After turning onto Coffeytown Road directly across from FR 39 that takes you down to all the good fishing on the Pedlar River above the reservoir, I began looking for the stocked section of Davis Mill Creek. After a half mile, the creek appeared on the left. I saw one lonely stocked water sign surrounded by what was clearly private property. I continued to drive north and eventually hit another stocked water sign with the arrow pointing in the direction of my travel. With that, I assumed that this was the actual start of the stocked section and the other must have been some holdover from an earlier time when anglers had the rights to fish more of the river.
At that point, the creek looked good. It appeared to be 20 feet wide with a gravel/rock bottom and plenty of flow. The initial section is tough to reach. The road runs high on a ridgeline above the creek. Therefore, the way to get the initial stretch is to pull off at the first campground and hike downstream. Given that downstream is the traditional direction trout will migrate, that should not be a disadvantage given that the only trout living here are those that are stocked.
The road parallels the creek on the right-hand side for a mile or so upstream. There are campsites distributed randomly throughout this entire section that offer easy access to the water. With the camping and plentiful access, it’s easy to see why this is one of the designated “heritage” streams in the state. I pulled off at a few of the campsites to check out the water and was impressed that there were plenty of pools as well as cuts and runs to add variety to the mix.
Your decision on where to fish is easy. Given that everything is essentially the same, pull off at the first vacant campsite you see and choose your direction. It’s all road fishing so there is no barrier to entry. With that, be prepared to share the stream with plenty of other people as this is a large enough stream to be used for Trout Heritage Day. As such, it receives an extra dump of fish in early April to mimic the old opening day.
Even though this is road fishing, it has an exceedingly remote feel. As soon as you leave the road, you find yourself in a forest setting surrounded by tall pine trees and scrub brush. The creek does not hug the road tightly, but winds in and out; putting a decent distance between the road and the creek at some points. This allows you, once on the stream, to have your own private stretch of water until you work up or downstream to rejoin the road or hit one of the many campsites. The stocked area extends up to the bridge crossing where Davis Mill merges with another stream. From this point north, it’s all private property and, with the small amount flow visible at that point, it’s no great loss.
Sorry – computer crash… lost actual track
Davis Mill Creek Trout Fishing Bottom Line: If you need a good dose of road fishing and don’t feel like one of the strenuous hikes into the Pedlar, this is a good destination. The stream is scenic, heavily stocked and easily accessible.
Getting There: Take US 60 out of Buena Vista, VA and follow it up and over the Blue Ridge. After coming down the mountain on the east side, turn left on Rt 634 (Coffeytown Road). Follow it until you see the stocked water signs.
Google Local Coordinates: 37.754175,-79.235609
Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the following places:
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Date Fished: 4/7/2010
Your first view of the extended stocked water stretch
Downstream look at west end of stocked water
Middle section near a campsite
Middle section near a campsite
Eastern end of stocked water section
Upstream at eastern end of stocked water section
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore