a small stream but worth fishing.
The Middle Prong starts just below the Blue Ridge Parkway and flows through the Middle Prong Wilderness Area. It is a tributary of the West Fork of the Pigeon River. It’s also called the Middle Prong of the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. It’s strictly a small, wild trout stream that provides about five miles of trout water.
The West Fork also has trout but it’s stocked. It also begins just below the Blue Ridge Parkway. Highway #215 follows right along the stream. The section below the confluence of the Middle Prong flows through private property. The section upstream of the Middle Prong confluence flows through the Pisgah Game Lands and is open to the public.
There’s also a Right Hand Prong of the West Fork. It’s a small wild trout stream that’s a tributary of the Middle Prong. It’s accessible by hiking upstream from its confluence with the Middle Prong near highway #215. Richland Creek is another tributary of the Pigeon River. It flows right through Waynesville North Carolina and is a Delayed Harvest stream. About two miles of the stream is stocked. There’s a special handicapped access area to this stream.
Downstream several miles from the main headwaters of the Pigeon River, below Waterville Lake just off Interstate 40 near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, are two more tributaries that hold trout. Hurricane Creek and Cold Springs Creek. Hurricane Creek is located on Pisgah Game Lands but offers only about a mile of fishing. It’s accessible from Forest Service Road 233.
Cold Springs Creek is located farther down the Pigeon River near the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. It’s accessible from Forest Service Road #148 just off I-40. It provides about a mile of stocked water.
Season: The season runs year-round
Winter: Trout can be caught some days during the Winter
Spring: Spring is the best time for fly fishing the Pigeon River’s tributary streams because of the hatches.
Summer: Summertime is marginal, the water can become too warm.
Fall: Fall is a beautiful time to fish these streams and a good time to catch one of the large brown trout.
James Marsh is the Owner of The Perfect Fly online and catalog mail-order store, www.perfectflystore.com