Jim Thorpe

[mtnbrook]

Hello
Heading with my family to Jim Thorpe for the fall festival.
I never explored the Lehigh tribs. I know the water is low, but anyone have suggestions for taking a small father, son hike or bike ride to throw a little stimulator for some brookies, for a little 10 yr old. Has to be within striking distance of Jim Thorpe to sneak away quick.
He is an avid flyfisher though.. ha ha
thanks

 

[Swattie87]

There’s a few similar inquires about this area you can probably dig up, but I’ll give my standard response. Lehigh tribs in the area of Jim Thorpe are gnarly, steep, rough/remote, butt kickers. The east side tribs in the Gorge can be difficult to nearly impossible to get to since the rail trail runs along the western bank and crossing the Lehigh on foot is nearly impossible, even at very low flows. The gradient for a stream that size is very deceiving. I once tried to cross it at about 175 cfs in what I thought was the tailout of a slow pool. At just above my knees it was lifting me off my feet and I had to turn back. I’m 6’0/185…crossing it is out of the question with a 10 year old IMO. Their headwaters are in posted private communities with gates and security so you can’t get in from above either. The ones on the west side are easier to get to thanks to the rail trail.

Assuming you get to them, fishing in the tribs can be good, or very poor, depending on flows. Typically more water is better though. Just know what you’re getting into ahead of time. These are some of the most remote places in PA…several mile at least hike/bike to get to them…no cell service, bears and snakes are common (maybe not so much snake worry this time of year). The streams are in deep ravines that you can’t climb out of sideways…it’s either down to the mouth, or up to the headwaters where they flatten out. In stream navigation requires at least some level of climbing at some point. About the worst place in PA IMO to have a slip/fall scenario.

My rule is I never fish any of these streams alone. Your call on whether you’re comfortable with the above with your son, but I want to emphasize you understand what these streams are before going and committing to one. Admittedly, I completely underestimated my first trip there. There’s some other options up that way that are less rough and remote if you decide to go that way.

 

[troutbert]

I don't think there is a brookie stream that is close and easy.

I recommend just going to the parking area at Glen Onoko and walking up along the Lehigh River and enjoying the beautiful sights of the Lehigh Gorge.

 

[mtnbrook]

Thanks for description

I am from the Pa Grand Canyon, we are experienced outdoors people...so used to remote areas, and all the critters above and no cell service in my backyard ... not looking to hike in Glen onko trail or going crazy hiking, just looking for a little brookie stream that's a little accessible. So there aren't any tribs along the bike trail, they are on the other side?, not crossing the Lehigh on my first trip, although it has to be pretty darn low right now. I will do that someday on my own, and explore the tribs.
The Pine Creek in my neck of the woods is scary low. Tribs are scary low but natives surviving in pockets and doing well.

Mauc Chunk sorry for the horrible spelling, are there natives in that one. Or other no name tribs you could just hike in a 100 yds or so,
and turn a couple natives.??

 

[dryflyguy]

When I stayed in Jim Thorpe with my wife, I fished the river around the parking area at Glen Onoko. And caught some nice size holdovers in the 15 inch range. Very easy access and a great spot to take a kid fishing IMO.

If you really want to try small water, there is a stream that flows right through Jim Thorpe from the west side. I believe it's called nesquehoning creek, and is listed as supporting wild trout. I checked it out all the way up to the lake and beach area upstream of town. There is a trail running along it, providing easy access. Can't tell you what the fishing is like though. I never got to try it for some reason.

There is also a trib coming into the river on the east side of town that is listed as class A, and would probably be worth checking out.

 

[Swattie87]

Got ya. The Lehigh Gorge tribs are rougher than the Pine Creek Canyon tribs, IMO and FWIW. Don't underestimate the Lehigh at ANY flow. I've never successfully crossed it in the Gorge on foot, and probably will never try again. It's wayyyy different, with wayyyy more gradient than Pine Creek in the Canyon. When you see it, you'll understand.

There's tribs along the western side of the bike trail. Same thing applies as to the east side tribs though...they're rough, remote, steep, and in narrow ravines. But you can get to them easy enough from the trail.

Mauch Chunk probably has natives above the lake.

Perhaps a 15-20 minute drive from JT, but one east side Gorge trib is more accessible than the others...Drakes Creek. Has a mix of Brookies/Browns and is stocked, and it has a road along it. It's a good intro for streams in that area. The other ones are rougher, steeper, more remote, and harder to get to, but Drakes will give you an idea of what they're about with the relative safety of a dirt road along it. Just FYI about it though, the rafting companies use Drakes Creek's mouth and the road along it as a put in for their gorge WW trips, so if they're running that day it's basically off limits to other vehicles. Check their websites or call beforehand.

Edit to the above: Drakes is by no means an "easy" stream to fish or hike along, but it's the most "PG rated" of the bunch, and the only one with a road of any kind (albeit a dirt one) along it.

 

[mtnbrook]

Thanks, that's what I was looking for, we can hike and explore with the best of em, We fish some of the best little secrets in the Pine Creek Valley that we hike miles into the headwaters..
but this is just a family trip, for my wife and daughter and my son and I if we have time while they are looking at crafts and the entertainment ...we sneak away for a quick excursion. I can only take so much tourism, before I need to find woods.


thanks again, any other suggestions , post em up..

 

[CLSports]

Drive up Broadway in Jim Thorpe towards Mauch Chunck lake. There is a little stream along the road and a pull-off trailhead parking area on the left about a couple miles up from town center. A path goes along it too. I never fished it but I heard it has brookies. I could be wrong.

 

[acesedgley]

I had tried the stream dryflyguy mentioned. I had never tried one like that before, but go camping there every June at the park, mostly go on the lake in my kayak and have a blast with lgmouths.
I took my 3 wt and hooked one on first cast but it got off, and never had another hit...but my inexperience with those types of conditions(tight quarters) probably had something to do with it.
I was not far from the lake when I did this, and I know it gets hit hard cause it is stocked in some areas. There's a side road to the left off of the main road out of town going toward the park, and there is a pull off right after the left turn there that hikers and fisherman frequent.
Beautiful setting.

 

[troutbert]

It's a nice hike up the Glen Onoko trail to see the waterfalls. Even if there is not much water flowing over the falls, it's still scenic.

 

[Smike]

Simple as someone said above, go up Broadway about 1 mile above the center of town and look for "Flagstaff" rd coming in on left. Park on right as soon as you turn onto Flagstaff Rd. This is Mauch Chunk Creek. Has wild brookies and browns and a few hold overs from stocking. Easy access, bring a bike and you can bike along the gravity RR trail (i.e. flat)

Perfect for what you are looking for. Scenic too.

Lehigh Gorge state park is awesome, but more a 1/2 day at least commitment and way more effort to find a brookie stream in there.

 

[Smike]

troutbert wrote:
It's a nice hike up the Glen Onoko trail to see the waterfalls. Even if there is not much water flowing over the falls, it's still scenic.

Stay as far away from this place on a weekend as possible. Unless you want to be part of a team of people carrying a tourist down that wore flip flops and broke their legs, or worse...

 

[pmelle]

You could hit Jeans Run, it's about 15 minutes outside of Jim Thorpe just north of it. There is a parking lot off of Rt. 93 for use for hunting and fishing. From the parking area, it's about a half mile walk on service road to the stream. It was part of the states wildbrook trust ehnacement program and gemmies all the way up and down it. If you wanted to you could fish just the top portion of it before the terrain turns pretty tough and steep.

 

[pcray1231]

You can fish that top section of jeans relatively easily. It's skinny where that top access is, so fish down.

Just note that you get down a ways and it very suddenly turns steep and rough at the ridge. I have fished UP through there from the mouth. It's one of my favorites. Good fishing and quite an adventure. But it's also a full long day commitment and a serious butt kicker, perhaps the worst I've been on. From the top, for safety reasons, I wouldn't want to go DOWN that. So if accessing from the top I'd stay on top where it's flatter.

 

[troutbert]

Smike wrote:
Simple as someone said above, go up Broadway about 1 mile above the center of town and look for "Flagstaff" rd coming in on left. Park on right as soon as you turn onto Flagstaff Rd. This is Mauch Chunk Creek. Has wild brookies and browns and a few hold overs from stocking. Easy access, bring a bike and you can bike along the gravity RR trail (i.e. flat)

Perfect for what you are looking for. Scenic too.

Is this public land?

Also it's surprising that it holds wild brookies and browns below that lake. It seems like the lake would warm the water too much in the summer.

Does anyone know what causes the water to be cool enough to support wild brookies and browns?

 

[trout48]

You might also consider the Pohopoco below the dam. Nice stream and good access.

 

[PhilC]

Fish the river

 

[phiendWMD]

trout48 wrote:
You might also consider the Pohopoco below the dam. Nice stream and good access.

It is very low, like everything else in the area, right now. You also usually have to share, which sort of bothers me. The OP may not mind it as much.

 

[Smike]

by troutbert on 2016/10/8 9:14:14

Is this public land? Also it's surprising that it holds wild brookies and browns below that lake. It seems like the lake would warm the water too much in the summer. Does anyone know what causes the water to be cool enough to support wild brookies and browns?

yes its public land, and well used hike and bike path along the entire stretch from the intersection with Flaggstaff Rd. Below that it parallels the road. The water cools as you move down from the dam in the very thick hemlock and evergreen forest for the 4 miles below the dam before it goes under Jim Thorpe. I'm not going to serve up on a silver platter where to find the spots with really heavy class A numbers of brooks and browns, but if you go specifically looking for them you will find them.

 

[troutbert]

Smike wrote:

by troutbert on 2016/10/8 9:14:14

Is this public land? Also it's surprising that it holds wild brookies and browns below that lake. It seems like the lake would warm the water too much in the summer. Does anyone know what causes the water to be cool enough to support wild brookies and browns?

yes its public land, and well used hike and bike path along the entire stretch from the intersection with Flaggstaff Rd. Below that it parallels the road. The water cools as you move down from the dam in the very thick hemlock and evergreen forest for the 4 miles below the dam before it goes under Jim Thorpe. I'm not going to serve up on a silver platter where to find the spots with really heavy class A numbers of brooks and browns, but if you go specifically looking for them you will find them.

Thanks for the info.

Do you know who owns the land?