Creek Fishing Tips

The Best Creek Fishing Tips

Welcome to Apex Fishing Tips, this section of our website is about creek fishing and how to catch fish in a creek. You can find creeks throughout North America and they're a great place to catch small to medium size fish. On this web page we're going to teach you how to catch bigger fish, more often in a creek.

Below you'll find 6 creek fishing tips that will improve your chances of catching fish in a creek. Creeks are a fun place to fish, generally they're quite and surround by a beautiful landscape. Since most creeks are generally on the smaller size, you'll find small species of game fish in them. Continue down below to learn how to catch fish in a creek.

Along with 6 creek fishing tips we give you a detailed checklist of all the fishing tackle you'll need when you go creek fishing. We've also provided you with some amazing pictures of anglers fishing in creeks around the world. If you need more information on creek fishing, you can use the additional resources we've provided at the bottom of this page.



6 Creek Fishing Tips

  1. Finding creeks can be half as much fun as fishing in them. Creeks dry up and fill out throughout the year, powered by snowmelt and rainfall. Google Maps is a great way to find creeks. Search along rivers to find creeks, all rivers are fed by creeks and streams.
  2. Creeks are home to many different species of panfish, and if deep enough they can have game fish like trout and largemouth bass. The area around a river where a creek flows in can be prime fishing grounds. Large game fish will use these areas to ambush prey. Bait fish like these areas because they tend to be heavy with vegetation and nutrients from the creek.
  3. Many anglers love to go fly fishing in creeks, and it can yield some amazing results, especially if you're targeting trout. Most panfish and trout in creeks feed on flying insects and insect larval. If you're not into fly fishing a simple slip bobber rig using worms or waxworms as bait will catch just about everything living in there.
  4. If you're trying to catch trout in a creek avoid using power bait. Power bait is great for catching stocked trout, which are trout grown in a fishery and then released into lakes and ponds for recreational fishing. Trout in a creek will most likely be native and will not bite on power bait.
  5. Lures, jigs and spinners can catch fish in a creek, just keep them small. While creeks can be home to large game fish, you'll most likely be catching panfish and juvenile game fish. You'll need to test different combinations, presentations and colors to see what works. Don't be afraid to ask other anglers what their using and what's successful.
  6. If you're having a hard time finding access to a creek due to heavy vegetation along the shore, consider using waders. Waders will let you walk out into the creek and you can navigate through the water instead of from the shore. Always use a safety belt with waders and keep a knife handy in case you need to cut yourself free from the waders. Be caution when you walk, there can be deep holes in creek that appear out of nowhere.


About Creeks and Creek Fishing

About Creek Fishing

A creek is a flow of water from a natural source. Creeks are smaller than streams and rivers, but at times can be quite wide and deep. Naturally sourced creeks are fed from snowmelt and/or rain moving downhill from mountains or high elevation areas. Creeks will merge with other creeks and form streams and rivers, the rivers they form eventually flow into the ocean.

Creeks are a great place to catch fish. Creek fishing is a great way to catch many different species of trout and salmon. Many game fish, like the largemouth bass, are also found in creeks due to their heavy populations of bait fish and sunfish. Creek fishing can be hit or miss at times, especially as the flow of water increases and decreases, changing the depth of the water and the migratory patterns of bait fish.



Creek Fishing Checklist

The below creek fishing checklist has the fishing gear and tackle you might need when fishing in a creek.



Creek Fishing Pictures

Creek fishing in an unknown location

A picture of someone creek fishing in an unknown location.
(Credit: takeshi matsuoka / Flickr)

Creek fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park

A picture of someone creek fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park.
(Credit: Cole Richards / Flickr)

Creek fishing with a fly rod and reel

A picture of someone creek fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park.
(Credit: Cole Richards / Flickr)



Creek Fishing Resources