Fish the Blue Ridge in Damascus, Virginia
Fly Fishing on Laurel Creek in downtown Damascus
NEW in 2025! Damascus Trout Days
Save the date! Registration opens soon for two new trout fishing tournaments hosted by the Town of Damascus, April 11-13 and September 12-14, 2025. Trout Days will be hosted on the portions of Laurel Creek and Beaverdam Creek within town limits and will be limited to 200 registered anglers each. Trout tags will be entered into a raffle with a mix of gear, guided trip, and cash prizes.
Save the date! Registration opens soon for two new trout fishing tournaments hosted by the Town of Damascus, April 11-13 and September 12-14, 2025. Trout Days will be hosted on the portions of Laurel Creek and Beaverdam Creek within town limits and will be limited to 200 registered anglers each. Trout tags will be entered into a raffle with a mix of gear, guided trip, and cash prizes.
A fishing destination in its own right, Damascus, Virginia sits at the confluence of Whitetop Laurel, Tennessee Laurel, and Beaverdam Creeks, which form Laurel Creek for a short distance and then join the South Fork of the Holston River just outside of town limits. Fishing options around Damascus cover a wide range, from roadside to remote.
Wheelchair accessible fishing can be found at several locations. In downtown Damascus, check out Laurel Creek Park, the home of the Damascus Farmers Market. Find several wheelchair accessible fishing platforms on the Creek Junction Accessible Fishing Trail along Whitetop Laurel and adjacent to the Virginia Creeper Trail at its Creek Junction trailhead (Note: The Creek Junction area was damaged by Hurricane Helene in Fall 2024 and is undergoing repairs.). Beartree Lake is wheelchair accessible with fishing platforms and a paved trail along half of the 14-acre lake.
Depending on where you go, fishing near Damascus may require a freshwater fishing license, national forest permit, and trout license for Virginia and/or Tennessee. Fishing licenses may be purchased online or in person.
Wheelchair accessible fishing can be found at several locations. In downtown Damascus, check out Laurel Creek Park, the home of the Damascus Farmers Market. Find several wheelchair accessible fishing platforms on the Creek Junction Accessible Fishing Trail along Whitetop Laurel and adjacent to the Virginia Creeper Trail at its Creek Junction trailhead (Note: The Creek Junction area was damaged by Hurricane Helene in Fall 2024 and is undergoing repairs.). Beartree Lake is wheelchair accessible with fishing platforms and a paved trail along half of the 14-acre lake.
Depending on where you go, fishing near Damascus may require a freshwater fishing license, national forest permit, and trout license for Virginia and/or Tennessee. Fishing licenses may be purchased online or in person.
Fall Season on Whitetop Laurel
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Trout Fishing on Whitetop Laurel
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Catch of the Day
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Fish the Blue Ridge:
A Four-County Guide to Virginia's Best Fly Fishing...& More
A Four-County Guide to Virginia's Best Fly Fishing...& More
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Welcome to the Blue Ridge Highlands of Virginia, home to the best and most diverse freshwater fishing in the state. New to fishing? Not to worry, this four-county area of Southwest Virginia has plenty of options for anglers young and old, experienced and just testing the waters. You'll find stocked ponds, float trips, and cold-water wading opportunities galore.
Easily accessible via Interstate 81, this four-county area of Virginia is within a day's drive of most of the East Coast! In addition to world-class fishing, you'll find plenty of outdoor recreation, arts & culture, and unique dining and lodging options. Fish the Blue Ridge is a partnership between Damascus, Abingdon, Grayson County, Smyth County, and Wytheville. |
Fish the Blue Ridge Highlands of Virginia! - Blue Ridge Country Magazine (June 2024)
Cast a Line in Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine (March 2024)
Cast a Line in Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine (March 2024)
Feature Stream: Whitetop Laurel Creek
Just upstream of Damascus is one of Virginia's greatest wild trout streams, Whitetop Laurel Creek. Starting as a trickle in the shadow of Whitetop Mountain, Virginia's second highest peak, it flows alongside the world-famous Virginia Creeper Trail on its way into downtown. Whitetop Laurel is a large, freestone mountain trout stream, home to thriving populations of wild rainbow trout and wild brown trout. The stream is regularly stocked by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Whitetop Laurel flows through two regulated catch-and-release fishing areas totaling five miles apiece, where only single-hooked, artificial lures may be used. Two Category A stocked fishing areas separate the special regulation water and receive eight stockings during the stocked trout season, from October 1 to May 31. Within the special regulation sections, anglers can find brook, brown, and rainbow trout.
Whitetop Laurel is highly accessible via Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, a section of Jefferson National Forest. There are formal access points along the Virginia Creeper Trail at the trailheads for Taylors Valley, Creek Junction, and Straight Branch. Roadside fishing along Route 58 near Konnarock provides access to the upper reaches. The Virginia Creeper Trail follows Whitetop Laurel for most of its length, providing additional access to more remote portions of the stream.
Many Appalachian insect hatches, including that of the large, pale-yellow green drakes, provide ample dry fly fishing opportunities throughout late winter and spring. Although spring is “prime time," fishing on Whitetop Laurel is good year-round. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and larger crayfish, hellgrammites and baitfish make nymph and streamer fishing techniques productive in the absence of hatches. Though most choose fly fishing on Whitetop Laurel, anglers with spinning gear are also well-suited with spinners, small jigs and crankbaits.
The challenges in fishing Whitetop Laurel come primarily from sometimes-tricky wading and sometimes-tight casting quarters amidst a thick understory of rhododendron. Still, as a large trout stream, the difficulty in fishing Whitetop Laurel is only intermediate.
One of Southwest Virginia's premier trout fisheries, Whitetop Laurel is a must-visit for traveling and local anglers alike.
Just upstream of Damascus is one of Virginia's greatest wild trout streams, Whitetop Laurel Creek. Starting as a trickle in the shadow of Whitetop Mountain, Virginia's second highest peak, it flows alongside the world-famous Virginia Creeper Trail on its way into downtown. Whitetop Laurel is a large, freestone mountain trout stream, home to thriving populations of wild rainbow trout and wild brown trout. The stream is regularly stocked by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Whitetop Laurel flows through two regulated catch-and-release fishing areas totaling five miles apiece, where only single-hooked, artificial lures may be used. Two Category A stocked fishing areas separate the special regulation water and receive eight stockings during the stocked trout season, from October 1 to May 31. Within the special regulation sections, anglers can find brook, brown, and rainbow trout.
Whitetop Laurel is highly accessible via Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, a section of Jefferson National Forest. There are formal access points along the Virginia Creeper Trail at the trailheads for Taylors Valley, Creek Junction, and Straight Branch. Roadside fishing along Route 58 near Konnarock provides access to the upper reaches. The Virginia Creeper Trail follows Whitetop Laurel for most of its length, providing additional access to more remote portions of the stream.
Many Appalachian insect hatches, including that of the large, pale-yellow green drakes, provide ample dry fly fishing opportunities throughout late winter and spring. Although spring is “prime time," fishing on Whitetop Laurel is good year-round. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and larger crayfish, hellgrammites and baitfish make nymph and streamer fishing techniques productive in the absence of hatches. Though most choose fly fishing on Whitetop Laurel, anglers with spinning gear are also well-suited with spinners, small jigs and crankbaits.
The challenges in fishing Whitetop Laurel come primarily from sometimes-tricky wading and sometimes-tight casting quarters amidst a thick understory of rhododendron. Still, as a large trout stream, the difficulty in fishing Whitetop Laurel is only intermediate.
One of Southwest Virginia's premier trout fisheries, Whitetop Laurel is a must-visit for traveling and local anglers alike.
Fishing from a dock at Beartree Lake near Damascus
More Fishing
Beartree Recreation Area
This 14-acre coldwater lake is a designated stocked trout water located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It offers a sandy swimming beach, wheelchair accessible fishing docks, and plenty of trailside fishing. The US Forest Service and Virginia DWR sometimes offer Kids' Fishing Days at Beartree Lake.
Note: Beartree Lake will be drained to 1/3 of its standard capacity for a restoration project in Summer 2025.
Beaverdam Creek
This underrated trout stream holds a healthy stock of wild brook trout and flows through Cherokee National Forest into Damascus from nearby Shady Valley, TN. Access is most popular from Backbone Rock Recreation Area, roadside pull-offs, or the short, one mile Beaverdam Creek Trail in Damascus.
Laurel Creek
Whitetop Laurel and Tennessee Laurel converge just upstream of downtown Damascus to form Laurel Creek, which flows only a few miles before joining the South Fork of the Holston River. Fish Laurel Creek right from downtown at Laurel Creek Park, the Damascus Dog Park, or Creekside Park on the Virginia Creeper Trail.
South Fork Holston River
The South Fork Holston River originates near Sugar Grove, formed by the combination of several coldwater streams. It has DWR special regulation areas as well as stocked trout sections. Roadside access near Damascus is best at Alvarado near where the South Fork joins the Middle Fork and forms the headwaters of South Holston Lake. The Virginia Creeper Trail between Damascus and Alvarado offers ample trailside access to the South Fork. Find the famed tailwaters of the South Fork Holston a bit further downstream just past the South Holston Dam in Tennessee.
Voted #4 in USA Today's 10 Best Rivers for Fly Fishing in Summer 2024
Tennessee Laurel
This roadside stream parallels Route 91 through Cherokee National Forest from Laurel Bloomery, TN to Damascus. Tennessee Laurel is a freestone creek with a mix of riffles and pocket water. A bit more wider and more open than its sister stream, Whitetop Laurel, Tennessee Laurel makes for easier fly casting. This stream has a mix of wild and stocked trout and is best accessed by Laurel Creek Trail or at roadside pull-offs.
Whitetop Laurel
Just upstream of Damascus lies one of Virginia's greatest trout streams, Whitetop Laurel Creek. Approximately seven miles of Whitetop Laurel are stocked trout waters located on both private and public lands, with an additional five miles of special regulation waters. Within the special regulation sections, anglers can find brook, brown, and rainbow trout.
This 14-acre coldwater lake is a designated stocked trout water located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It offers a sandy swimming beach, wheelchair accessible fishing docks, and plenty of trailside fishing. The US Forest Service and Virginia DWR sometimes offer Kids' Fishing Days at Beartree Lake.
Note: Beartree Lake will be drained to 1/3 of its standard capacity for a restoration project in Summer 2025.
Beaverdam Creek
This underrated trout stream holds a healthy stock of wild brook trout and flows through Cherokee National Forest into Damascus from nearby Shady Valley, TN. Access is most popular from Backbone Rock Recreation Area, roadside pull-offs, or the short, one mile Beaverdam Creek Trail in Damascus.
Laurel Creek
Whitetop Laurel and Tennessee Laurel converge just upstream of downtown Damascus to form Laurel Creek, which flows only a few miles before joining the South Fork of the Holston River. Fish Laurel Creek right from downtown at Laurel Creek Park, the Damascus Dog Park, or Creekside Park on the Virginia Creeper Trail.
South Fork Holston River
The South Fork Holston River originates near Sugar Grove, formed by the combination of several coldwater streams. It has DWR special regulation areas as well as stocked trout sections. Roadside access near Damascus is best at Alvarado near where the South Fork joins the Middle Fork and forms the headwaters of South Holston Lake. The Virginia Creeper Trail between Damascus and Alvarado offers ample trailside access to the South Fork. Find the famed tailwaters of the South Fork Holston a bit further downstream just past the South Holston Dam in Tennessee.
Voted #4 in USA Today's 10 Best Rivers for Fly Fishing in Summer 2024
Tennessee Laurel
This roadside stream parallels Route 91 through Cherokee National Forest from Laurel Bloomery, TN to Damascus. Tennessee Laurel is a freestone creek with a mix of riffles and pocket water. A bit more wider and more open than its sister stream, Whitetop Laurel, Tennessee Laurel makes for easier fly casting. This stream has a mix of wild and stocked trout and is best accessed by Laurel Creek Trail or at roadside pull-offs.
Whitetop Laurel
Just upstream of Damascus lies one of Virginia's greatest trout streams, Whitetop Laurel Creek. Approximately seven miles of Whitetop Laurel are stocked trout waters located on both private and public lands, with an additional five miles of special regulation waters. Within the special regulation sections, anglers can find brook, brown, and rainbow trout.
Mill dam on Laurel Creek in downtown Damascus
Find more trout fishing along Green Cove Creek, Straight Branch, Valley Creek, at Grayson Highlands State Park, and throughout Southwest Virginia. More information on fishing access from Virginia DWR.
