Clear Shade Creek Somerset County

[TimS]

Anyone have any experience with this stream located in Gallatzin State Forest. Thanks.

 

[silverfox]

Anyone have any experience with this stream located in Gallatzin State Forest. Thanks.

I have a lot of experience in that area. What did you want to know?

 

[TimS]

I have a lot of experience in that area. What did you want to know?

I was reading in the Fly-fishers Guide to Pennsylvania that this stream is perhaps the "best trout stream in SW PA." My question was what is basically the stream size in width and depth generally. Let's say how does it compare to Yellow Creek or the Little J. Thanks so much.

 

[silverfox]

I was reading in the Fly-fishers Guide to Pennsylvania that this stream is perhaps the "best trout stream in SW PA." My question was what is basically the stream size in width and depth generally. Let's say how does it compare to Yellow Creek or the Little J. Thanks so much.

I don't know that I'd classify it quite that way personally. Up in the SF it's fairly small. Down after a few of the bigger named tributaries add to its flow it's a decent size, but the fish numbers taper off. Basically, the closer you get to dark shade, the worse it gets. It's a fairly infertile stream. Sandy bottom. Decent habitat and even though it's infertile it does have some decent insect life.

A lot of the lower end is supported by stocking. Rainbows hold over pretty well. There are some wild browns and wild native brook trout. Especially up closer to the SF. The tributaries are good in their own right. I personally prefer to fish the tributaries and to get as far away from access as possible than the mainstem until you get well up into the headwaters.

As for comparing to Yellow Creek or the Little J, not even close. Not comparable at all in my opinion. Clear Shade is a beautiful place. The scenery up in the SF is worth the trip by itself as far as I'm concerned. As for fish numbers though, nowhere near what you find in those highly productive class a's. What Clear Shade (and it's tributaries) do have that YC or the LJR don't is that it sits in a vast, largely unspoiled (or at least it looks that way on the surface) wilderness area. If you're into hiking beautiful places for wild trout (with some errant stocked rainbows here and there) and want the "back country" kind of experience, then Clear Shade is a good option if you're coming from the west. If you want big numbers of wild trout and shots at bigger fish and don't mind fishing around other anglers then the central PA streams are it.

For the area, it's not bad though. I think the key to that "best trout stream in SW PA" classification is that there isn't a whole lot to compare it to in that area.

 

[TimS]

I don't know that I'd classify it quite that way personally. Up in the SF it's fairly small. Down after a few of the bigger named tributaries add to its flow it's a decent size, but the fish numbers taper off. Basically, the closer you get to dark shade, the worse it gets. It's a fairly infertile stream. Sandy bottom. Decent habitat and even though it's infertile it does have some decent insect life.

A lot of the lower end is supported by stocking. Rainbows hold over pretty well. There are some wild browns and wild native brook trout. Especially up closer to the SF. The tributaries are good in their own right. I personally prefer to fish the tributaries and to get as far away from access as possible than the mainstem until you get well up into the headwaters.

As for comparing to Yellow Creek or the Little J, not even close. Not comparable at all in my opinion. Clear Shade is a beautiful place. The scenery up in the SF is worth the trip by itself as far as I'm concerned. As for fish numbers though, nowhere near what you find in those highly productive class a's. What Clear Shade (and it's tributaries) do have that YC or the LJR don't is that it sits in a vast, largely unspoiled (or at least it looks that way on the surface) wilderness area. If you're into hiking beautiful places for wild trout (with some errant stocked rainbows here and there) and want the "back country" kind of experience, then Clear Shade is a good option if you're coming from the west. If you want big numbers of wild trout and shots at bigger fish and don't mind fishing around other anglers then the central PA streams are it.

For the area, it's not bad though. I think the key to that "best trout stream in SW PA" classification is that there isn't a whole lot to compare it to in that area.

I can picture what this stream has to offer now. Thanks for the detailed response. Sounds like a good place to visit.

 

[JGR]

It's a beautiful windswept place high on the Allegheny Front. A few photos from the last time I was there on 4/18/14:







I park at the Crumb Road bridge, walk ~3 miles downstream to the lower boundry of the special regulation area, and fish back to the bridge. It's a long day and can be difficult despite the stocked fish.

 

[TimS]

It's a beautiful windswept place high on the Allegheny Front. A few photos from the last time I was there on 4/18/14:







I park at the Crumb Road bridge, walk ~3 miles downstream to the lower boundry of the special regulation area, and fish back to the bridge. It's a long day and can be difficult despite the stocked fish.

Very scenic, looking forward to this place. Thanks!