Terrapin Creek

Terrapin Creek Fishing

Terrapin Creek flows from the Talladega National Forest in Cleburne County through Calhoun and then into Cherokee County. It is an excellent float fishing stream in its lower reaches from County Road 8 bridge, ¾ of a mile west of Hwy 9 north of Piedmont, AL, to the County Road 71 bridge before the creek empties into the old Coosa River channel. This stretch can be broken up into several floats to include from County Road 8 down to the bridge at Hwy 9 at Ellisville. From Ellisville, it is a nice float down to the County Road 175 bridge to take out.

Terrapin Creek provides excellent fishing for spotted bass, largemouth bass, redeye bass, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, shadow bass, and an occasional striped bass. An ultra light spinning rod and reel combo or a short fly rod is the appropriate fishing gear; and the lower end of the creek can be floated in a canoe, kayak, or flat bottom boat. More float fishing tips can be found in Dan Catchings' article entitled "Float Fishing."

The upper portion of Terrapin Creek provides excellent wade fishing opportunities, as the creek splits into the South Fork of Terrapin Creek and Little Terrapin Creek. Talladega National Forest contains numerous access sites to the creek. Maps of Talladega National Forest can be obtained from the USDA Forest Service and various outdoor stores. Be sure to wear wading shoes or waders equipped with felt soles, as the stream bottom is very rocky.

Fishing license information may be found at: www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/license/. Licenses are available via the Internet (2% fee), via the telephone by calling 1-888-848-6887 ($3.95 fee), or at 900 vendors and probate offices in Alabama. All youth age 15 and younger fish for free.

The Fisheries Section's District II Supervisor can answer specific questions about Terrapin Creek by sending email to: dan.catchings@dcnr.alabama.gov.

Prepared by: Fisheries Section, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This site is presented for information only the Fisheries Section cannot be responsible for the quality of information or services offered through linked sites, disclaimer. To have your site included, send your URL, email address, or telephone number to the Fisheries Web Master, doug.darr@dcnr.alabama.gov. The Fisheries Section reserves the right to select sites based on relevant and appropriate content, of interest to our viewers. If you discover errors in the content or links of this page, please contact Doug Darr. Thank you.