South Chickamauga Creek Fishing Guides
A Chattanooga creek that carries far more water than its name suggests, running out of northwest Georgia through the city's east side to the Tennessee River, with a paddling trail along much of it.
Guides on the South Chickamauga Creek
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the South Chickamauga Creek
South Chickamauga Creek is the rare urban creek that has been treated as an asset rather than a drainage ditch, and the difference shows on the water. It rises in northwest Georgia, crosses the state line, and runs north through Chattanooga’s east side to meet the Tennessee River, draining well over four hundred square miles by the time it passes the gauge near Chickamauga. That drainage area is what makes it interesting to boaters: this is creek water in name only, wide enough and deep enough to float a canoe through most of the year without dragging.
The gauge reports discharge and stage, and both are worth reading before a trip because the creek responds fast to rain on the ridges above it. A modest summer thunderstorm can put it up a foot or two within hours, and it clears slowly afterwards, carrying the silt load that a valley draining farmland and suburb inevitably produces. Low summer flow is the more common condition and the one most paddlers meet, shallow riffles between long slow pools, walkable in places but rarely impassable. Spring is when it runs at its best for boats.
The fishery is a warmwater mix typical of the Tennessee Valley’s smaller tributaries. Smallmouth and spotted bass hold on the rock in the riffles and at the heads of the pools, largemouth take the slower backwaters, and bluegill and redear sunfish are everywhere in the summer. Channel catfish work the deeper holes after dark, and carp, drum and gar turn up in the lower reaches where the creek slows toward the river. A greenway and blueway system gives this creek better public access than most Tennessee streams of its size, and local paddling clubs run it regularly through the spring.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not South Chickamauga Creek.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Chickamauga - the community at the gauge and the most direct approach to the middle creek.
Chattanooga - the nearest city, with outfitters, lodging and the greenway that follows the lower creek.
South Chickamauga Creek Greenway - paved trail and several formal put-ins along the lower reach.
Tennessee River confluence - the downstream end, reached from the city's riverfront access points.
Ringgold, Georgia - the upstream approach across the state line to the headwater reaches.
State Route bridges - several crossings between Chickamauga and the city give short bank access.
Private frontage - much of the middle creek runs behind residential and farm property and should not be crossed without permission.
Seasons
Spring: the best boating flows of the year and the most active fishing, with bass moving onto the shoals through April and May.
Summer: low and warm, with the creek reduced to pools and shallow riffles, best fished early and late or at night for catfish.
Fall: flows recover with the first real rains and the water clears, which makes this the most pleasant season to walk and wade.
Winter: cold and often high, with little insect activity, though the deeper pools hold fish and the creek is rarely locked up by ice.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What is the current flow on the South Chickamauga Creek?
As of Oct 18, 5:15 pm, the USGS gauge SOUTH CHICKAMAUGA CREEK NEAR CHICKAMAUGA, TN reads 117 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the South Chickamauga Creek?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass on the South Chickamauga Creek in Tennessee.
Where can you access the South Chickamauga Creek?
Chickamauga - the community at the gauge and the most direct approach to the middle creek. Chattanooga - the nearest city, with outfitters, lodging and the greenway that follows the lower creek. South Chickamauga Creek Greenway - paved trail and several formal put-ins along the lower reach. Tennessee River confluence - the downstream end, reached from the city's riverfront access points. Ringgold, Georgia - the upstream approach across the state line to the headwater reaches. State Route bridges - several crossings between Chickamauga and the city give short bank access. Private frontage - muc...
When is the best time to fish the South Chickamauga Creek?
Spring: the best boating flows of the year and the most active fishing, with bass moving onto the shoals through April and May. Summer: low and warm, with the creek reduced to pools and shallow riffles, best fished early and late or at night for catfish. Fall: flows recover with the first real rains and the water clears, which makes this the most pleasant season to walk and wade. Winter: cold and often high, with little insect activity, though the deeper pools hold fish and the creek is rarely locked up by ice.
Where are the fishing regulations for the South Chickamauga Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Tennessee agency site: https://www.tn.gov/twra/fishing/fishing-regulations.html