Any good WW streams in the Pittsburgh area?

[drakeking412]

So far I've been fishing Little Pine Creek in the Etna area with decent success on wooly buggers including an 18" walleye. The issue is that this is somewhat of a small creek and it funnels into a deeper concrete channel into the Allegheny which is mostly too dangerous to wet wade from my experience so far. Also the smallmouth seem to be somewhat limited in size with the largest average coming in around 12".

Once I get back from Idaho I plan to try and do some evening trips to a possibly larger creek with my new 7wt and try to get into the world of warm water. Does anyone know of some decent spots within 1.5hr from pittsburgh I could maybe sink into a larger smallie and test the new rod? Thanks for the help!

 

[Dave_W]

Have you tried further up the Allegheny?

This is a world class warm water fishery with loads of SMBs and big ones too. The impounded lock and dam sections near P-burgh may not be so hot for wading, but further up in the free flowing sections I'd think you will do better (esp if water levels finally come down, as they finally are in the Susky watershed.).

There is a very informative study on SMBs in the river on the PFBC website under Biologists' Reports - you might check that out.

If I lived in your neck of the woods, I'd be up on the Allegheny every chance I got.

 

[drakeking412]

I fished French Creek at the mouth to the Allegheny and then Sugar Creek at the mouth to French and although it was before my fly days I got into some smallmouth at Sugar that were some real bruisers. I'd have loved to hook them on the fly.

Thanks for reminding me about the bio reports, I'd totally forgot about them in my trout pursuits and I even still have the tab open on the work computer haha

Theres rumors on some forums theres a wadeable section of the Allegheny near a sunken barge but I've yet to find it. Haven't looked a ton either though.

 

[RLeep2]

If you haven't already, take a look at PFBC's interactive map here:

http://pfbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bd4e40226dd949a2b1bbf9a2a38c3314

Plug in a "1" for bass fisheries and then on the box that comes up, check "Smallmouth bass streams". It is far from comprehensive, but should give you a lot of options to consider.

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

Definitely fish the upper Allegheny river. Used to float two stretches pretty frequently - Franklin to Kennerdell and from Tidioute to Tionesta as a kid a couple of times a summer. Both are perfect for day trips via kayak, canoe, drift boat, etc. - camp on an island overnight and make it a weekend affair. There is also a rail trail that runs a good length of the river - bike down to where Sandy Creek comes in and fish there. There are so many islands and back eddies on the upper Allegheny - all prime smallmouth water. Plenty of walleye and muskie up there too. Same with the Clarion - great river to float for smallmouth. Don't forget about French Creek as well.

 

[tomgamber]

here is an interesting exchange about he Kiski river. apparently its cleaned up pretty nicely,

http://www.kayak-anglers.com/forum/thread-kiski-river-fishing

Have heard this for a few years now but have never investigated.

I will second the Clarion. Many are fond of the Middle Yough was well.

 

[jifigz]

I'll second the Allegheny and the Clarion. Both are fine rivers and are within about an hour and a half from Pitt.

 

[markp]

Not going to be the most scenic creek, but Chartiers Creek holds loads of nice smallies. In the lower creek up to the flood control area in Heidelberg you can get everything that lives in the Allegheny. Just be prepared sections have a unique odor and it has a good amount of AMD, but the fish are there and they can be very nice sized.

 

[troutbert]

The Yough has smallmouth. From Connellsville downstream for sure.

I'm not sure how many are upstream from Connellsville.

 

[bearfisherman]

All good responses. Another option would be Buffalo Creek near Freeport, as there is a Rails to trails that follows the lower section. Good wadeable stretch with some decent SMB fishing.

 

[OSlumpBuster18]

I second markp suggestion of Chartiers. I grew up within biking distance of it and as a kid we never caught anything but carp and the occasional catfish; I consider it my home waters. It's a pure urban fishery, full of just about any type of junk you can image and yes it has a lovely stench! Within the last ten years I have regularly hit it up during the late summer months chucking streamers (olive buggers & clouser's) and have had a lot of success catching small mouths.

There is easy access behind Crafton Park or even from the old Thornburg Golf Course which is now the Thornburg Dog Park. There is a trail the whole way along the creek from the dog park to the West Busway bridge in East Carnegie.

 

[drakeking412]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I have fished Chartiers a bunch of times and it's not too bad but I prefer Pine in Etna a little more just since it's a little cleaner. I'll have to give those other spots on it a shot though.

I'd really like to drift the Allegheny though, I just did my first float trip last week and it was an absolute blast

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

Allegheny is great - found the easiest way to fish some of the larger water when drifting in a canoe or kayak is to pull off after every major riffle and fish. Then paddle to the next. There can be a fair amount of frog water in some areas with a lot of weeds in the summer - that said there are still fish in those spots.

If urban dam fishing is your game, and you don't mind competing with bait fisherman, the Montgomery Dam (North of Industry, PA with very easy access) and Dashields Dam (Edgeworth, PA, access is tough, and definitely more difficult to fly fish) both on the Ohio River are phenomenal spots for everything from smallmouth to stripers to musky to flatheads to walleyes to gar. I'd recommend a 10 wt though, as you have no idea what the heck you'll pull out of there half the time. For a little less intimidating water try the Beaver River - both the dam in New Brighton and the one above in Beaver Falls. Great rock structure / islands to fish with a lot of smallmouth, striper, walleye, catfish and gar - basically most of the same fish you'll find in the Ohio.

 

[D-nymph]

Drakeking, can you row a drift boat?

 

[drakeking412]

I'm really not into dam fishing or competing with bait guys. My favorite fishing is wading and apparently drift boat now too. I do have an Old Town Otter out at my dads house I might have to relocate to my house, I like that idea of pulling off at the riffles and holes rather than just sitting in the boat like I traditionally do.

And D-nymph no I do not currently know how but I've grown up on canoes and kayaks and am willing to learn as I think I'm more into drift boats than my regular boat anymore.

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

If you like wading, definitely check out the Beaver River in New Brighton - but definitely upstream in Beaver Falls if you want to avoid bait fisherman. Used to park at the end of the park by the New Brighton dam, and take a canoe or kayak upstream to the islands/shallow areas up below the Beaver Falls dam and hop out wade fish for smallies. Can be a bit tough to row up the current in a kayak though. Can also walk up the train tracks, and wade across the river if its low enough.

 

[OSlumpBuster18]

This post has got me thinking about Chartiers Creek. I moved to the south hills area a few years back and have always fished it in the Crafton/Thornburg section.

Does anyone know of any good locations towards Bridgeville / USC. I know there is a park in USC I have just never had the time to explore it.

 

[pcray1231]

I grew up on the kiski - lower end Dont get back that way often, but in talking with family, yeah, its a fantastic fishery. Smallies, catfish, walleye, white bass, etc.

Wadable when flows are ok too.

I believe one of those bassmaster tournaments in downtown Pitt, the winner was motoring all the way up to the kiski. Long boat trip, but the fishing was that much better than the allegheny in those parts.

Now, the upper allegheny is a better fishery, for sure, as is the clarion. Tionesta outflow, brokenstraw, all those too. But they are considerably further and pushing or outright busting your hour and a half limit. Kiski is under an hour.

Crooked creek aint bad either, below or above the dam. . Other ones i've fished and found decent smallmouth in my youth include Yellow Creek (below Homer City reservior) and Two Lick Creek.

 

[greenghost]

The Yough below Confluence was shocked a few years ago and the result stunned a lot of people. LOADED with nice size smallies.

Lower on the Yough around Smithton is fairly good if you don't mind fishing structure... tires, shopping carts, and washing machines.

Slippery Rock creek can be very good if you hit it right, like right now during the white fly hatch.

Buffalo Creek, someone mentioned, I grew up fishing stocked trout on that stream, 40 years ago. Smallie fishing was always mediocre at best. It may have improved.

Upper Allegheny from Franklin on up can be fabulous and wadable. Especially around island splits and faster water seams. #1 pick imo

French Creek is also solid. I always did well where Sugar Creek empties in around the old canals. Good for muskie too.

Oil Creek itself, though popular for trout, is actually a warm water fishery and smallies are numerous. I used to clean up right below the dam in Oil Creek State Park.

And don't count out Neshannock Creek. In certain spots it's loaded with smallies, some are large.

 

[Mike]

The Yough in the Smithton and Connelsville areas would have been my recommendation too. Warmwater popularions were good back when I electrofished there in 1976 and I have no reason to believe that they would have gotten worse over the years. Smallies, Rock Bass, And northerns to name a few.