Eagle Creek

[FARMS100]

I will be going to fontana lake in NC this month. I would like some info on what to expect when we get there. We will be staying on camp #87 on an island right now you can walk beteween island but by the last of april it will again be an island.
We will be fishing on the lake and the creeks we will be between hazel and eagle crks, I would like to know how far from the lake can we get with a small 15' boat. I know that is hard to say with the water up and down.
We will bass fish and smallmouth, trout fish also we will be there 3 days so we want to do it all. Also if you can help with bait and flies it would be nice.
THANKS FOR ANY HELP AL

 

[whitetailfreak]

You will be two miles from mouth of Eagle and probably 5 miles from the mouth of Hazel. What kind of boat? There will be a good bit of boat traffic in May. If it doesn't have a motor I'd stick to fishing Eagle. Tie up at the mouth and fish up Eagle proper with Yeller Palmer's, Stimulators, Adams,Thunderheads, green weenies, pheasant tails, Tellico's etc. All the Smoky Mountain favorites will work. Eagle is a good creek and with any skill at all you should catch plenty of Rainbows. If you're feeling adventurous, go up Ekaneetlee, or Pinnacle creek. Get up around 3500 ft or so and there's speckle in all the headwaters. Get a good park map at Fontana Marina when you put in. You could put in at Cable Cove but it would be a bit further.

 

[FARMS100]

You will be two miles from mouth of Eagle and probably 5 miles from the mouth of Hazel. What kind of boat? There will be a good bit of boat traffic in May. If it doesn't have a motor I'd stick to fishing Eagle. Tie up at the mouth and fish up Eagle proper with Yeller Palmer's, Stimulators, Adams,Thunderheads, green weenies, pheasant tails, Tellico's etc. All the Smoky Mountain favorites will work. Eagle is a good creek and with any skill at all you should catch plenty of Rainbows. If you're feeling adventurous, go up Ekaneetlee, or Pinnacle creek. Get up around 3500 ft or so and there's speckle in all the headwaters. Get a good park map at Fontana Marina when you put in. You could put in at Cable Cove but it would be a bit further.

We were going to stay at cable cove but decided on #87 on island. We will take your advice about flies on the creek. THANKS FOR HELP AL

 

[NCHillbilly]

What Whitetailfreak said. Right now, the first fly I would tie on would be a #12 Adams or #12 Yellow Palmer. If they won't hit on top, fish a Tellico or Prince nymph.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

Sounds like an adventure. Make sure to take lots of pictures and give us a detailed trip report when you get back.

 

[Cmp1]

Sounds like an adventure. Make sure to take lots of pictures and give us a detailed trip report when you get back.

This right here,,,,

 

[whitetailfreak]

When I was a kid and around 1990 my Pap got a notion that he wanted to walk from the Granville Calhoun place on Hazel Creek up Possum Holler and over Pinnacle to Eagle Creek. When he got to certain point he had a confused look on his face and said "they ort be a road up here". My dad kicked back the leaves to expose the gravel and said "daddy, you're standing in it". He was picturing what it was like in 1940 instead of 1990. There were 40 year old Poplar's growing where he thought the road should be. He caught heck for that one.

 

[FARMS100]

There are myself and son are going we both love doing this. We went to COLORADO for 10 days sept /2017 we had a ball didn't catch many but loved the adventure boy that is a long drive. I will take many pictures always do both of us. We are not very good at fly fishing but love trying on the lake with my boat we will be able to catch
all kinds of fish BASS- SMALL MOUTH -TROUT .
We will camp on island for 3 nites and can just throw lines in lake when we want. We
also will do a little exploreing on the lake with my boat a homemade 15' runabout/
6hp motor and trolling motor also, hope the dock will let me charge our battery
while we go to BRYSON CITY , probley shopping for food. We both will bringsupplies
but always need things. I will need a few flies before we go, will get go 4/25
come home on sun.28th
I WANT TO THANK ALL FOR HELP IN THIS TRIP PLEASE KEEP HELP COMING
AL

 

[whitetailfreak]

There are myself and son are going we both love doing this. We went to COLORADO for 10 days sept /2017 we had a ball didn't catch many but loved the adventure boy that is a long drive. I will take many pictures always do both of us. We are not very good at fly fishing but love trying on the lake with my boat we will be able to catch
all kinds of fish BASS- SMALL MOUTH -TROUT .
We will camp on island for 3 nites and can just throw lines in lake when we want. We
also will do a little exploreing on the lake with my boat a homemade 15' runabout/
6hp motor and trolling motor also, hope the dock will let me charge our battery
while we go to BRYSON CITY , probley shopping for food. We both will bringsupplies
but always need things. I will need a few flies before we go, will get go 4/25
come home on sun.28th
I WANT TO THANK ALL FOR HELP IN THIS TRIP PLEASE KEEP HELP COMING
AL

Be prepared for wet weather, use the bear cables, and you cannot bring firewood into the park.

 

[NCHillbilly]

The walleye will probably still be hitting good in the lake then, too. Hit steep clay banks with a mudline with nightcrawlers, chartreuse curlytail jigs, or shad raps.

 

[FARMS100]

I knew that all you mountain folks would come thru for me! That is good to know because we will go after anything in the water we don't care what bites the hook
now it is up to me to bring back some great stories to put on here. I will tell all that we are not the best fisherman in the world but we have fun when we go camping.
looking for a great trip.
THANKS------------AL

 

[FARMS100]

does anybody know where to find THUNDERHEAD FLIES
AL-----THANKS
having a hard time finding

 

[whitetailfreak]

Look at Roger Caylors website, he ties a good un for $1. He's retiring, but I'm sure still has a TH or two.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Any fly shop in western NC when you get here will have them. If I had time, I'd tie you up a few myself.

 

[FARMS100]

Caylors has the thunderhead fly and I ordered a doz. THANKS AL

 

[FARMS100]

Looks like lake fontana will be close to full when we get there on Thursday. 15 ft. is a lot better than 50-60ft, also the water will be closer to the trees and bank also the island campsite should be an island again instead of the strip of beach between them.
I'm looking forward to 3 days in camp on island and fishing in creek also as the lake.
I want to thank all for advice----AL

 

[FARMS100]

I'm sorry about not doing this before now but have a kidney stone in me!
We made reservation on the island on Fontana lake, after loading boat with 3 days supplies,tent chairs, coolers my boat was full. We got to island and find a small
mountain with camp on top sign says camp is 100 yards ahead,we are in trouble.
We decided to go back to other side of lake to CABLE COVE campground and stay.
This was Thursday by this time late afternoon so no boat ride now.
That night we had a storm and Friday morning early with 20-30 mile an hour winds on that lake I will not go anywhere then. So sat. we when to EAGLE CRK took close to 1 1/2 hrs to get there the water was great took my boat all the way to the campsite,
when upstream a little ways and fished no catching done.
We when back to camp for lunch then went across lake to HAZEL CRK took and hour
to get there good landing area but is 1/2 mile from campsite, we fished a little while
then went to camp for dinner 2 lg t-bones and potato's.
So by now you know the story no fish.
I WANT TO THANK ALL FOR ADVICE AS WE WILL GO BACK AND USE IT
BETWEEN BAD RESERVEATION ON ISLAND AND WEATHER WE DIDN'T DO MUCH FISHING WILL BE GOING BACK!
AL

 

[whitetailfreak]

Sounds like an adventure. I've caught the mess out of the wild Rainbows in Powell's Branch that runs through Cable Cove campground.

 

[whitetailfreak]

I was wondering how that camp site would work out. Everytime I go up Eagle Creek I think to myself "why would anyone want to camp right there?"? I've got a childhood full of memories at Cable Cove. I could about walk there from my grandparents house. I used to walk through the campground and kill Gray squirrel's with my .410 once it closed in October.

 

[FARMS100]

Sounds like an adventure. I've caught the mess out of the wild Rainbows in Powell's Branch that runs through Cable Cove campground.

We had a camp right by the creek in fact while it was pouring rain I was a little afraid the creek would flood because of the signs telling you to be awear of the creek.
there was 2 ducks that swam up the creek. We stayed at the last site before the lake
so how far up stream were you fishing. Everything did not go right but still had a good time. AL