There are two basic ways to get to the Left Fork. You can fish upstream from the point where it joins the Right Fork to form Deep Creek proper. The trail is right along the stream here (on the opposite side from where the Left Fork meets the right Fork), but unless you know where it is or study a map carefully, you are likely to miss it. Further complicating matters is that the Left Fork, at this confluence, breaks into an island or delta-like pattern that can be really confusing.

A better approach, and it is one that lands you squarely in some of Left Fork's finest fishing, is to drop down off the Fork Ridge Trail, which runs along the ridgetop dividing the two forks of Deep Creek, into the Left Fork.

The ideal place to do this is at the point where the trail leading up from Poke Patch Campsite on the Right Fork joins the Fork Ridge Trail (the Poke Patch backcountry campsite is also the closest designated place to overnight, and it's an ideal base of operations). Just be sure you pay attention as you bushwhack your way down to the stream after leaving the trail. You will have to make your way back out, and as I learned to my dismay several years ago, you can get turned around in a hurry, fighting your way through laurel and rhododendron hells, if you fail to pay attention.

Once on the stream, you will find a mixture of browns and rainbows, with increasing numbers of speckled trout as you near the confluence of Keg Drive Branch (keep in mind the fact that specks must be released). The stream is your trail back out once you finish fishing, so be sure to leave plenty of daylight to retrace your footsteps to where you began the day.

TWENTYMILE CREEK
Located at the far southwestern end of the park, Twentymile Creek is in one sense as accessible as any stream on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. You can drive right to the ranger station near its mouth, traveling over asphalt for all but the final few hundred yards when you turn up the creek. To reach the creek, drive southwest along U.S. Highway 28 out of Fontana Village for a few miles to where the stream enters Cheoah Lake and turn right onto the gravel road that leads to the seasonal ranger station. There is a parking area just above the ranger station, and this is where the trailhead begins.The trail (actually an old road from pre-park days) follows the stream quite closely for four and a half miles, and this comprises the portion of the stream that is of primary interest to anglers.

Twentymile Creek, which gets its name from the distance it lies from Hazel Creek, is for much of its drainage a rough, tumbling stream full of plunge pools, fast-flowing rapids, and steep gorges. It is best fished in summer and early fall, when water levels are at their lowest. A day on this stream will give you plenty of exercise, since it makes for tough going in places, but there are ample rewards to be garnered from its turbulent waters.

EAGLE CREEK
Eagle Creek is one of several park streams that flow into the north shore of Fontana Lake. Accordingly, there are only two ways to reach this stream: on foot or by boat. The latter is strongly recommended, although there are several trail systems, all described in detail in Ken Wise's fine book, Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains, which provide access by foot. Most anglers prefer to conserve their energy and arrange for a boat shuttle from the Fontana Village Marina or go by their own watercraft.