Trout fishing in Burningtown Creek, NC
Burningtown Creek is a smallish creek that flows north of the small mountain town of Franklin, North Carolina. It is stocked well in the spring. Burningtown Creek also has some native fish. The tree canopy is fairly thick, which keeps the water cooler. This also can make for tight quarters when fly fishing.
The roads to Burningtown Creek are paved and pretty good. It is a pretty drive! The best approach is to take Iotla Church Rd west from Bryson City Road. After a few miles it turns into Burnintown Rd. After a few more miles, 6 or so total, it splits off into Upper Burningtown Rd and Lower Burningtown Rd. There is parking here at the road going to the church. Also there are pull-offs on Middle Burningtown Rd. The best spots to park and access the creek off Lower Burningtown Rd are Kelly Cove and the Needmore game lands.
Burningtown Creek trout fishing
Fishing Burningtown Creek is a typical small creek situation. Most of the fish will be in the 10″ to 12″ range, primarily stocked fish. This means that light spinning and fly tackle is the best approach. Even though it is a small creek, there are some nice deeper holes and runs. Anglers Spin fishing will do well with a 5 1/2 foot ultralight rod and 4 lb or even 2 lb line. Anglers fly fishing can use anything up to a 4wt, with a 7 foot 3 wt being perfect. Floating lines work best.
My favorite lure is a 1 1/6 ounce Rooster tail spinner. A variety of colors produce and I find gold blades to be best. A Trout Magnet fished under a small float works well and is easy to use. Burningtown Creek is a good spot for kids. The wading is easy and often fish can be caught right from shore without getting wet. Half a nightcrawler fished under a float is a great approach when fishing with younger children.
read more about trout fishing in Franklin, North Carolina
Fly anglers do not need to get complicated. I rarely see rises on the creek. However, attractor type dry flies with catch a few trout. Yellow Sally, coachman, and hopper patterns are a good place to start. The best bet is the standard double fly under a strike indicator rig. Egg patterns, mop flies, worm patterns, and nymphs are work well. There generally is not a ton or current, making it easy to fish this rig.
Early winter and spring are definitely the best times to fish Burningtown Creek. Fishing is closed during March. The creek is well stocked each month, even in July. However, as with most trout fishing, summer can be tough. Getting out there early or late is the best bet.
In conclusion, I hope this article on trout fishing in Burningtown Creek will help anglers catch more fish while visiting the Franklin, North Carolina area!
