Clay County, North Carolina
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June 2025
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs
Fires Creek is located in Clay County, out in the western toe of North Carolina. From the standpoint of trout fishing and population centers, it is a bit off the beaten path. Those facts, however, don’t qualify it as an unknown destination for tangling with the state’s cold-water fish. It simply makes it less visited by the long-rod fans. It has been a while since On The Fly South has reviewed the angling at Fires Creek, so it seemed a good time to take another look.
All told, Fires Creek offers roughly 10 miles of fishable water on Nantahala Game Lands. The stream is a tributary of the Hiwassee River, situated north of U.S. Highway 64 between the towns of Murphy on the west and Hayesville to the east. By mountain trout water standards, at least in is lower region, Fires is a fairly large creek.
As for its trout population, Fires Creek provides a multi-facet angling experience. From the Fires Creek Road bridge (CR 1300) upstream to the pedestrian bridge at Fires Creek Picnic Area at the mouth of Leatherwood Branch, the creek is open under hatchery-supported regulations. Fish have been stocked monthly in May and June this year. At the picnic area, you also can see the cascade of Leatherwood Falls entering Fires Creek from the northwest.
Leatherwood Falls in the picnic area.
For the last decade, the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has managed the section of the stream from the picnic area upstream to the mouth of Rockhouse Creek as a delayed-harvest fishery. Though here Fires is stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in March, April and May, as well as October and November. From October 1 to the first Saturday in June the fishing is catch-and-release with artificial lures only. The creek then reverts to standard statewide hatchery-supported regulations.
Brook trout are stocked in lower Fires Creek in the hatchery-supported and DH waters.
The hatchery-supported stretch is adjacent to the picnic area parking area and runs downstream from the pedestrian foot bridge that crosses the stream here. The delayed-harvest waters are upstream of that span. Prominently displayed signs designate the regulations through here.
Trails lead both up and downstream from this site, providing access to the hatchery-supported and DH sections. The upstream trail is even paved for roughly a quarter mile along the west shore of the creek. While the parking lot at the picnic area often can be crowded, most of the people will be there to actually have picnics and view the waterfall.
Upstream of the end of the DH stretch, beginning at the mouth of Rockhouse Creek, Fires has a population of wild, stream-bred browns and rainbows. While these fish generally run smaller than their hatchery raised cousins, they are colorful and feisty. Occasionally, some of these trout are encountered that run in the 12- to 13-inch range. The stream’s course in this upper region is a tumbling rocky one, offering numerous drops, pools and deep runs.
The upper portions of the creek offer a more rough-and-tumble flow.
Be aware that when approaching this upper area, stealth is needed to keep from spooking the wary wild trout. Casting a shadow on the water or causing a commotion in the shoreline vegetation can send these fish scurrying for cover.
Fly fishermen will find that much of the lower portion of the stream has plenty of room for casting. All sections of the stream are best fished with rods of 3- to 6-weight. On the upstream wild trout waters, 7- to 7 1/2-foot rods work best. And, of course, bring your felt-soled wading boots.
Smaller brightly=colored rainbow trout dominate the upstream reaches of the creek.
The lower portions of the creek can get a bit warm in the summer months, but the wild trout sections continue to fish well year-round.
Fly selection for fishing on Fires Creek is much like that on any Southern Appalachian freestone stream. Some local favorite dry flies used here are Elk-hair Caddis, Thunderheads and Stimulators, but Royal Wulff and Parachute Adams patterns are also good choices. Mostly you want a buoyant fly to ride the riffles and be visible enough for you to follow its drift with your eyes. Below the surface, Pheasant Tail or Hair’s Ear nymphs in sizes No. 16 or 18 are noted to produce strikes.
Fires Creek can be accessed from the Fires Creek Road bridge by turning onto Fires Creek Wildlife Road. This road leads into the Game Lands and the picnic area.
For anglers preferring an extended stay for fishing Fires Creek, the Forest Service’s Huskins Branch Campground is located on the hatchery-supported portion of the creek, offering primitive camping conditions..
Fires Creek is a bit out of the way to reach, but the quality and diversity of the angling options make it worth the effort to reach its shore. And for a wild-trout enthusiast, the upper reaches of the flow provide some water that only hardy anglers usually see.
