Class A Streams around Lock Haven

[bbillings30]

I'm an avid fly fisherman moving from Virginia to Lock Haven this weekend. In my preparation for the move I've poured over maps and websites looking at possible streams to fish. It seems like the area is loaded with Class A streams, however I can't seem to find any information on them. There's a handful of streams that look very intriguing, and I'm curious if anyone has fished them before.
Lick Run (trophy trout that flows into Sayers Lake)
Lick Run (wilderness stream north of Lock Haven)
Cherry Run (tributary of Fishing Creek)
East or West Kammerdiner Run
Long Run
North Fork of Tangascootack Creek

I'd love to hear anything you're willing to share about any of these streams. I'm not asking for your secret honey hole, I'd just like to know what to expect if I were to fish these streams. What species are in the streams? Is there a good trout population? What's the size and gradient like? What's the access like? Etc. Thanks for your responses!

 

[Tiogadog]

I actually live in Virginia and a friend of mine recently sent me a link to your blog. Pretty interesting reading. My advice would be to call George at the TCO flyshop in State College.

There are plenty of places to find fish in that area. You will like it infinitely more than central VA.

 

[dryflyguy]

When I'm in that Loch Haven area, Fishing creek just draws me like a magnet.
And I've never fished any of the streams you've listed. Although I do know that cherry run is situated in a game land, and should be open to fishing for it's whole length.

I'm curious about what part of Virginia you're coming from.
I've driven through the Hot Springs/Warm Springs valley several times with my wife
Very beautiful area. With some nice looking streams that, according to what I've read anyway, are supposed to be pretty good. Have been wondering if it would be worth taking some gear with me next time I'm down that way

 

[bbillings30]

DryFlyGuy,
Bath County, VA (where Warm/Hot Springs are) is some of the BEST fishing in Virginia. I would definitely recommend taking the fly rod with you next time. The Jackson River is a very good stream with a 3 mile long special regs area. In the valley west of the Jackson is Back Creek, one of my favorite streams in Virginia. It's a delayed harvest area with huge rainbows. I've never explored the smaller mountain streams in the area, although I've wanted to. Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Jackson holds wild rainbows and big brook trout (a biologist told me he shocked a 14" native out of there). I lived in Harrisonburg, VA, about 1 1/2 east of Warm Springs. You can check out my blog, eastcoastflyguy.wordpress.com, if you want to see pictures and write-ups of some of my adventures to those places.

 

[Nuthin_Fancy]

My advice would be to call Steve at Flyfisher's Paradise near State College.

 

[shortrod2]

Congratulations, great place to be.

bbillings30 wrote:
There's a handful of streams that look very intriguing, and I'm curious if anyone has fished them before.
Lick Run (trophy trout that flows into Sayers Lake)
Lick Run (wilderness stream north of Lock Haven)
Cherry Run (tributary of Fishing Creek)
East or West Kammerdiner Run
Long Run
North Fork of Tangascootack Creek

Lick Run in Howard is a small limestone influenced brown trout stream. The fishing is tough.

Lick Run (north) flows for over 15 miles through game lands and state forest, without crossing a road. Mix of brook and brown.

East and West Kammerdiner both flow into different reservoirs mostly brook trout. The roads leading to these are gated, have to walk to and around the res to fish.

Long Run, many Long Runs, I am guessing the one in Salona. Small limestone influenced brown trout stream some sections sink during the summer.

I have a camp near Pine Creek, pm me if you would like to me to show you around sometime.

 

[allan_s]

Lick Run (wilderness stream north of Lock Haven)

I have fished this more than a few times. I have managed a few nice sized Brook Trout and Browns while I have explored it. It is a nice stream to fish but don't expect great numbers, it is fairly infertile and you will be fishing water that looks like it should hold fish, when it doesn't.

Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and cover the water quickly. It makes for a fun day trip, but I fish it once a year and that is it. Much more productive streams in the area.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

I've drive through Lock Haven to Fish the kettle creek area before. Haven't fished any of those areas. From the resources I have those streams most have pretty good public access. West K is 100%, east is 70%, Long is 89%, Lick at howard at only 8%, cherry is 75%. Tangascootak is showing as a HQ-CWF wild trout stream not a class A for me but my stuff could be outdated, is from 2013 though. The other lick stream is classified the same as well. there are also about 2 dozen other class A streams within 30-45 miles of you though, so I don't think you will have trouble finding fish.

 

[SteveG]

I'm actually planning on being up that way this monday-tuesday, possibly Wednesday. If you need a break from playing with boxes, pm me.

 

[sarce]

I've only fished one of the streams you listed, it was one of the Kammerdiner runs and not really worth it. Really small, and this is coming from a small stream lover. But there are plenty of other good streams in that area that are not listed as class A. Good luck with the move!

 

[klingy]

You've moved to a great town to be a fly fisherman. I've fished a couple streams on your list (lick run on the SGL stands out - pretty stream, a few nice browns). If you're a small stream lover, get the state forest maps for the area (or get the state forest app for your phone or tablet) and pick a blue line and go. Head up 120 into the big woods. You could fish a new brookie stream every day for quite a long time.

You're also close to the famous limestoners (fishing, spring, Penns, etc), along with many non-famous ones. Literally any direction you go from lock haven has good fishing. Enjoy.

 

[troutbert]

klingy wrote:

If you're a small stream lover, get the state forest maps for the area and pick a blue line and go. Head up 120 into the big woods. You could fish a new brookie stream every day for quite a long time.

Well said. My advice is the same. Get the state forest maps, pick blue line, fish, repeat.

And do not restrict yourself to streams on the Class A list.

I fish forested freestone streams a lot and rarely even check the Class A list. It just is not a reliable indicator of where to expect, or not expect, good wild trout fishing.

 

[dryflyguy]

bbillings30 wrote:
DryFlyGuy,
Bath County, VA (where Warm/Hot Springs are) is some of the BEST fishing in Virginia. I would definitely recommend taking the fly rod with you next time. The Jackson River is a very good stream with a 3 mile long special regs area. In the valley west of the Jackson is Back Creek, one of my favorite streams in Virginia. It's a delayed harvest area with huge rainbows. I've never explored the smaller mountain streams in the area, although I've wanted to. Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Jackson holds wild rainbows and big brook trout (a biologist told me he shocked a 14" native out of there). I lived in Harrisonburg, VA, about 1 1/2 east of Warm Springs. You can check out my blog, eastcoastflyguy.wordpress.com, if you want to see pictures and write-ups of some of my adventures to those places.

Thanks for sharing that info.
We crossed over the Jackson River at Covington, and it looks really nice.
Also stopped at the Humpback Bridge just west of Covington, and the stream that runs under it looks pretty good too - maybe that's Back creek? I never noticed a sign saying what it was.

We also hiked up a smaller stream at Clifton Forge that was very pretty, and had catch and release regs on it in a small stretch.
I can't recall it's name, but it looked like it would be worth trying too.

 

[dryflyguy]

troutbert wrote:

klingy wrote:

If you're a small stream lover, get the state forest maps for the area and pick a blue line and go. Head up 120 into the big woods. You could fish a new brookie stream every day for quite a long time.

Well said. My advice is the same. Get the state forest maps, pick blue line, fish, repeat.

And do not restrict yourself to streams on the Class A list.

I fish forested freestone streams a lot and rarely even check the Class A list. It just is not a reliable indicator of where to expect, or not expect, good wild trout fishing.

Completely agree with TB here.
The last couple of class A streams that I've tried have fished quite poorly.
And conversely:
My favorite wild brookie stream is designated simply as supporting wild trout.
And one of my favorite wild brown trout streams is just classified as ATW

 

[Chaz]

They're all good, some better than others. I agree with Troutbert, just get the maps and always have a plan B, cause if there is someone at the first stream on your list it would be best not to fish behind them, so go elsewhere.

 

[kobalt335]

I live in Mill Hall, so only five minutes from Lock Haven.

I have only been fly fishing for a year so don't write everything I say in stone.

Long Run is a nice stream to fish, but only when the water is high. The water drops quick and when it does, it gets too low.

East and West Kammerdiner are really small streams, maybe 4 feet wide. They do have brook trout in them, but like long run they get very low.(at least at the beginning of them where i fished)

Those are the only three one you're list that I actually have experience with.

Don't overlook other streams however, fishing creek above Mill Hall becomes a class A until the Narrows in Lamar. There is a good number of fish in this section, and it is not stocked so no one is ever there.

My favorite is Spring Creek in between Milesburg and Bellefonte. It is a catch and release stream, but you will have a blast just about every time you go.

Worse comes to worse, get a map and pick a stream, even the unnamed ones hold fish.

PM me anytime.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

You could spend a lifetime on Fishing Creek.

If you like fishing in a Rhododendron hell you'll like Cherry Run.

 

[JackM]

At a Jam many years ago, there was rain, lots of it. I had my son, two nephews and myself in tow looking for fish-able water. We asked permission from a farmer to fish his land where a small but surprisingly deep rivulet of Penns Creek meandered. He said it was "brushier than the dickens" and since we didn't know where the Dickens lived, we tried it anyway. Caught a handful of nice wild brown trout, but left after an hour or so, because it was nearly impossible to fish comfortably. That same Jam is when Maurice memorably noted that any stretch of running water in the area was a decent wild trout stream. You are in the Mecca. Enjoy it.

 

[wildtrout2]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
If you like fishing in a Rhododendron hell you'll like Cherry Run.

That's a fact. I have never seen a stream more tightly choked than Cherry Run. Beautifully wild stream with surprising volume for as narrow as it is, but the fishing doesn't warrant the effort.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

@Foxtrapper1972 and wildtrout2...+1

"If you like fishing in a Rhododendron hell you'll like Cherry Run."

I lost blood and a flannel shirt the last time I fished there. Those fish are forever safe from me.