Lehigh River

SBecker wrote:
Fished today for a few hours. Caddis, caddis, and more caddis. Saw a nice amount of rises. Picked up two and lost one. Picked up all of them at the end of my drift swinging my cdc and elk and peacock & partridge just under the surface. My buddy lost three. One on top, one swinging the same setup, and one nymphing.
Click to expand...


Most excellent story. Were these the tan caddis that flit across the surface parallel to the bank that the fish often refuse with no imparted motion? Lol. You get a water temp?
 
Not tan, more of a charcoal body or a dark brown in size 16-18. Saw a very large trout go airborn in the middle of a fast riffle. It is just the beginning. .......
 
Went into the middle of the proper Gorge. Very nice air temperatures to enjoy the day, however, the water still was 42 coming out of the dam, and where I was it did not feel above 50 at all. The problem was the wind. It was blowing at around 50 mph coming down that canyon at times. You had to wait for windows to cast. Saw one fish break surface to mock me, nothing else.

There were stone flies and caddis coming off very lightly, they were in the 14-16 range, black and grey, both of them. I did fish a nice marabou streamer, but not that much, I was just taking in the sights and waiting for a hatch that never came. The views down there continue to amaze me. It does feel like a small Montana.
 
Water temp up that way is the problem. I am sure you are aware of that. However, for those of you that are looking for rising fish, you need to find the water temp to be right near 50. Look south my friends.
 
The master has spoken.
 
Having been out a few times since early March, I'd say the dry fly fishing so far, just like last year's early season has been pretty good to date. Somehow the fish find a way despite low and lukewarm summer time temps and make it thru. Saw a pic the other day of a fish picked downstream of the Slatington that would have been a quality fish on the Upper D.

Not sure what the rains between now and the weekend will do the flows, but the Corps will be holding back on the release. So if flows don't change much the river is at a good wade and float level right now. Get out and prowl!
 
You guys see any ospreys on the river? I've never seen any in the upper river, I think I used to see them in FEW years ago, but haven't been there recently. The upper, flooded section of FEW is about as text-book osprey habit as you can get. I did see an eagle in the river, and it did not move for about 10 minutes. The biggest fish eater I see is the dreaded merganser, quite a few in the upper river..water rats.
 
Lots of mergansers down by me. Also, a few eagles. I have seen one osprey about 5 years ago.
 
Saw a bald eagle at Laury's Station yesterday evening. Lotsa caddis as usual; did not see a rise. Swung a streamer for 45 minutes or so with not so much as a nibble...
 
Kabut....that is because you are chasing the recent stockers down that way. They are not yet keyed into the hatches. imo

Have to find stretches of the river that hold over a good amount of fish.
 
So if the dam cracks 1370, then inflow matches outflow right? There will be no controlled fishing release of 400 cfs maximum, correct? If this is correct, when will they announce this, anyone know if they will at all, or just let er' rip? Any information appreciated.
 
Beast

You can check the following websites or facebook pages for FEW

http://www.nap-wc.usace.army.mil/nap/

https://www.facebook.com/fewalterdam

The facebook page is usually where the Corps will announce any last minute changes.

As of right now (11:45 AM), there is 8 feet of storage left before hitting 1370. The Corps plans on setting the release to 400 cfs at COB - 3pm

Inflow is around 675 CFS.... if inflow doesnt jump too much as a result of the rain, they have enough storage to maintain the 400 cfs through the weekend. I believe even if inflow jumps up to 800-900 cfs there should be plenty of room left.

But to answer your question directly about if the Corps will open the gates if they hit 1370....I HAVE NO FRIGGIN CLUE

According to the Corps, and they were very emphatic about this at the Fall meetings....any encroachment of storage above 1370 will be evacuated immediately.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks for the info LR. Facebook updating to keep people informed of the most up to the minute release,mm. I think they should do it on the main site, the fisherman are probably older and some people just don't like handing Zuckerberg their private data.

I thought the home pages of the profiles could be made public for recent updates to people without an account, dunno. Well, hopefully people take their kids to the Lehigh up high where it is stocked to get some fishing in if the flow is controlled. I'm not sure if I am going to go through the area or not to check out the number of people and get some exercise and fishing in.


Have you ever helped stock with the PFBC? I wonder if they let people take pick ups down the bike bath to spread fish around or if they just dump most at the bridges. They still stock fingerlings right? I think they must take something all the way down the road right at the outflow, or maybe they go down the gated road that runs parallel to the river and dump in there, dunno.
 
I personally never helped the PFBC stock the below the dam down to Sand run.

The PFBC was suppose to stop stocking fingerlings last year, but apparently there was surplus fish, so they did another stocking last year again. No idea if they plan to stock again this year.
 
I am looking at the stocking schedule and meeting place for the lower Lehigh(FEW to Sandy Run), and it is saying the next stocking is 4/16 meeting at Exit 273-White Haven-int. of I80 & SR940. I do not know precisely where that would be. I know where 940 runs across 1-80, maybe there is a parking area at exit 273? I would think they would meet at the bridge in White Haven at the entrance to the bike path. Anyone go to this stocking before and know if it is in an area exactly at exit 273?

That is quite a far way from the Oulet to the Dam. Maybe the FEW reservoir stocking hits right below the outflow and the access road below. It does say that for FEW stocking, one meeting place is FEW on 4/20, and FEW on 3/26 was exit 273 in White Haven and the other is Irena Lake meet-up to stock FEW on 5/7.
 
Looks like the Lehigh is off the fingerling stocking list this year. Anyone know if it didn't meet some criteria threshold of reported caught clipped fish, or if it just got arbitrarily removed?

More cold water please, the tribs are the hatcheries.
 
As far as birds of prey, there are herons.
 
The fingerling clipping program was only to be conducted for 5 years. 2011 was the last year that fin clipped fingerlings went into the river. The PFBC did stock "surplus" fingerlings last spring (2012) but they were not clipped. There may or may not be a fingerling stocking this year, but nothing is scheduled at this time.

Fishing Release Date Info - Update.

Next weekend the releases will be capped at 400 cfs and will last through out the weekend.

The following designated fishing release weekends the releases will be conducted as follows, IF inflow to FEW is above 400 cfs.

1AM Saturday the release will be cut to 400 cfs
1PM Saturday the release will be increased to match inflow if above 400 cfs

Same schedule for Sunday.

If inflow is below 400 cfs, the release will be set to match inflow.
 
Wind is killing me on my favorite spot. Dang you Lehigh! Was anybody out on Sunday? I saw 3 boat float through.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top