Little Eastatoe's Easy Angling

Pickens County, South Carolina

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On The Fly Freshwater

November 2024

Article and Photos by Jimmy Jacobs.

When most folks think about trout fishing in the Palmetto State, what comes to mind are the tailwaters on the Saluda and Savannah rivers or the free-flowing Chauga and Chattooga rivers. In other words, it is the bigger streams that get the attention.

Still, there is much more to South Carolina’s trout story than those rivers. Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties make up the trout country, situated in the northwest corner of the state. The area was originally home to the native Southern Appalachian strain of brook trout that date back to the last Ice Age.

Those fish, however, did not fare well once European settlers arrived in the region. Over the decades, poor farming and forest management practices decimated the habitat for the species.

A fall stocked brook trout.

Beginning in the period of the 1930s to ‘50s, stocking of rainbow and brown trout was introduced to replace the native fish. More recently, better management of the waters has added more fishable creeks to the inventory of the Palmetto State’s trout fishery. Presently, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources stocks 500,000 trout annually in the state’s water. Sixty percent of those fish are catchable size and sustain the action in put-and-take waters. Another 200,000 are fingerlings released on a put-grow-and take basis.

Today, South Carolina, in addition to the earlier mentioned big flows, has a number of smaller streams that offer both stocked and wild trout fisheries for all three species of trout. Those streams provide a range of angling options that include back-country adventures, as well as trout waters with easy access. Let’s have a look at one of the creeks that fits in that latter category.

Little Eastatoe Creek is located in northern Pickens County, just west of the community of Sunset. The stream is a tributary of Big Eastatoe, which is variously referred to as a river or creek, depending on who is describing it The SCDNR uses the name Big Eastatoe River, while Google Maps goes with creek. Regardless of the moniker used, that larger stream empties into Lake Keowee.

Eastatoe in the Cherokee language translates to green bird and was their name for the now extinct Carolina parakeet that was once common in the South Carolina upstate. In fact, the last confirmed sighting of one of those birds was in what is now the Eastatoe Heritage Area on Big Eastatoe. But, enough of the history and linguistics lesson; let’s get back to Little Eastatoe.

Along the fishable stretch of the creek, it flows through the Poe Creek State Forest, which straddles South Carolina Route 11, which is also known as the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. Through here the creek rates as only a small flow, but does offer room for fly fishing in several areas.

The creek is stocked with catchable-sized brook, brown and rainbow trout from March to June and again in October and November each year. The most recent of those releases on Little Eastatoe took place on October 31. Thus, the creek provides a year-round fishery. The bulk of the trout are in the 8- to 12-inch size range. .

When it comes to which flies to use for these trout, the fall and winter provide differing conditions. In Fall (September to November), the fishing conditions can resemble those encountered in the spring. It just depends on how cool the weather turns out to be when you are trying your luck. If it is still warm, dry flies such as Adams, Elk Hair Caddis and Stimulator patterns are good. Terrestrials may also attract some hits.

On the other hand, if the fall turns cold, you can turn to the same patterns used during the winter months of December through February. That’s when the trout are least active, likely hugging the bottom and only interested in grabbing easy meals that don’t require much movement to reach.

Fishing Wooly Buggers, Muddler Minnows and Prince or Hare’s Ear nymphs are good bets for the subsurface winter angling. Also “junk’ flies like egg patters, Y2Ks and San Juan Worms can be effective. Regardless of which you opt for, they need to be fished slow and deep.

Little Eastatoe Creek offers several of places for easy access. Beginning at the upstream end, there is a parking area at the junction of Eastatoe Road and East Preston McDaniels Road. To reach it from Sunset, go west on SC 11 for 2.1 miles. Turn left on Eastatoe Road and proceed 0.6 mile to the road junction. The creek runs under East Preston McDaniels at this point. There also access at a couple of pull-offs along Eastatoe Creek Road upstream of this point and still in the state forest.

At 3.7 miles west of Sunset on SC 11 you can reach the creek at the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s Long Shoals Wayside Park. Here you find a parking lot, picnic tables, hiking trails and creek access. Just be aware that the “sliding rock” here draws lots of swimmers in the warmer months. However, in the fall and winter, the area belongs to anglers.