BradleyFork

GSMNP

MEDIUM-size freestone creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).

Location Access from Smokemont Campground on US 441 three miles north of the Park entrance in Cherokee. Tributary to the Oconaluftee River. Easy to moderate, flat hike for several miles; great sections of water that are easy to navigate.

Species Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout

License Requirements NC or TN fishing license 

Bradley Fork is known for good populations of rainbow trout. In the fall, it’s a great place to catch some big brown trout that have swum upstream from the Oconaluftee River. Bradley Fork doesn’t get much fishing pressure once you hike a mile or so upstream from the campground. The hike is flat for several miles and offers solitude and great fishing.