Is this year going to be another washout?

High flows happen all the time. The extraordinary thing is the amount of time the flows have been up above normal and sometimes close to flood stage at times.

In the spring of 2018 the flows were up and leveled off in early summer for a short period but shot up in July of 2018. Since then, many of the bigger streams and rivers have not lowered not even one day to a normal flow level.

Pretty amazing they can stay high for such a long time, like 10 months. Hopefully things will drop back to more normal levels soon.

For the most part, the trout have benefited from the higher water levels but fishing in the bigger streams has been tough. Many hatches came and went without anglers being able to fish them. They in there, we've just got to wait it out to fish the bigger streams. In the mean time the smaller headwater streams are fishing well for trout.

The smallies spawn in the big rivers and streams have suffered with the high water. It has been tough if not impossible to fish the rivers the entire time. I'm sure the fish are there and thriving, but we need some normal flows for us to get after them.

Hopefully things will settle down and we can get out next month after the smallie spawn.
 
High flows... fish have to eat. Modify your approach and examine what your throwing. Last week one of the rivers I fish 2-4 times a week was up from ~150 cfs to 1400 cfs. We where able to land 6 nice fish in a few hours. It’s a nice time to get out and get into some pigs.
 
Wild_Trouter wrote:
Bamboozle-

There are plenty of "headwater" places where you can use an 8' 4wt rod and lay out some line to fish longer than 8". I don't know where you are located, so I can't make a recommendation?
Click to expand...

That's true.

I fish freestone wild trout streams a lot and most of the ones I fish are about 15 feet wide on average. And some are substantially wider than that.

I rarely fish the streams that are choked with rhododendron or alders, simply because there are hundreds of other places you can fish that aren't brush choked.


 
I have no data to back this up but I seem to think the drought conditions we, at least I, have spent the last decade fishing has lowered my definition of high water.
 
Looks like another round of storms coming to jack up flows for the weekend.

Poopdeck; I beleive the last 15 years or so the continued development caused higher peaks in run off and faster declines between.

In the mid to late 60s we had springs very similar to current pattern. the difference was that August was dry back then. Even into Spetember. IIRC even spring of 72 was cool and wet up into Agnes.
In 67 and 68 there was so much rain that I got flooding in at Boy Scout camp both years. Why would someone put a low road and little bridge on the only road into the camp?
 
poopdeck wrote:
I have no data to back this up but I seem to think the drought conditions we, at least I, have spent the last decade fishing has lowered my definition of high water.
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The precipitation and flow have been high and sometimes at record levels; it's not your imagination.

But no doubt, one's perception of "high" or "low" flow can be influenced by the recent trends.

I suppose when the flows actually do go down to normal they'll actually seem low!!
 
afishinado wrote:
poopdeck wrote:
I have no data to back this up but I seem to think the drought conditions we, at least I, have spent the last decade fishing has lowered my definition of high water.
Click to expand...

The precipitation and flow have been high and sometimes at record levels; it's not your imagination.

But no doubt, one's perception of "high" or "low" flow can be influenced by the recent trends.

I suppose when the flows actually do go down to normal they'll actually seem low!!
Click to expand...

Last year was the highest precipitation recorded in the US. I believe PA as well.
 
IIRC (I don't remember the exact individual years) but I think in general the early 2010's had wet and relatively cool Summers. I remember struggling to Bass fish much a couple Summer in there. Mid 2010's were generally drier, with 2016 being a downright drought year. I recall Kettle at Cross Fork being under 10 CFS for a while, and Pine at Cedar Run being around 25 CFS...Think about how big those watersheds are...That is very low. 2018 was obviously very wet, and 2019 has been similar so far.

I've enjoyed the last 12+ months of nearly continuous primo small stream conditions very much, but I too am ready for some larger Trout stream and Bass fishing.

If asked my preference, I actually prefer a more standard Summer pattern...Generally low flows conducive to Bass fishing, interrupted by quick 2 or 3 day bumps brought on by Tstorms where if you time it right you can get very good small stream Trout conditions, though only for a brief window. Have to be willing to put down what you're doing and go fish when the timing is right. Then a quick return to baseline lower flows.
 
The high water last few yrs has definitely protected the fish and they seem to be thriving from what I've seen. Early this yr before rivers were high I caught several of my biggest bass and everywhere I go that has wild trout I caught real healthy fish. It makes me also ponder the idea of closing the season to give the fish a break. Might not be a factor everywhere but some well known streams these days seem to be pounded almost daily. Sections of river where fish stack up in winter also are known and pounded. Maybe shut it down during certain times to create nicer fish.

I think it has been interesting to see some of the streams very full but clear. Also ponds and quarries all filled up. Have to wonder if it could be a new norm. I like the way it looks but certainly creates a challenge to fish.
 
I think it may be largely a wash-out. It is proving to be by now. When I came back to NW PA, the 1st years were high water, wet an cooler. I fished very well to rising trout on golden beatis on Oil Creek at Petroleum Center in late september and October. That was something like 2003 & 2004.
One benefit may be that the stocked streams that have bugs but get warm, like Oil Creek, may be doing quite well when the Isonychias get rolling into June.
 
2016 was a bad year. You could nearly walk across Pine at Slate Run. Like last summer, the rains have confined my fishing to limestone springs and tribs or tribs of tribs of my favorite brookie streams.

Have a week reserved on Pine starting 6/3. Got blown out last year, but had good time camping with friends and family.
 
Checked the weather this morning and one sunny day in the next 15 days. Rain or Thunderstorms 11 out of the next 15 days.
 
Curse the rain. I’ve had great fishing and terrible fishing within miles of each other- weird times inside the gold mine.
 
It’s been keeping me off the Susquehanna, but he trout fishing has been great this year. Just have to squeeze in times when conditions are ripe. I also have fished prior to some tough storms. First time I ever had to beat it back to my vehicle in hail.
 
They called for thunderstorms last Saturday night yet Penns was in good condition on Sunday. I hope the forecasted storms this week don't blow it out for the weekend, as I have a spot at Poe Paddy. The drakes should be there by then. Otherwise I will hit some of the smaller class A streams in the area.
 
We had a storm late this afternoon. I live in West Lawn, Berks County. I'm a weather geek, and I was tracking the storm. I moved my wife's car under our carport, and moved my truck under an underpass down the street. We had quarter-size+ hale and some things I never saw before: A government tornado warning interrupted the tv show, and listed a few small towns including ours. Toward the end of the storm I saw an updraft column among the clouds like I never saw before. Where rotation occurs. And clouds were moving in 2 directions. Pretty cool to see.

And there goes the fishing around here for a while (again and again).
 
I've been in my basement twice this week for tornado warnings, and the damage is Morgantown is too close for comfort. I'd be grateful if all I had to worry this summer about is rain.
 
J blown for a good while now. Fished in between the storms yesterday.
 
Little J just hit a record for May 29th at 3370 CFS. Would to see a picture of how high that it at the USGS gauge site.
 
Really got pounded with heavy rain here in the burgh the last 2 days.
Some serious flooding. Tennis ball size hail, that did lots of damage to vehicles.
And a confirmed tornado in Indiana last night.

With more storms coming tomorrow!
 
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