Mapping the Sheltowee

Sasquatch · cub Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Lexington, KY

Hello to all. I am new to this site and relatively new to the Sheltowee Trace trail. I am trying to plan a trip for myself and two other backpackers in early June. Two of us have a good bit of experience backpacking, while the third person is still fairly new to this sort of thing. We would like to plan a 3 day, 2 night trip somewhere around the Big South Fork, Cumberland Falls and/or approaching Laurel Lake. Looking through the photo gallery, I see a few small streams that look good for wade-fishing - primarily for Trout and Smallmouth Bass. Since this is my first overnight trip on the area, I was wondering if any of you can offer advice. Our primary purpose is just to get away for a few days and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the Cumberland, but it would be nice if we could stop and fish when appropriate. Most of the pictures of the Cumberland River that I've seen in the photo gallery appear to be either a large, deep river or small tributaries that are too small to hold good numbers of fish. Any advice you can lend is appreciated. Thanks - Sasquatch

Boyd · Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject:

Welcome Sasquatch!

The ST between Cumberland Falls and Laurel Lake, about 16 miles, is beautiful. Bark Camp Creek is a stocked trout stream and offers a nice day of exploration. I think ky streams were just stocked, but I'm not sure about laws. I think the bridge at Bark Camp is still out, but there's a rope across if the stream isn't too wild.

Another good stream is the upper Rock Creek area. It's a federal trout stream, state wild river, and along the ST. You could start at Pickett State Park and hike to Yamacraw Bridge....a good 3 days. You've got to ford Rock Creek just above Yamacraw and could be tricky in high water. You might be thinking that fishing is good where Rock Creek joins the Big South Fork. However, acid mine drainage creates a barren stream there. You could fish the big south fork above rock creek though...

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

Has anyone been on the section just before the Rock Creek Ford by the Big South Fork River? I just went through there and there were many new trail blazes that take the trail past Kroger Arch and then back to the highway. I was just wondering if this is a mistake or if the park has re-routed the trail to avoid this possibly dangerous ford....

Boyd · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:14 am Post subject:

You can drop off the ST at the Kroger Arch and walk the road out to Yamacraw bridge if Rock Creek is high. Once you drop into Grassy Fork south of Rock Creek, there's no way out except to ford, hike back to the road at Kroger Arch, or bushwhack across Coon Patch Ridge near a powerline cut and/or walk up Rock Creek to the same bridge you'd cross had you drop out at Kroger Arch.

Also...this section of Rock Creek is NOT the trout stream section. That's up stream at Great Meadows Campground.

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

The section of Kroger Arch was clearly blazed with new turtles, but the section toward the Rock Creek ford had none that I saw.

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

http://www.kentuckygameandfish.com/fishing/trout-fishing/KY_0506_02/

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

ROCK CREEK
For stream fishing, one of the best opportunities in Kentucky lies in Rock Creek in McCreary County. While the majority of streams on the trout-stocking circuit get fish three to five months a year, Rock Creek's habitat and suitable water to fish is stocked March through December, except in July and August. That's eight months all together, and that comes to a total of 17,600 trout in a calendar year.

Besides Hatchery Creek, Rock Creek is the most stocked stream in the Commonwealth. For the nearly 10 miles from the Bell Farm bridge upstream to the Tennessee border, there is a delayed-harvest season from October through March and artificial lures only are allowed during the catch-and-release period. This Kentucky Wild River is within the Daniel Boone National Forest off SR 1363 out of Yamacraw in southwest McCreary County.

Rock Creek is a beautiful, scenic waterway that just happens to fit the needs of trout perfectly. Anglers can expect to find fish there in good quantity and better sizes than in many other stocked streams. Like many streams in this vicinity, Rock Creek is very clear, bounded by huge boulders and rock outcroppings, and is best suited to belly-tubes or wading.

"It gets pretty narrow in spots, so floating with a small boat can become a chore when you have to portage it to the next hole," said KDFWR Information Officer Lee McClellan.

McClellan recommends using very light spinning tackle or fly-fishing with small, light flies to avoid spooking fish.

Boyd · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the link! Seems like some good trout fishing the Big South and Red River Gorge.

Do you think the forest service is rerouting the ST? Bypassing the ford in favor of a 2-mile road walk? Grassy Fork is an interesting look at historic mining impact.

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

It sure seemed that way to me... with the new trail markers and even arrows. I even saw a white dimond on the road, but it looked old. I know that road walk sucked though. Once I saw how high the creek and the river were, I considered it a blessing in disguise.

Boyd · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject:

I think the Rock Creek ford is the most dangerous ford on the ST. I see why the forest service would make a reroute there. I think the book, "Hiking the Big South Fork" by Deaver, Smith, & Duncan might mention that reroute.

Did you have to back-up and walk the road?

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

The book mentions that it is an alternate route I think.

Yea, we just went ahead and walked the road to the Yamacraw Bridge.

Boyd · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 12:07 pm Post subject:

cool....Did you see the old train bridge across the Big South? I think from the road you could on across part of it.

Sasquatch · cub Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Lexington, KY

Thanks for the help so far guys. I've been up and down Rock Creek a few times - mostly around Great Meadow, going upstream to the Tennessee border and downstream approximately 5 miles or so - looking for good trout areas. What we found was a very small stream that did not appear big enough to hold good numbers of trout. I've seen and heard lots of information about Rock Creek as a trout stream, but I wonder if there is a section of creek that is larger than what we have found? Most of Rock Creek that we have found so far is only 1-2 feet deep and less than 10 yards wide. It looked almost more like a drainage ditch than a trout stream.

Sasquatch · cub Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Lexington, KY

Hey JoeBrady - In the photo gallery you have a collection of photos titled "Cumberland Falls to Bark Camp Shelter". Several photos show a section of creek or river that look great for the trip we are planning. It looks to be 20-30 yards wide with rocks and boulders on either side and several deep sections seperated by riffles and white water. Is this part of the Cumberland, Bark Camp Creek, or some other stream?

JoeBrady · cub Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Louisville, KY

I what you are seeing in those pictures is the Cumberland River in mid October.