Puncheon Fork

North of Mars Hill, NC and tucked away near the bottom of the Wolf Laurel Community is a hatchery-supported creek that is very accessible and will land you a great catch.

The best spots to park and fish are at the Ebbs Chapel Community Center or at some pull-offs up the road at the Ebbs Chapel Fire Department. There are plenty of other opportunities however. Take a look at the NC Trout Fishing Streams Map and you can find pull-offs up Big Laurel Road and Watershed Road as well.

Brookies, Rainbows and Brown trout can be caught here year-round but are particularly easier to catch in the spring and fall. The creek is relatively narrow and very shallow in most parts.

Typical fly-fishing lures will work well here, nymphs especially. As always, take note of what you hear and see around you in terms of wildlife. What the trout are feeding on naturally is what you’ll want to mimic.

Directions

The easiest way to get to this great fishing creek is to set your GPS to the Ebbs Chapel Community Center located in Mars Hill.

From Asheville: Take I-26 north towards Tennessee and take exit 3 towards Wolf Laurel. Take a right on Alt 23 and continue to follow the signs to Wolf Laurel. In .25 miles take a left on Laurel Valley Road and you’ll run into the Ebbs Chapel Community Center in about 500 feet.