LEHIGH RIVER, CARBON COUNTY

[CrusaderRabbit]

Not a report, but a query.......
In recent years I can't remember going this far into the season without reports from the Lehigh in Carbon County. I have not had the opportunity to fish this section of the river and was wondering what's going on.

 

[henrydavid]

Probably due to the high water, I fished outside of White Haven only once this year so far. I think the fisherman release weekends are pretty much over for awhile, although they have been doing 1/2 day fishing releases the last couple Sundays.

They started the fisherman releases back in March I think but air temps were ridiculously cold. Maybe if the precipitation holds off for awhile we'll get some better flows to fish.

Flow is around 770 cfs right now

 

[Tigereye]

High cold water!!! Rainy weekends. Will report tomorrow as I plan an after work sojourn in that area. Earlier in year wooly buggers fished dead slow in deep slow water along bank was ok but definitely not a killer. Grey soft hack's swung into same areas or allowed to hang downstream turned a few fish, as did green caddis pupa under an indicator fished in deeper glides.

Fear not the best is yet to come.

 

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

Was on the Lehigh last night above White Haven. Water was high and getting into most of the spots I like was rough. Three hours of fishing and I got one brown trout about 10 " and one sucker. Nice to be out but hoping for some lower water levels next time out.

 

[Smike]

Flows and weather (wind) have been tougher this year, but if you have a drift boat all is working more or less. Sulfers brought some big fish to net last night in the lower.

 

[LehighRegular]

Flows should become more wadeable in the coming weeks. I was out twice last week, bugs were consistent, but not enough to get things really going. Caught some nice browns (mostly wild or holdovers) up to 18" and a couple of rainbows one of which was pushing 19". Sulphurs should be the fly of choice and hatches should be getting stronger by the day, still maybe see a few March Browns left, and there will always be caddis hatching sporadically or egg laying.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of fish around and size. The trout made it through a tough summer last year.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Does anyone have a good access point for wading near lehighton? I understand with the weekend rafting releases, wade fishing can be difficult this time of the year on the weekends but I need something to do while visiting my inlaws in the area.

 

[AFISHN]

Check the map on the Lehigh River Coldwater Fishing Alliance website.Plus the wading chart recommendations

 

[steliejim]

Nice how they held the outflow slightly below the inflow the past few days to garner an extra day of whitewater release today when they bumped the flow up from 600 to 800, yet the pool is below the magical 1370 ft elevation.

According to wunderground, expect another 2 inches of rain for this coming week.

 

[vcregular]

Now that the 12 hour whitewater release is over for the today (saturday). It ended at 1pm, the release has been dropped back to 355cfs and it should stay there the rest of the weekend. While this may be on the high end of the wade fishing scale it is doable. But as steeliejim said more rain is in the forecast - - but you never know.

Release from Dam: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv/?site_no=01447800&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010

As for the question above - near Lehighton there are a few spots. Check out the ramp in bowmanstown - big parking area right there. Check out the water behind packerton yards. There is really good water through that area.

 

[Tigereye]

Fished above WH today. Very tuff sledding. No bug activity of note. Bait fisherman got a few but not what I would call a banner day.

Yellow conehead zonker accounted for 3, I left by noon so I fished the higher flows 800+/-.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

[AFISHN]

I fished Bowmanstown for 2 hours(12-2PM)yesterday
Broke off a biggie nymphing. Skunked there
Some caddis coming off.No surface takes

Went below Jim Thorpe from 3 to 5;30PM caught two smallish browns nymphing on Princes Nymph #14
My fishing buddy only caught one,a dandy!!!:21" very fat brown on a March Brown,despite not seeing any MB all day.Go figure!!!
Wading was not easy but manageable in both places

 

[Tigereye]

Fished last nite near Rockport. Flow out of FEW was 400. Again no major insect activity. A few sulfurs, cahills???, BWOs and a #18 caddis I couldn't ID. Nymphed a nice riffle with an Iron Lotus #16 and red squirrel nymph #14. The lotus took 2 rainbows 12" an 15".
Best part of evening was my wife read on a rock while I fished. She never had a fishing rod in her hand and I let her real in both fish. She enjoyed the thrill an wants to go again. I really hope she takes to it as I would love to have her as a fishing partner.