Cicadas

[Kingscott]

I am from Western Pa. had a grand time a few years back fishing cicadas on the yough. I want relive that moment as I may not be here in 17 more years. Any suggestions for streams in central or eastern PA?
I prefer larger water Help appreciated!

 

[PennKev]

Kingscott wrote:
I want relive that moment as I may not be here in 17 more years. Any suggestions for streams in central or eastern PA?
I prefer larger water Help appreciated!

You won't have to wait another 17 years. There will be another emergence in central PA in only a few more years and that will be the BIG ONE for the well known central PA streams. If I'm not mistaken, 2025 is the year for that brood and they will definitely appear in central PA.

 

[jifigz]

This brood should cover the classic Cumberland Valley streams. Anywhere in south central PA below where I live (Lewistown) should get them pretty good..I am on the fringe of them I do believe. I'm just starting to see them on my property.

 

[Tiogadog]

https://arcg.is/0DzLvr


Here is a rudimentary map that shows the Brood X emergence and Class A trout streams.

 

[Kingscott]

Thanks all. That map is very helpful.

 

[greenlander]

Tiogadog wrote:
https://arcg.is/0DzLvr


Here is a rudimentary map that shows the Brood X emergence and Class A trout streams.

Interesting. Do you know what the source of that Brood X polygon is?

 

[Bamboozle]

Take that map with a MONSTROUS grain of salt as it is showing entire regions/counties covered by the Brood X layer and I can tell from experience, they absolutely, positively don’t emerge everywhere in a given region.

Bottom line, you may run into them or you may not even if the stream you see on that map is supposedly in the area where they emerge.

If they appeared on a given stream 17 years ago, expect them to reappear this year as the don’t migrate. That’s your best chance for success.

Other than that, it is a total crapshoot.

 

[troutbert]

Cool map, but I want to also see the Class A carp waters.

And do you think cicadas will create much good fishing for smallmouth on the Juniata River? It's pretty big water. Does anyone fish the cicadas on the Juniata in past emergences?

 

[greenlander]

Bamboozle wrote:

If they appeared on a given stream 17 years ago, expect them to reappear this year as the don’t migrate. That’s your best chance for success.

Other than that, it is a total crapshoot.

Agreed. And I'm assuming there's really good intel from folks that are local to some of the SC PA and even some of the NE PA streams where they could potentially show up based on what happened back in 2004. But, I also expect they're being tight lipped about it (with good reason).

If 2013 is any indication, it can be very difficult to find them, despite what the maps lead you to believe.

 

[greenlander]

Bamboozle wrote:

If they appeared on a given stream 17 years ago, expect them to reappear this year as the don’t migrate. That’s your best chance for success.

Other than that, it is a total crapshoot.

Agreed. And I'm assuming there's really good intel from folks that are local to some of the SC PA and even some of the NE PA streams where they could potentially show up based on what happened back in 2004. But, I also expect they're being tight lipped about it (with good reason).

If 2013 is any indication, it can be very difficult to find them, despite what the maps lead you to believe.

 

[jifigz]

troutbert wrote:
Cool map, but I want to also see the Class A carp waters.

And do you think cicadas will create much good fishing for smallmouth on the Juniata River? It's pretty big water. Does anyone fish the cicadas on the Juniata in past emergences?

In my experience, the bass in the Juniata "look up" a lot when there is a good hatch on. It could be a mayfly hatch or a caddis hatch, and the fish will feed aggressively on topwater. The baite/flow thrown or used doesn't have to look like anything resembling the bugs hatching, either. As long as it looks like food, the fish are going to jam it. I think the exact same thing will happen with the cicadas. Good numbers of big, tasty morsels coming downstream will get the fish looking up and will increase any topwater action. Carp, however, should be more discerning and not as easily fooled by "just another topwater" pattern.

Given that I live directly on the Juniata and yesterday I saw cicadas and today I am seeing even more, it will only be a week or so before there are LOTS OF THEM and the fish will be responding well, I think.

 

[Tiogadog]

greenlander wrote:

Tiogadog wrote:
https://arcg.is/0DzLvr


Here is a rudimentary map that shows the Brood X emergence and Class A trout streams.

Interesting. Do you know what the source of that Brood X polygon is?

This was the best layer already available among hosted layers in ArcGIS Online. It seemed pretty consistent with all of the other emergence/ distribution data online.

I agree with the above posted about taking it with a grain of salt as it shows a general emergence swath as opposed to specific points of emergence.

T

 

[Tiogadog]

I basically put that map together as a starting point. It probably helps more in eliminating waters that won't see any cicadas this year.

 

[greenlander]

jifigz wrote:

Given that I live directly on the Juniata and yesterday I saw cicadas and today I am seeing even more, it will only be a week or so before there are LOTS OF THEM and the fish will be responding well, I think.

This is encouraging, particularly considering I was considering a smallmouth-cicada float. I've never floated the Juniata before, however. Any recommended put-ins/takeouts?

 

[jifigz]

greenlander wrote:

jifigz wrote:

Given that I live directly on the Juniata and yesterday I saw cicadas and today I am seeing even more, it will only be a week or so before there are LOTS OF THEM and the fish will be responding well, I think.

This is encouraging, particularly considering I was considering a smallmouth-cicada float. I've never floated the Juniata before, however. Any recommended put-ins/takeouts?

My "home stretch" is from Mifflintown up to about Mount Union. That is the stretch that I am most familiar with. If you're in Philly, however, the lower reaches are closer to you. If you are interested in some float trips in the upper reaches of the Juniata, then PM me. I will shoot you some info.

There aren't all that many boat launches up here. There is point access in Huntingdon, one in Mapleton Depot, one in Mt. Union, the Shawmut launch in between Mt. Union and Newton Hamilton, one right in Newton Hamilton, one in Mcveytown, One in Granville, one in Lewistown, and one in Mifflintown. I have used all of those launches at one time or another and those are the areas I know best. Some are very close together and others offer a little more float time.

 

[afishinado]

Below is a link to a cicada emergence map from the US Forest Service.

According to it, Brood X (in yellow) will emerge in counties mostly in South Central PA and into the western end of the Poconos.

As others have said, they won't be found everywhere in those areas, but you'll know for sure when they are present.

https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/docs/CicadaBroodStaticMap.pdf

 

[wgmiller]

There is definitely overlap in where the brood emerges, because I found periodical cicadas on Clark's Creek (Dauphin County) back in 2013. As can be expected, it's not like they emerge according to county lines, but that graphic is probably a pretty good starting point.