With a guide
Guides and charters near Big Creek
Captains who run Tellico River, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.
Southeastern Anglers
Rainbow and brown trout, stripersCall 866-558-7688southeasternanglers.com
R and R Fly Fishing
Rainbow, brown and brook trout, smallmouthCall 865-448-0467randrflyfishing.com
What to bring
Tackle for Big Creek
Three picks from the trout checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:
How to get there
Getting to Big Creek
Big Creek is a public boat launch on Tellico River in Monroe County, Tennessee, run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
TWRA holds no written directions for Big Creek. Use the coordinates below, which come straight from the state’s access record and drop you on the access point itself rather than on the nearest town.
Big Creek is 18 miles east of Athens, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Ballplay Creek Access Area on Tellico Lake, 6.2 miles to the north-east. For bait, Tellico Outfitters in Tellico Plains is about 7 miles away.
Coordinates 35.45700, -84.27290
What you can catch
Fish you can catch at Big Creek
Tellico River holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.
Nationally recognised as a premier trout stream and the centre of the county’s fishing identity; the delayed-harvest reach and the Tellico-Citico permit area both sit here, and Bald River Falls is on its main tributary.
What you can keep
Fishing limits at Big Creek
What you can keep from Tellico River at Big Creek. TWRA sets 2 rules just for Tellico River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.
| Fish | Daily limit | Length | Where or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout | No harvest Oct 1–Feb 28 | — | Delayed harvest, mouth of North River up to the NC line: catch and release, artificial lures only, no bait |
| Trout | 7 | No length limit | Tellico-Citico permit area (Turkey Creek confluence to NC line): permit required and closed Thu–Fri Mar 1–Aug 15; one rod per angler; 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset |
From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.
7 public boat launches in Monroe County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.
What it looks like
Tellico River around Big Creek
What the water at Big Creek actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.
Tellico RiverOpen the Tellico River page →ChristopherM / CC BY 2.5
Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Tellico RiverOpen the Tellico River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Tellico RiverOpen the Tellico River page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0
Tellico LakeOpen the Tellico Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Big Creek water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.
Other water close by
Other fishing near Big Creek
Public access on other water within 20 miles of Big Creek, including Tellico Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Tellico River or the ramp is busy.
Bait on the way
Bait and tackle near Big Creek
The closest shops to Big Creek that this site has checked. Tellico Outfitters in Tellico Plains is nearest, about 7 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.
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Where to next
Around Big Creek
Big Creek is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.