Lehigh River Gorge Tactics

[luke_m]

I moved to the Lehigh Valley last summer and have had some great luck fishing the smaller streams in the area and in the Poconos. I'm really looking forward to getting after some bigger fish in the gorge when flows and temps allow this summer and fall. I've hiked and biked through the gorge from Jim Thorpe quite a bit. It's gorgeous water.

I was wondering what everyone is throwing when there's not a hatch going on. Is nymphing typically the best option, or do streamers work year round? I have a lot of experience fishing saltwater for stripers, so swinging flies through bigger water is up my alley. Nymphing big water however is a weakness of mine.

Any key nymphs I should have with me when I head out there? I've seen some big caddis cases and stonefly shucks in there.

I'm generally just looking for some advice on how to best approach the river when there isn't any clear surface activity going on. I've been skunked in the gorge so far.

Luke

 

[Baron]

Welcome to the Valley Luke!
I love to fish Mauch Chunk Lake above Jim Thorpe.
Some day I'll probably fish the Lehigh but I'm not fit enough to walk on them marbles.

 

[donhopkins]

how is the fishing in the lake? what do you fish for usually?

 

[Baron]

I like it there. I am, as always, after Bluegills always manage a few bass and pickerel.

 

[Tigereye]

Flows now in the gorge are ideal as are temps. There are a bunch of ways to tackle the gorge. Now is arguably the best time.

If you like streamers by all means have at it. You should find a few interested fish who are willing to bite. Typically the larger ones.

When learning the gorge it's best to break it into say 1/2 mile sections. Walk along the trail during the evening and stop and watch the water for risers. Foam lines, shaded areas, seams, backwaters etc. This saves you time casting in non productive areas. A small pair of binoculars is helpful. When you locate a few fish ...go get em.

If you have trouble with nymphing, dry- dropper tactics are fairly easy and a good way to develop indy fishing skills. Here you will be searching for fish wading up stream. The water will be low enough that wading is much less difficult though not easy by any means. Take a wading staff.

Use a large dry fly that floats well.. A good place to start now is a Slate drake, or March Brown #10/12, green or yellow humpies and simulators. Tie about 15" of 4x tippet to the bend of hook and attach nymph of your choice. PTs, Prince, Hares Ear, stone flies are all good. Think generic rather than being too specific. Fish likely spots you can reach watching for risers along the way. Modify your rig/flies as needed.

Expect to see sulfurs right before dark. A 16 or 18 sulfur emerger or comparison could pay off big time.

Good luck.

 

[mellowluke]

Any recommendations for morning time frame (6-9AM)? I would love to hit the evening hatch, but prob not in the cards for me for the next couple of years.

 

[acesedgley]

I spent a lot of time on that lake over the past 10 years in June around Father's day when a group of us would get together over the weekend for a campout.
I fished from my kayak sunrise til 10 or so with poppers along the far shoreline from the beach and usually had a blast with bluegills and LMB.
Did not have as much success it seemed in the evening, but still beautiful and peaceful floating around.
There would also be the occasional pod of smaller bass that would be cruising and surfacing which was fun to try to chase down and get in position to make a cast in front of them....if done correctly I always picked one off.

 

[Baron]

Yes if you want to fish evenings in June then the shallow upstream parts during the evening feed. Lots of weeds but lots of fish as well. Im told the Crappy move down to 20 feet deep during the day so they won't be there. I'm after edible size pickerel and Crappy and Bluegill. I've no interest in Bass except as a by-catch to panfishing but I'm told the best bassin is the far side btwn the two ramps which would include the area across from the beach.

 

[Tigereye]

You can fish the gorge in the morning using the same strategies as evening. There are some nice spinner falls in the morning and because of the terrain, the sun doesn't really get on the water till the sun is high- and then only for a few hours.

Some insects hatch sporadically all day. Some caddis and most notably March browns. Terrestrials are always around and attractors should be part of your arsenal on any water,
especially unfamiliar ones.

You are not missing anything by fishing mornings.

 

[luke_m]

Tigereye, your insight is really appreciated! I can't thank you enough.

Do you have any favorite streamer patterns? I might try some white woolly buggers and moto's minnows to start since I'm pretty confident with that style of fly.

I will definitely try throwing some larger dry/droppers! If gorge fish are willing to eat larger dries and nymphs, then it sounds like they are less picky than the Lehigh Valley limestoner fish. There, I tend to throw small adams, midges and tiny nymphs. On freestoners I'm usually using stimulators and larger pheasant tails and walt's worms, so that sounds like it should work well in the gorge.

Again, I can't thank you enough for those tips. I am pretty confident in my abilities, but it's always difficult to learn a new river.

 

[luke_m]

Baron, thanks for the welcome! It is a great area to live in not to mention all of the wild trout.

 

[Tigereye]

You should be good with those streamers. I like zonkers and wooly buggers in white, yellow, black, and olive. I dont fish them much until about October.

I'm sure they would work now as minnow fisherman do very well.

14 and 16 nymphs are standard go to sizes.

Fish in the river are not that picky generally speaking unless keying in on duns. Comparadun and catskill styles both work well.

 

[luke_m]

That's great info. I'll probably start packing a box with streamers, and another with larger dries, some more specific mayfly comparaduns and parachutes, and some larger nymphs.