Heavy Rain

[Mike]

True as well for urban stocked trout anglers. Good numbers of healthy looking trout are even holding over in Darby Ck, Delaware Co in the Hoffman Park area near Darby Borough.

 

[afishinado]

The Susky flow has been bank full and rising near flood stage multiple times for months.

In late July I figured it would be back in shape to fish by mid August.

That didn't pan out so maybe by Labor day.

Nope, how 'bout by mid-September, the driest month of the year.

Negative on that....near flood stage predicted this week (see below).

Just to put that level in perspective, it's 20 feet above the average level for this time of year. :roll:

Now I've moved back the wait until October.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Canoetripper, your daughter is in good hands. My nephew is the head of emergency response at UNC Chapel Hill.

 

[outsider]

We only got 1/2" from Florence. But there is still a large water pool in the alley behind my house. And the mosquitos are terrible this year. If you fish the Tully, spray yourself good with repellant.

 

[Dave_W]

outsider wrote:
We only got 1/2" from Florence. But there is still a large water pool in the alley behind my house. And the mosquitos are terrible this year. If you fish the Tully, spray yourself good with repellant.

A bit more here in Adams Co.: 1.5 inches. I think we were lucky in SCPA and SEPA as we just don't have room for any more water.

Agree on the skeeters - they're just awful everywhere.

 

[Dave_W]

afishinado wrote:
Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Yeah, perhaps we can salvage October (fingers crossed).

Really demoralizing....

 

[krayfish2]

It could have been a lot worse. Think I have said that a dozen times since July. LoL

 

[Acristickid]

Hey guess what? More rain. Hope this concentrates in Erie. Could be a good year!!

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Yeah, perhaps we can salvage October (fingers crossed).

Really demoralizing....

Mid October?!....... :-?

 

[afishinado]

afishinado wrote:
The Susky flow has been bank full and rising near flood stage multiple times for months.

In late July I figured it would be back in shape to fish by mid August.

That didn't pan out so maybe by Labor day.

Nope, how 'bout by mid-September, the driest month of the year.

Negative on that....near flood stage predicted this week (see below).

Just to put that level in perspective, it's 20 feet above the average level for this time of year. :roll:

Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Dave_W wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Yeah, perhaps we can salvage October (fingers crossed).

Really demoralizing....

Mid October?!....... :-?

The Susky is on the rise again. Amazing, at H-burg it's been hanging around the 100,000 cfs mark with the normal flow being under 10,000 cfs.

Now we are hoping for decent fishing levels by late October!!

This year has been a fishing season (lost fishing season, actually) on the River for all to remember.

 

[afishinado]

afishinado wrote:

afishinado wrote:
The Susky flow has been bank full and rising near flood stage multiple times for months.

In late July I figured it would be back in shape to fish by mid August.

That didn't pan out so maybe by Labor day.

Nope, how 'bout by mid-September, the driest month of the year.

Negative on that....near flood stage predicted this week (see below).

Just to put that level in perspective, it's 20 feet above the average level for this time of year. :roll:

Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Dave_W wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Now I've moved back the wait until October.

Yeah, perhaps we can salvage October (fingers crossed).

Really demoralizing....

Mid October?!....... :-?

Still high after all these months but won't give up hope. Now looking to fish (wade) by the end of October. Not likely much time to fish left before the really cold weather and ice on the River.

 

[Dave_W]

On a bit more optimistic note....

I checked the Juniata River on Tuesday evening vic. Lewistown and was surprised to see it actually looked pretty good. Still around 5' I believe, but it looked fairly clear and definitely fishable, especially for a boat angler.

 

[dryflyguy]

The little j is just finally getting down to a nice wadable level now - probably for the first time in months.
I'm hoping to get one more crack it at before winter sets in.

Watching the local news the other night, the weatherman said that the rain fall total for the pittsburgh area so far this year, is 17" above average. That's a lotta extra wotta!

 

[salvelinus]

I listen to NOAA weather radio every morning. For Potter/Tioga, they give you the daily climate data for Williamsport. To date rainfall is over 23 inches above normal.

 

[Dave_W]

Big shot of rain yesterday across center state - 2.5" in my rain guage in Adams Co. Breeches went back up over 800cfs.

Just when the river levels were getting down to wadeable levels, they're rising again. In a normal year, river levels would be low in summer and rising in the autumn. This year, conversely, we have seen the opposite effect with dropping levels in October. Perhaps the rain this week will get the bass into normal autumn patterns.

It's still too soon to write off river bassin this year - hopefully this last shot of water will drain down a bit faster than previous storms. Dang.

 

[Dave_W]

Several more inches here in SCPA has thrown local creeks out of their banks again and some close to or above flood stage.

River bass season is probably over for all practical purposes.

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:
Several more inches here in SCPA has thrown local creeks out of their banks again and some close to or above flood stage.

River bass season is probably over for all practical purposes.

Agreed.

It's really hard to believe the rainy weather pattern got locked in and remained for so long a period.

One can't really say the smallie fishing was bad this season, that would imply that anglers actually got out there and fished. For all intents and purposes the River was too high to wade and really too high and off-color to even fish it from a boat for nearly the entire season.

The median flow at Harrisburg typically stays below 10,000 cfs in the summer through fall. The River hovered up and down around the 100,000 mark the whole season....10 times the normal flow!

Here's hoping next year things get back to normal.

 

[dryflyguy]

I had some hopes of getting out the last few weekends for one final hurrah.
But as usual - heavy rains raised the streams again right before my off days.
And with cold weather forecast later this week, my season is probably over now also.

2018 has been the worst season for high water that I can remember.

Time to start tying for next year now.
And hope for better conditions.
It can't rain again like it did this year - right?

 

[krayfish2]

I'm guessing that the higher water this fall won't impact the Brook / brown spawning negativity....but.....the Susky / Juniata systems are a different story.

Basically, the Susky was reddish brown from March to early July. Flows we're high and lots turbidity. It then settled down and cleared for a few days (less than a week). July rains started sending it near flood stage and it never came down.... even today. Clarity was less than 6" for months and the high water kept water temperature abnormally low all summer. I was able to get out for 2 days in at the beginning of September. Air temp was abnormally warm late into the fall but the water temperature barely touched 70 during the trip where it would normally be in the mid to upper 80's for that time of year.

If Mike Kauffman sees this or if anyone with fishery background reads this, I'd like to get your opinion on the following:

How will the prolonged period of high muddy water impact this year's spawning success?

How will months and months muddy / cool water impact the health, feeding and survival of the adult bass?

 

[afishinado]

More 2018 rainfall facts for many places around PA >

https://www.pennlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/11/153f8d15b95680/so-you-think-it-rained-a-lot-t.html

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/08/rainy_summer_shatters_records.html