Fishing Access for Furnace Creek - Hamburg, PA - Berks County

[dharzinski]

Good morning,

Does anyone know if fishing is allowed on Furnace Creek? PFBC lists it as Class A water and Natural Reproduction. I was hiking the Pinnacle and Pulpit trail last weekend and noticed it on the way down (the trail follows the stream to the reservoir and down to the parking lot). Since the reservoir is used for public drinking supply, I know there can be stricter rules set by the governing municipality.

If anyone has any knowledge on whether fishing is allowed or not, it would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Derek

 

[salmonoid]

I don't know the answer to your question, but the best answer would be from the municipal authority that owns the reservoir. Contact them and find out. Unless there is an employee from the authority on the board, our conjecture about access is just that. I've found some answers posted to similar questions about access entirely wrong. You'll usually get a range of answers that may include:

1) The No Trespassing signs are for hunters,
2) There are no fish in that stream,
3) Please don't name the stream, it gets enough pressure as is (posts like that usually confirm it's a stream worth fishing),
4) I fish it all the time,
5) I fished it once and won't go back,
6) There are far closer and better streams than that stream,
7) Etc.

 

[Swattie87]

I've gathered from several reliable second hand sources that the water authority that owns it restricts recreational access to the area. As salmonoid notes, a call or email to them can verify that I'm sure though.

 

[Mike]

Call Hamburg Borough. It is the Borough's water supply. My last conversation with them, perhaps a decade ago, indicated that fishing was not allowed, but the area was open to a number of other activities, primarily hiking and hunting at that time.

 

[CLSports]

I've fished it. I assumed the signs were for the lower reservoir . . .

Great hike this time of year too, the Pinnacle I mean.

 

[mikephl]

I recall the stream being posted no fishing above the dam too. Camping was also prohibited in that area, and along the AT in that section, because of the watershed. However, it's been about a year since I've been through there, and maybe Hamburg has changed the rules.