Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) Fishing
River and creek fishing in Washington County.
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First notes on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
Look for Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), a creek, in Washington County. The closest Census place is Saltville, about 4 miles from the mapped point.
2 stocked reaches carry DWR stocked trout. It has a special trout regulation section.
Virginia DWR waterbody pages, Stocked Trout Reaches and Cold Water Stream Survey layers and Boating Access Locations; USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
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The Clinch Mountain fee fishing area (Tumbling Creek) offers put-and-take trout fishing with the added advantage that trout are stocked several times per week throughout the season. The fee fishing program operates from the first Saturday in April through September at Clinch Mountain.
DWR directions to Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
Access to Clinch Mountain Fee Fishing Area: From Marion take I-81 south to exit 35 at Chilhowie, then north on route 107 to Saltville, then west on 613 following Department signs to the fee fishing area.
For Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), the block above is DWR text cut to whole sentences.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Fish Virginia DWR names at Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
For Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), the species follow DWR wording, not angler reports.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Trailer ramps the DWR lists at Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
DWR maps no boating access site on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area); public road crossings and the sites below are the options.
Neighbouring boat ramps around Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- Saltville boat ramp on North Fork Holston RiverNorth Fork Holston River, 5 miles east
- Laurel Bed Lake boat rampLaurel Bed Lake, 6 miles north
- Blackford Bridge boat ramp on Clinch RiverClinch River, 9 miles northwest
- Puckett's Hole boat ramp on Clinch RiverClinch River, 11 miles northwest
- Hidden Valley Lake boat rampHidden Valley Lake, 14 miles west
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
The DWR catchable trout plan for Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
| Reach | Locality | Category | Species stocked | Heritage Day | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tumbling Creek | Washington | FF | rainbow, brown | yes | |
| Big Tumbling Creek | Washington | A (stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31) | rainbow, brown |
DWR stocks 2 reaches of Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), in category A and FF. Part of it is marked for Heritage Day.
Virginia DWR Stocked Trout Reaches and Stocked Trout Lakes layers (category, species, heritage day), read November 6, 2026.
Special trout rules on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
| Water | Locality as printed | Regulation | Trout license Oct 1 to Jun 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tumbling Creek | Washington | Seasonal Catch and Release | yes |
- Catch and Release Only: Big Tumbling Creek (Russell, Smyth, and Washington Counties)Seasonal Catch and Release Only (October 1st until five days prior to the start of the Fee Fishing Season. Closed to angling five days prior to the start of the Fee Fishing Season). That portion of stream located on the Clinch Mountain WMA from a sign starting at the foot of the mountain and extending upstream to the Briar Cove Bridge and also Laurel Bed Creek upstream to Laurel Bed Dam. A trout license is required.
Special regulation trout waters as printed (page updated August 17, 2026), 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Designated stocked trout waters require a trout license October 1 to June 15; urban waters November 1 to April 30 (as printed).
DWR stocking schedule rows for the Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| May 12, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 29, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 13, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Brook Trout |
| March 28, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 6, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| February 10, 2026 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| December 12, 2025 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| October 15, 2025 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| May 13, 2025 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| April 23, 2025 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 11, 2025 | Big Tumbling Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
By season, DWR logged 2026-27 1 date; 2025-26 8 dates; 2024-25 8 dates; 2023-24 8 dates for Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area).
Where the 2026 trout plan puts the Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
| Water as printed | Locality as printed | Category | Meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tumbling Creek | Washington County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 | |
| Big Tumbling Creek | Washington County | CR | catch and release, stocked 3 times between October 1 and May 31 |
Virginia DWR trout stocking schedule (date, county, water, category and species as listed; DWR prints no numbers or sizes), read November 6, 2026. 2026 Catchable Trout Stocking Plan (category letters as printed), read November 6, 2026.
Keep rules for Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
| Species as printed | Applies to | Creel | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | statewide | 5 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Alabama, Spotted Bass | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | statewide | 4 per day in the aggregate | No fish less than 20 inches |
| Striped Bass | Anadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and Crane Lake (City of Suffolk) | Creel and length limits shall be as set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters | no length limit printed |
| Striped Bass | Striped bass in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay | No possession | no length limit printed |
| Walleye, Saugeye | statewide | 5 per day in the aggregate | No walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches |
| Sauger | statewide | 2 per day | No statewide length limits |
| White Bass | statewide | 5 per day | No statewide length limits |
| Chain Pickerel and Northern Pike | statewide | 5 per day | No statewide length limits |
| Muskellunge | statewide | 1 per day | No muskellunge less than 40 inches |
| Bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding Crappie, Rock Bass (redeye) and Roanoke Bass | statewide | 50 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Crappie (black or white) | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Rock Bass (redeye) | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass | No statewide length limits |
| Roanoke Bass | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass | No statewide length limits |
| Perch (yellow and white) | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Trout | statewide | 6 per day | 7 inch minimum size |
| Channel, White, and Flathead | statewide | 20 per day | No length limits |
| Blue | statewide | 20 per day | No statewide length limits |
Start from the statewide table on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), then read any water line.
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Designated stocked trout waters also need the $23 trout license from October 1 to June 15.
Statewide creel and length limits as printed (page updated August 17, 2026), 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026. Virginia license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026.
Moving water around the Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area), in a table
| Stream | Distance | DWR access sites | USGS gauges | Stocked reaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) | this stream | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| North Fork Holston River | 5 miles east | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Little Tumbling Creek | 8 miles northeast | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Big Cedar Creek | 12 miles west | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Big Brumley Creek | 12 miles southwest | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Straight Branch | 18 miles south | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations and Stocked Trout Reaches, USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
Close to Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) on the Commonwealth map
More Virginia lakes within reach of Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- Laurel Bed Lake5 miles
- Hidden Valley Lake13 miles
- Hungry Mother Lake18 miles
- Beartree Lake18 miles
Stores with hooks, line and lures around Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- Bottom Dwellers Tackle Incbait and tackle shop, Cedar Bluff, 7 miles
- Virginia Creeper Fly-Fishingbait and tackle shop, Abingdon, 13 miles
- Just Fish'nbait and tackle shop, Bristol, 24 miles
- Sportsman Marinamarina, Abingdon
A bed and a breakfast counter near Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- Saltville4 miles, Smyth County
- Glade Spring8 miles, Washington County
- Chilhowie11 miles, Smyth County
Locality pages that take in Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- Washington Countycounty seat Abingdon
Other Commonwealth streams by the Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
- North Fork Holston River5 miles
- Little Tumbling Creek8 miles
- Big Cedar Creek12 miles
- Big Brumley Creek12 miles
- Straight Branch18 miles
Piscifun tackle that suits Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
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Commonwealth fish worth recognizing at Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region, Public domain
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Questions on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) before the truck is loaded
Which localities does Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) cross?
Our records put it in Washington County, about 4 miles from Saltville.
Where can I put a boat into Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)?
The nearest DWR launch is Saltville boat ramp on North Fork Holston River, 5 miles away.
What swims in Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)?
The DWR list includes brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout.
When is Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) stocked?
Yes: DWR lists 2 reaches in category A and FF. Designated stocked trout waters require a trout license October 1 to June 15; urban waters November 1 to April 30 (as printed).
Is there a length limit on smallmouth in Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits.
Can visitors fish Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Designated stocked trout waters also need the $23 trout license from October 1 to June 15. Under-16 anglers are exempt.
What is Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area) running at on the USGS gauge?
There is no matched gauge.
Which Virginia bait counter sits closest to Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)?
Nearest in our list: Bottom Dwellers Tackle Inc (about 7 miles away).
Spend a cool Blue Ridge morning on Big Tumbling Creek (Clinch Fee Fishing Area)
Buy the license online first.