Wilson Creek

Stream Category: A and Fee Fishing During May-October

Wild Trout:

Stocked Trout: Brook

Other Species of Note: None

Gear:

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, and Terrestrials

Nymphs: Stone Flies, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Midges, Mop Flies, and Squirmmy Wormies

Streamers: Kreelex, Minnow Patterns

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Roll, and Overhead

About:

Wilson Creek to be honest is a hit or miss stocked, freestone, tail water stream that is open year round. It resides in both Bath and Alleghany Counties, and both sides are stocked year round. The water that is supplied to Wilson Creeek is from Douthat Dam/Lake. I have personally been there many times year round; sometimes there is water, sometimes there is no water. I am baffled how the state of Virginia can make this stream a pay stream like Big Tumbling Creek and Cripple Creek, without having the water to support the stream. I am confounded on how they release the water from the dam, you would think that they would release it often to support Wilson Creek so that it would always have the correct water supply. Sadly this is not the case.

Honestly, I love and loathe Wilson Creek. When it has water and it has been stocked, you can catch nice sized brook trout all day long, However when there is no water, the brook trout are often easily spooked and very hard to find (except under a few bridges). What I suggest to do if you want to fish during normal fishing season is to wait until you see that Wilson Creek has been stocked, using VDGIF’s website, and if it has recently rained or snowed then fish this creek. During the summer months, other than calling the park to get a fishing report, there is no way of knowing that the stream has water or not (unless it has been raining for several days there).

When the stream has water; there are fast runs and nice sized holes that trout hold up in. However I do suggest fishing up stream instead of downstream. These brookies have some very good eye sight, and they will often see you before you see them. Keep your rig lite and simple; if you are nymph fishing I would suggest using a lite strike indicator (like the New Zealand strike indicator), I do not recommend euro nymph fishing here. Realistically you need to be able to cast up stream so that the fish will not see you, even if are fishing from a bank. Streamer fishermen need to stick to the bridges only, or if you have a very long cast, walk around the hole you are going to fish so that the fish will not be spooked by seeing you. Honestly I have never tried dry fly fishing at Wilson Creek, but if I did I would use a dry/dropper rig and keep to the traditional Virginia dry flies.