In earlier posts, I discussed fishing the stocked section of Mills Creek as well as the wild section above the reservoir, but realized that I had left out the lake in the middle. Maybe it was because there wasn’t really anything to say about it.
Therefore, I want to close the loop and complete the discussion of this stretch of water. I think the pictures below tell the whole story. While the reservoir is stocked with trout, I can’t imagine that fishing for them in this venue would be a pleasant experience. Not only do you have to overcome the 1.6 mile walk to get to the lake, there is nothing to anchor your attention once you arrive.
In early April, when I was here, in spite of the heavy rains we had received in March, the reservoir was at a low level of fill. Thankfully, there was enough water to discharge into the stocked creek below it, but not much in the reservoir itself. If you had a choice between this and the neighboring Coles reservoir, go to Coles.
A quick look at the dry portion of the reservoir tells you a disappointing story of fish holding structure and vegetation. You can see that the bottom is bare with no rocks, sunken trees or even channels to provide interest to the fish. It is a bare, wide bowl that reflects its man-made nature. At least the wild section up above has enough water and even though the stocked section below was an exceptional challenge to fish, it provides much more interest than the lake itself.
Mills Creek Reservoir Trout Fishing Bottom Line: This is not a destination you should drive hours to reach unless your intent is to fish the streams that are above and below the reservoir.
Getting There: From I-64, take exit onto S Delphine Ave/Rt- 624 south. Turn left onto Mt Torry Road (Rt 664). Follow 664 to Coal Road. Turn right on Coal Road and follow it for 1.5 miles to the intersection with Mills Creek Trail. Walk up the trail to reach the lake.
Google Local Coordinates: 37.952523,-79.001999
Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the following places:
Virginia VDGIF
Flyfisher’s Guide to Virginia
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Date Fished: 4/5/2010
Not much here – view looking south
View looking north back to road
Easy path to reach the lake – use a bike!
No bottom structure
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore