Clear Creek Fishing Guides
A gorge stream in the Obed system on the Cumberland Plateau, running clear over sandstone through one of the more remote corridors in Tennessee and holding wild smallmouth.
Guides on the Clear Creek
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About the Clear Creek
Clear Creek is one of the principal streams of the Obed Wild and Scenic River system on the Cumberland Plateau, joining the Obed River a short distance below the Lilly Bridge crossing. It runs through a sandstone gorge with bluff walls rising well above the water, and the corridor is remote enough that the fishing feels considerably farther from a road than it actually is.
The stream is aptly named. It runs over clean sandstone and boulder substrate with very little suspended sediment, and at normal flows the water is clear enough to see fish holding in pools several feet deep. That clarity, combined with the open sky above a gorge, makes for demanding sight fishing and rewards anglers who move slowly and stay off the skyline.
Smallmouth bass are the primary fish and are wild throughout. They hold at the heads of pools, along bluff edges and in the pockets behind boulders, and the population runs to good average size for a stream this size. Rock bass are abundant and willing, redbreast sunfish and longear sunfish fill out the panfish, and largemouth bass and channel catfish occupy the deeper slower holes.
Flow is the governing variable. Clear Creek is rain-fed with no upstream storage, so it rises fast and falls fast, and the same gorge that makes it beautiful makes high water genuinely dangerous. The reach is well known to paddlers precisely because of those swings. Anglers should read the gauge before committing to a trip and be conservative about it.
The Obed Wild and Scenic River is administered by the National Park Service, which keeps the corridor undeveloped and public. Access is from a handful of crossings and trailheads, with substantial walking between them, and the interior of the gorge sees very few people. Wartburg is the nearest town with services and the park visitor contact point.
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Access
Lilly Bridge - the crossing at the gauge and the main access to this reach.
Obed Wild and Scenic River - the National Park Service unit covering this corridor.
Lancing - the small community nearest the gauge.
Wartburg - the nearest town with services and the park visitor contact.
Nemo Bridge - the well known access on the Emory River nearby.
Obed River - the river this creek joins just downstream.
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area - the large public tract adjoining much of this country.
Seasons
Spring: high, fast water that can be dangerous, with fishing improving as it drops.
Summer: low and very clear, the classic season for wading and sight fishing smallmouth.
Fall: steady low flows, cooling water and consistently good fishing.
Winter: cold and subject to sharp rises after rain, with fish held deep.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Clear Creek?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge CLEAR CREEK AT LILLY BRIDGE NEAR LANCING, TN reads 3 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Clear Creek?
Anglers target Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Clear Creek in Tennessee.
Where can you access the Clear Creek?
Lilly Bridge - the crossing at the gauge and the main access to this reach. Obed Wild and Scenic River - the National Park Service unit covering this corridor. Lancing - the small community nearest the gauge. Wartburg - the nearest town with services and the park visitor contact. Nemo Bridge - the well known access on the Emory River nearby. Obed River - the river this creek joins just downstream. Catoosa Wildlife Management Area - the large public tract adjoining much of this country.
When is the best time to fish the Clear Creek?
Spring: high, fast water that can be dangerous, with fishing improving as it drops. Summer: low and very clear, the classic season for wading and sight fishing smallmouth. Fall: steady low flows, cooling water and consistently good fishing. Winter: cold and subject to sharp rises after rain, with fish held deep.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Clear Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Tennessee agency site: https://www.tn.gov/twra/fishing.html