How's the fishing around Hersey Park?

[dubthethorax]

My in-laws want to take us and the kids to the Hersey Hotel for the weekend for some Xmas festivities at the end of November. I'm hoping to sneak out for a few hours for some fishing. Any streams that are really close by that are worth hitting? (i'm talking like 5-10 minutes from the resort?

 

[wgmiller]

Manada Creek is probably 15 minutes north of Hershey. A nice stream with hints of being a mountain freestoner. DHALO along its upper reaches with wild bows and browns mixed in. Just take 743 to 443 and go west.

 

[klingy]

PM Sent.

 

[jbomb]

i sent one too.

 

[sniperfreak223]

Last time I was in the park, I know I wanted to smuggle in a fly rod and take a shot at the carp in the stream that runs through the park...

 

[caveman]

I have wanted to fish the Park also but I guess that would be frowned on. I have actually seen some trout holding in the stream, early in the season. How cool would that be to be able to fly fish in there while the family does its thing.

 

[Swattie87]

Swatara Creek runs just north of the park...it's a pretty good warmwater stream, but warmwater streams tend to not fish very well at the end of November.

For Trout, there's not really much within 5-10 mins of the park, but if you're willing to travel 15-20 mins you have some decent options. There's Manada Creek north of Hershey...better than average stockie stream with a fair wild population as wg mentioned. Quittapahilla Creek in Annville is a recovering limestoner and holds over its stockies pretty well. Might be some limited wild fish in it too. This is maybe 15 minutes east of Hershey on 422.

The stream that runs through the park is Spring Creek, and I suspect it's a full on limestoner upstream of the park. All private land with poor access probably though. Running through the park and a golf course probably doesn't help it any from there downstream, but I've fished its mouth at the Swatara in the Summer before...cold water in the middle of Summer. Probably has potential, but I'm not sure if there's any Trout in it, or if you can find any access to it.

 

[Biggie]

The Quittie in Annville is the correct answer IMO. Very easy access and lots of fish. With limited time and not being familiar with the stream, it's very easy to find the fish, as the section in the park is only about 1/2 mile long. It's just of route 422 in Annville. Just look for a small green sign "Quittie Park" on your right coming from Hershey. Just past the Lebanon Valley College......Good Luck.

 

[osprey]

Half hour 20 minutes you are at Clarks Creek i'd fish the special regs section you will love this stream if you've never been there before take some time just to watch it. GOOD LUCK i don't know how to do pictures but if u do...................again GOOD LUCK wherever you decide to go.

 

[dubthethorax]

Thanks for the feedback and PMs. any idea on what early winter patterns work well in those streams?

 

[Phish_On]

If I was gunna be home I'd show ya around some of the local streams. If you decide on manada, bushy buggers in size 6-8 are my goto. The quittie will be the same. Maybe a few small caddis coming off, but it's hard to say.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Swattie87 wrote:
The stream that runs through the park is Spring Creek, and I suspect it's a full on limestoner upstream of the park. All private land with poor access probably though. Running through the park and a golf course probably doesn't help it any from there downstream, but I've fished its mouth at the Swatara in the Summer before...cold water in the middle of Summer. Probably has potential, but I'm not sure if there's any Trout in it, or if you can find any access to it.

I fished it at the Jam in May....oh wait.

 

[krayfish]

Grew up in Hershey and have been caught fishing in the park around a dozen times. We broke a bunch of rods on those corn fed pigs. Manada, Quittie or Clark's are all good suggestions. You can always use #16 PT, huggers or egg patterns to catch them in the winter. I live a mile from Clark's, 300 yds from Stony and work in Hershey. If you need help or company, shoot me a PM.

 

[riverwhy]

Really, cold water at the mouth? After all the ponds in the park and two sewage plants? I have only fished that area after the weather turns cold so not doubting but need convincing. I have gotten to know the area upstream from there a bit lately.

 

[Swattie87]

riverwhy wrote:
Really, cold water at the mouth?

Yep, well relatively cold anyway...I was wet wading the Swatara...in July I believe. Guessing the water temps in the Swatara were probably somewhere around 80...Spring was noticeably colder. I didn't temp it, but 70ish would have been my guess. Perhaps not ideal for trout down below the park, but cold enough to make you wonder about upstream of the park.

 

[odizz17]

Very small creek... Definitely holds some trout. Look for them in the swattie in the spring right downstream of the mouth. Saw a tank of a rainbow this past spring. Couldn't get it to eat however.

 

[riverwhy]

A friend of mine used to own the old stone house right where Spring crosses under 422 after it runs through the golf course. His kids were fishing for a trout in their backyard one day. Someone told me there is a trout nursury back there but I am not sure if it is on Spring or not. In fact I am not even sure exactly where Spring starts (on the golf course where I hear there is a nice spring) or if it is the one branch that runs through the Milton Hershey lands that is dammed and runs through a bunch of ponds. Sometimes it is piped underground. Also, Milton Hershey steals about every drop of water from that creek during the summer. There are at least a couple springs that revitalize it down low. I have seen what looked like chubs and fallfish in it but the water has that white sand spring creek look without all the vegetation.

I run through this area quite frequently but now I may have to hike it and do a little exploring.

 

[Swattie87]

The main stem of Spring's headwaters flows under rt 322 just east of Milton Hershey. This is the area that I mentioned before that looks very much like a limestoner. Pretty small, but flat water and consistent flows and there looks to be some aquatic veg there too. From there upstream it flows through several back yards and farms. All private land, not sure on posting, but I wouldn't feel right fishing up through yards out in the open like that on a non ATW or special reg stream.

The small spring/trib that flows through Milton Hershey property is probably darn close to equal size to the main stem (before any draw-off by MH). The two branches come together just south of 422. It then picks up another decent sized branch from the east (the one that flows through Hershey CC) just before it heads into the park.

 

[riverwhy]

Swattie,

According to google maps you are correct. My gazetteer has Spring Creek starting just north of Cambelltown then flowing northwest and crossing 422 just east of where Spring crosses (to the east of the Hampton Inn. That according to google maps is actually the south branch of the run that crosses Mansion road. Funny I never noticed that branch crossing 422 on my way to Palmyra?

What now appears to be Spring Creek has its source in a number of small tribs back in the Bachman Road and Eby Rd. area. I think I read in some book that Milton Hershey operated a trout hatchery back there. I think one of those branches looked spring fed but was quickly degraded by other branches with dreadful farming practices. A real shame. Funny, I never looked at Spring Creek (What I now know to be Spring Creek and the branches just discussed) where it crosses 322 to to be anything more than a drainage ditch for Milton Hershey farmland. There is a dam looking upstream and one downstream I believe as well. I am guessing that half the summers this thing has no water flowing between the dam pools.

The other branch crosses 743 as it flows northward and crosses Bachmanville before running through Milton Hershey Athletic Fields (my daughter's soccer team practices back here), It actually looks fairly nice at this point but then runs basically through meadows (many of which get burned off by the school. It also then flows through a bunch of ponds by founders then goes underground in pipes and in ponds for awhile before re-emerging and flowing into Spring just south of 422 and going then going under 422 by my friends house near the chocolate factory. Supposeldly there is a trout nursery here somewhere. Perhaps by the Environmental Barn?

Sorry for all the specific local geography!

 

[dubthethorax]

bumping this thread. Heading up again this weekend. It's gonna be a snowy mess on Sat, but I might be able to fish for an hour or so. Do these creeks freeze over or should I be good?