Trout farms?
 

I took two of the grandsons to Nut Cave Trout Farm yesterday afternoon, only to find that it was out of business. Does anyone know of another trout farm in the middle Tennessee area?

Bucksnort
 

There is one on I-40 going towards Memphis. I think it is called Bucksnort Trout Farm. I was doing some work in the area recently and saw that it was open. Looked like a cool place. Anyways you can see it on the right as you go towards Memphis around the 150 mile mark.

As I go east on Rt 79 towards dover from paris landing theres several signs for one,on the south side.

The only others that I know of.

http://www.thetumblingcreeklodge.com/site/

and there are at least a couple up near Dale Hollow. One maybe named Deep Valley or something like that. And the other is just before Moody's ramp on the left heading away from Celina.

If you are wanting to have your grandsons catch some fish and a little drive doesn't matter. Another option is you can take them to the Obey River in Celina. It is not terribly far from Nashville maybe 100 miles. Depending on how much the trout you will be paying for it could be cheaper. There is the national fish hatchery with a creek that stays fully stocked running out of the back of it into the Obey. You can easily catch fish there or step out in the river during low water for more of a challenge.

An added bonus is the Hatchery is open year round 7 days and you can get tours or walk through it yourself.

I don't think Tumbling Creek Lodge has a true trout farm. I think they just have a private stretch on Tumbling Creek where they supplementally stock and feed the trout (to make them bigger and keep them from wandering down into the public part of the creek).

Bob White Springs has "trout farm" style ponds where you can fly fish for humongous hatchery raised trout and salmon. The prices are so high it's pretty comical though. If I remember correctly, it's like $200 for a couple hours on their trout pond. I don't know why anyone would pay that kind of money to fish in a stocked trout pond for pellet-fed fish, but apparently some people have more money than sense.

bd

That is where I was thinking about when I found Tumbling Creek. It is a crazy priced.

When my 3 yr old is ready for a trout on the fly we're heading to Hatchery Creek for her to get bit by the bug :D

IF I heard correctly didn't they put grayling in there at Bob White as well?

Can you buy trout minnows at any of these places?

I don't know. Probably - wouldn't surprise me. They could put taimen in their ponds if they wanted to, I guess.

Most of the fun of catching grayling is traveling to the remote wilderness places where they live. They're not big fish - just cool because they are far off and wild and exotic. I'm not sure why anyone would want to catch them out of a stocked dirt pond in Tennessee. It would be like going "antelope hunting," but doing it in somebody's 30 acre high-fence enclosure instead of going on safari to Africa. Where's the accomplishment in that?

I agree with you, Travis. If I want to take my kids trout fishing, the hatchery creek at the Obey or some of the good holes on the Caney would suit me just fine.

bd

Well Tumbling Creek is at least a little different. It's more like the private "ranches" out West like the Dow Jones Ranch or the Orvis lodges. Most of what you're paying there is for lodging and a guide. It's a wild creek rather than an enclosed pond, so it's a more "authentic" fishing experience. I'd like it better if they didn't supplementally feed the trout, but I guess if someone's going to travel to their lodge, they're going to want shots at big trout. In a creek, that means feeding them to grow the fish faster and encourage them to stay put once they grow bigger (bigtrout tend to travel a whole lot if they don't have a steady food supply).

I've actually fished the public part of Tumbling Creek, though only for about an hour near the access bridge - I didn't have long that day. It's a nice little creek and I'd like to go back though. I'd love to see TWRA expand their stocking on a few creeks like Tumbling and create delayed harvest fisheries and stuff like that.

bd

I would definitely second that. Surely there is atleast one creek close to us that would hold trout. Well other than having to travel up and over if you know what I mean.

I fish Tumbling Creek all the time and catch trout and some decent smallmouth bass in some parts of it.. Theres a few different species of suckers that I've never seen before in that creek too.

I can think of about seven and MAYBE eight in Tennessee within a 2 hour drive of Nashville that have the potential to hold over trout in good years. Tumbling, Mill, Cane, Charles, Pine, Sink, Mountain, and MAYBE the Little Buffalo, and MAYBE the upper Collins in really wet years.

Pretty much ALL of the spring creeks suffer in drought years and don't hold trout over well. But when we get wet years with consistent rainfall to keep the springs flowing and cool in the summer, they can be awesome. The only thing that hurts them is that they only get stocked once or twice in early spring, and then the locals fish them (and the herons eat them, and a few just die, etc) all year. With a little better spring stocking and a "delayed harvest" stocking or two in early fall to give things a good bump, they could be awesome.

bd

By the way, somebody is bound to ask why I am "naming names" on the trout spring creeks.

TWRA currently doesn't feel like these creeks are a very widely utilized resource. Based on attention, they value the tailwaters highest (obviously), and the urban stocking program second highest.

The spring stocking program barely gets any attention at all. If more people fished these creeks, talked about these creeks, and called TWRA asking about these creeks, it would help. TWRA would value them more highly as a fishery and more emphasis would be placed on their management.

Right now, it's just a deal of "we dump some trout there in the spring because we've always done it." But those streams could be soooo much more!!!

bd

Was granny fishes closed also.That place has been there forever.I guess the economy got them.

I couldn't agree more. If anyone is interested in a SW Montana Grayling trip PM me. Been there, done that and would do it again. Say, mid-September?

I am currently running around in Western, NC. To support your point, take a look at WNC stream management. Most of the public/managed waters are posted streamside, allowing fishermen to know where the resource is and what the regs. are. This not only allows a newbie to the area to understand public access areas, they can also accurately report field experience. Delayed Harvest areas are the best of both worlds. A Catch and Release Fisherman can play here from October thru June. Then harvest is allowed June thru September. Hold over fish are common as you suggest TN could do as well. Then there are the WILD trout Streams, Fly Fishing Only/C&R, Hatchery Supported. All clearly communicated and marked. I'd fish TN streams more if they were better marked. Tail Waters are nice and all but being knee deep in cold water is just what Trout fishing is all about. At least for me anyway.

There are spots that are going to be abused. Abuse happens everywhere. As fishermen, we just have to lead by example, support Wildlife Management and keep looking forward.

Here are a few pix of a Golden from the Oconaluftee I landed yesterday along the way.

Just thoughts.

Clean Air, yes Granny Fishes was also closed.

BUcksnort
 

ill put in a vote for bucksnort trout farm

heres a few more
 

Streams that empty into Ky lake


While many people realise some parks in cities are stoked like as in Paris,Tn
Many dont realise there are a lot of streams nearby that actually empty into ky lake.
Houston Hurricane Creek X X X
Houston Whiteoak Creek X X X
Humphreys Hurricane Creek X X X
Humphreys Tumbling Creek X X X
Perry Cane Creek X X X
Stewart Standing Rock Creek
Also a stocking over near clarksville and bucksnort near I-40 consult twra schedules