Unicoi Lake

[NGTO]

Yes Virginia, there IS trout in Unicoi Lake....as well as a good population of very large sunfish and some smaller bass. On Saturday my son and I went by there and fished from one of the platforms from about 10:30 until about 2:00. Days catch was 1 b****about 1/2 lb, about 10 big fat daddy sunfish, and three trout, 10", 11", and 17"!
I am not sure myself what the plans are for management of this lake but as far as I know that trout have never been stocked and must have come down from upper Smiths.
I have talked to a couple people around and the general consesus is that unless supplemental stockings occur the lake will be taken over by other warmwater species in the summer. I am not sure the lake is deep enough to carry the fish through the summer...does anyone have any more information on this lake and plans for it?

[Drifter]

Aaron,

I mentioned in another thread the possibilty of a cold mountain lake such as Rock Creek Lake or Unicoi Lake being a C&R lake. I don't know if this would be feasable but I would think the trout would thrive during the Fall and Winter months, and could be harvested before the water warms in the Summer.

Re: Unicoi Lake

It's good to hear the trout are doing well in the lake. My guess is that as the water warms, the trout will move to the Smith Creek inlet for a dose of cool mountain water.

Usual disclaimers apply.
Drifter

[NightOwl]

and you didn't come down to smiths and " load up" lke Idid on all the monster 8" trout youcould catch before you stopped at 3? LOL Interesting. Did the trout hit the same bait as the panfish or did ya'll use lures? Is it a secret?

[NGTO]

I had my six-year old son with me and we we're meat-chunking...though I am confident these trout could have been caught from a float-tube (if they were allowed) with a flyrod as they were not in the deep water where you would think they might be...they were hanging close to the edge (within 10 feet) almost like they thought they were still in the stream. Of course my son did better then me...he always does. BTW - he caught his first brim last year on a fly-rod at Dockery Lake - I was proud!

[spinner]

Aaron......What's a BRIM??????????????

[Tommy Hunter]

Hey guys,
How about this. I believe Unicoi Lake might support trout year 'round, but I am not 100% sure. The reason I think this is because when they drained the lake the first time probably ten years ago, my dad and I talked about fishing the creek in the lake bed. We didn't of course but talked to a man and his son about a week after that who had. If I remember correct, seems that guy told us he and his boy caught six trout over three pounds in the pools that were left in the creek when the lake was drained. My brother-in-law told me yesterday that when they drained it this last time, he and a friend of his walked that creek after trout season had closed and saw a lot of big trout in those pools. Those fish must stay in there all year or someone would have caught them if they would have run up Smith Creek I think. And what about that 8 lb. brown Jimmy Harris said was caught there. I know I have caught several trout in Lake Vogel during the summer months that due to their color could not have been recent stockers.

Tommy

[NightOwl]

A "brim" is a bluegill,redear,shellcracker,red-belly,or any of the other 100 blugill like fish we have.( well, maybe not 100!? ) and I thought they killed off all the bas and bream( same as brim) a few years back when they fixed the dam area. Guess not !
NightOwl

[NightOwl]

Let me just play the bad guy here.........What if...the DNR knew things that they weren't ready/at liberty to admit? What if they knew the Hooch had many reproducing fish? What if they knew Unicoi had 15 lb. trout in it. What if they knew what happened to the fish in Water's creek ( and Smith's) the last time they dissapeared? I don't think there wold be a reason for them to withold this kind of info......but what if ? .....