Clinch Mountain Trout Fishing

Clinch Mountain in southwestern Virginia provides a unique trout fishing experience different from other streams around the state. Big Tumbling Creek on the mountain is a fee area where you pay for a permit to fish it on an individual day. In return for your daily fee you get to fish a trout stream that is stocked by VDGIF almost daily. We recently took a trip to that part of Virginia to see how it compares with trout fishing in other areas around the state. We were also able to check out the New River Bike Trail while we were in the area. You can read our post on the New River Trail Here.

How do the Permits Work?

The daily permit system is different from the usual trout stamp process that Virginia uses for other trout fishing waters. You can purchase a daily permit directly from the VDGIF online here. You’ll need to pick what day you want the permit for when you purchase it. The permit fee to fish Big Tumbling Creek is $8.00 per day. You’ll also need to have a Virginia freshwater fishing license to go with the permit. You don’t need a daily permit to fish Big Tumbling Creek during the offseason months from October 1st through the first Saturday in April. A freshwater fishing license and a trout stamp are all you need during the offseason.

How often are the Trout Stocked in Big Tumbling Creek?

Clinch Mountain has a robust and regular trout stocking schedule for Big Tumbling Creek. Different sections of the stream are stocked on different days of the week. The trout stocking season runs from the first Saturday in April to September 30th. The stream is divided up into four different sections. The stocking schedule for what sections of the stream get stocked on what days of the week can change, so make sure you read the signs when you arrive at the stream. The stream is stocked four times per week during the fishing season.

What types of trout are in Big Tumbling Creek?

You’ll catch a mix of rainbow, brook and brown trout in Big Tumbling Creek. VDGIF stocks trophy sized fish in the stream several times throughout the season. They have even stocked 500 trophy brook trout in a single day! It’s not uncommon for the stream to be stocked with trout weighing in at over two pounds.

What Lures to Use at Clinch Mountain

The stocked trout in the stream all come from nearby hatcheries. So, the most reliable way to catch them is with salmon eggs like the ones you see here. The trout didn’t have to hunt for prey while in the hatchery so they are less likely to chase spinners and other lures. Trout Powerbait also works really well on the fish here.

Having said that, fishing for trout with salmon eggs is not the most exciting way to go trout fishing. I was able to catch some nice fish in Big Tumbling Creek by using a spinner like this one. Terrestrial flies were also working well if you’d rather bring your fly rod. The best fly to use can change by the day (or even the hour), but an ant fly like this worked best for us.

Tips for a Successful Day at Clinch Mountain

First tip is to arrive early. Fishing at Big Tumbling Creek opens at 5 am everyday. Clinch Mountain fishing area can get really crowded, so the sooner you can get there the better.

Don’t spend a ton of time fishing the deep pools that are right off the road. VDGIF stocks these pools frequently, but the over-fishing here is crazy. Hiking along the stream a bit will reward you with less spooked fish.

We got a little confused by the map at one point as you follow the stream up the mountain. You need to take the road veers off to the right and climbs up the mountainside to get to the upper sections of Big Tumbling Creek.

Bring a wide variety of lures in your tackle box. Be willing to hike along the creek. Everyone can fish the deep pools that are right off the road. The best way to find fish here is to hike upstream and away from the road. You need to get to some areas that don’t have nearly as high fishing pressure.

Our Experience Fishing Big Tumbling Creek

We wanted to fish Big Tumbling Creek and see what the Clinch Mountain Fishing area was all about for ourselves. We made the trip out to that part of Virginia in the late September time frame. Late summer, just before the onset of fall, was a great time to visit the area.

There are some good things and some negatives to fishing Big Tumbling Creek. First, the amount of trout that VDGIF puts in this stream is just absurd. It is a seriously impressive operation that they’re running out there. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding fish if you’ve lined up your day with the stocking schedule.

There are some drawbacks to a stocking program like this. The popularity of the fishing area combined with the stocking frequency can lead to the trout not behaving as they naturally would. This makes the experience feel a little different from authentic trout fishing.

The trout have also been farm raised. This means they’re used to being fed and did not grow up hunting prey like they normally would. So you’ll see a lot of fishermen trying to take advantage of that by using salmon eggs on a hook. I don’t know about you but I’ve never really enjoyed fishing for trout with salmon eggs. A lot of people enjoy it and it definitely works though so that’s always an option.

There was a decent amount of trash left behind along the stream. We did our best to cleanup after the people who had been there before, but the trash did take away from the natural experience a little bit.

Laurel Bed Lake

Laurel Bed Lake feeds Big Tumbling Creek though Laurel Bed Creek. The Creek is one of the main tributaries of Big Tumbling Creek. The lake has a dam and flow control structure. VDGIF adjusts the stream height in Big Tumbling Creek by controlling the amount of water released from the Lake.

Laurel Bed Lake offers some great fishing in addition to Big Tumbling Creek. The lake was once part of the fee fishing area as well. VDGIF still stocks and manages the lake for trout fishing, but you no longer need a daily permit to fish the lake. They stock the trout as fingerlings so you actually do not even need a trout stamp here. You’ll find both brook and rainbow trout in the lake.

The 330 acre lake sits at the top of Clinch Mountain at 3,600 feet of elevation. There is a boat launch at the lake and it looks like a great spot for canoe fishing. You can also use a small boat with an outboard below 10 horsepower.

Many of the smallmouth in the lake are trophy size and all smallmouth bass are catch and release only. VDGIF originally introduced smallmouth during the 90’s to try and control the rock bass population. The lake is now a great spot for higher elevation smallmouth fishing that compares to some of the lakes up north.

Should you fish Big Tumbling Creek?

Overall, Big Tumbling Creek is a unique fishing experience that I think everyone should try at least once. The well-run stocking program keeps the stream loaded with trophy fish. The stream itself is also beautiful with many cascades and deep pools. Now that we’ve done it we probably won’t go back for a while. We are certainly glad to have checked it off our Virginia trout fishing bucket list though.