Lehigh river

I should say how long does I take for it o get wade able?
 
Watch the USGS gauge, it gives flows, 400 at the dam is wadable anywhere downstream. Phil said trout water , not wild trout water, water where trout hold.
 
The river is filthy with trout right now. The problem is, you need a boat.

If we dont get any significant rain this week, the weekend should be good with the water dropping and clearing off of its high from last week. Even though there is a whitwater release this weekend the whitewater release will be lower than what has been released for the last week or so.

The sulphurs are on and the fish are up and eating.


People ask where the trout water is - it is anywhere from as far down stream as triboro up to the dam - both stocked, wilds, and hold overs. But like becker said, I am sure it is lower than that. However there are sections that hold more fish than others.

For wading purposes, unfortunately you really need to wait until Lehighton is less than 800cfs. Which equates to approx 400cfs from the dam - like greenheron said. However depending on trib influence that 100% increase ratio is not always written in stone.
 
Another white water release this weekend? Ugh
 
YEP...

But Monday might be OK and almost wadeable. If the rain forecasted for today and Thursday misses the area, the release and flows might be OK for fishing. Stay tuned to the ACOE website and USGS gauges.

Water levels should be fairly steady through the weekend even though there is a WW release scheduled. If you have a boat, the entire weekend could be very fishable.

I'm shooting for Sunday or Monday to get out on the river.
 
Yeah i dont have a boat. The releases are saturday and sunday correct?
 
Yes. Check on Sunday what the Corps cuts their release to.
 
Scroll down for the (scheduled) release dates.

http://www.eveninghatch.com/streams_report.htm#WATER RELEASES
 
So its basically every other weekend all summer, thanks for posting that. Is it ever wadeable in the 600-800 whitewater release? M
 
The farther down river you go, the better chances you have to wade at that level. Remember, the Corps will release the water in 12 hr "bubbles" for whitewater releases. Meaning they start releasing the water at 12pm midnight and turn "off" (or cut the release) back at 12 Noon.

So if you time it right, you can fish at lower flows depending on the location of the river your fishing. A WW release will take about 10-12 hrs (+/-) to get to Lehighton. So you could fish the mornings in the Lehighton/Bowmanstown area and not be affected by the higher water levels.

Then one could move up stream near the dam in the afternoon and evening when the releases are cut back.

If the lake drops below 1370 ft elevation during a WW release, the Corps will cut the release back to 250 CFS,, which is very wadeable.
 
This is what my friend and I do. It seems to work very well. Even so, DO NOT let your guard down wading this river. I have been fishing it with my dad since I was 12 and I am 33. I have had way to many close calls on this river. It seems to change constantly too. The fishing however, is usually awesome.
 
You drive all the way from WV to fish the Lehigh?
 
SBecker wrote:
Millsertime wrote:
Yes. I understand. I know where the trout water is. I was curious what sections PhilC considered wild trout water based from his Lehigh experiences.
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He will tell you the same thing I did. There are enough springs up and down the river where fish will flock to and survive. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if you caught wild trout all the way down to Bethlehem. There are enough class A tribs entering up and down the whole river.
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This is true. There were quite a few tribs added to the natural reproduction list in the past few year above Allentown and down river from Bethlehem. I've caught a random wild trout here and there, the oddest was a small wild brown that hit a rapala will I was on a floatilla of tubers below Bethlehem (I had to fish somehow). Normally I don't catch many wild trout in the river proper. Larger rivers have many predators that will eat small fish so they probably stick to their home trib or get eaten. I'm sure there's a lot of wild browns that grow big enough to hold their own but I'd like to day they're rare, but that's because I haven't caught one which isn't 100% conclusive.
I'd say your best bet is near where the tribs come in and best chances when the river is warmer so they stack up. I've started cracking the code on good feeder spots on the river but still have a long way to go. I've started to figure out a couple productive areas but still getting holdovers.
 
I'd say your best bet is near where the tribs come in and best chances when the river is warmer so they stack up. I've started cracking the code on good feeder spots on the river
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Ughhh.... Phil. You know why those fish are there don't you? To each their own I guess.


There are good numbers of wild and holdover trout in the river. From Triechlers up river is the best for wild trout. Probably more wild trout as you move up river.

The little fingerlings (wild or stocked) survive and not all get eaten. There are plenty of them in the river and we have caught a ton of them. Especially last fall. We were catching a handful every time out.
 
Will be heading up tomorrow to give it a shot.
 
Howd you make out chef? Still looked pretty un-wadeable on the guage yesterday
 
I live in PA 26 years before I moved down south and I still make regular trips up to fish with friends.
 
Anybody going to the lunkerfest tomorrow in bowmanstown? I'm going hopefully catch one or two big ones god luck be safe thank you for all the help I've been doing great on the smallies and two trout on the swing so far pretty nice size too by williemarxs bait and tackle just walked alittlebit down river
 
Fished the lehigh today was a good time, saw a couple fish rising but more than ive seen in the last couple weeks. Caught almost all of them dead drifting kens Copper
 
Anyone heading out tomorrow? I was thinking of rolling solo but i dont wanna drown
 
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