Little Lehigh Ideal CFS?

[mute]

Was planning on heading to the little lehigh mid week. Looks like were getting a good hard inch of rain today. Looks like the stream is at ~70 feet/s currently. Does anyone know at what point its a blow out so i can keep my eye on it come wednesday?

 

[Troutmeister]

It peaked over 1000cfs last night but is already below 500. I don't really like fishing it above 200cfs, others might have a different opinion.

 

[marcq]

I’ve had a good day throwing big streamers in high off colored water. Don’t let it stop you from going. I’d rather fish in those conditions . Fish seem more willing to bite.

 

[mute]

That I found out marcq

https://fishyintentions.com/2020/11/25/cold-lehigh-county-outing/

 

[Bamboozle]

"My brother and I headed north to Lehigh County to fish a stocked water..."

Interesting comment & video however, that section of the Little Lehigh (Section 8) is Class A and ISN'T stocked.

 

[mute]

Are you trying to tell me that that section has 100% wild fish, including the wild Golden rainbows?

"My brother and I headed north to Lehigh County to fish a stocked water..." != "My brother and I headed north to Lehigh County to fish the stocked heritage section"?

The LL is obviously stocked, which is what my statement said.

I swear i saw a 24" fish show its-self for a few seconds under the bridge. Although unfortunately I could not get any of them in that pool to come out and play.

 

[Bamboozle]

Using that logic, all streams are stocked waters.

BTW - Did you have any videos of fishing "stocked" Big Springs, "stocked" Penns or "stocked" Falling Springs...? ;-)

 

[mute]

Lol not sure thats an accurate comparison? Not sure why were drilling down so hard on the topic either.

But im pretty sure there are multiple sections of the Little Lehigh. Some are clearly only Stocked trout waters, some are Class A, some stocked trout im sure swim into the Class A sections, and im sure some wild trout swim into the stocked sections. Does that mean if i catch a wild brown in a stocked only section and say i was fishing a Class A stream inaccurate?

How my statement of "fished a stocked stream" and said stream being the little Lehigh is not an accurate statement is beyond my interpretation, but whatever I guess.

 

[Bamboozle]

I'm just busting your balls...

The reality is that section (Section 8), like all non-stocked sections adjacent to stocked sections have stocked fish in them. You can catch stockers in all of the streams I mentioned, but would probably have a harder time finding someone refer to Big Springs, Penns or Falling Springs as stocked trout streams...

It bruises their egos too much… ;-)

In the case of the Little Lehigh, Section 7 & 9 are stocked however, Section 8 (the former Heritage section) hasn't been stocked in a while despite only being ON the Class A list for a few years. It’s one of the reasons people bitch about it all the time as "being in severe decline" because it is no longer brimming with stockers and escapees from the hatchery.

Bottom line, that section is a LOT tougher now than in the old days.

Section 7 is Class A too, but it is one of those unfortunate stream sections that get stocked as well, along with Section 4. However, the reality is out of 9 Sections on the Little Lehigh, only 2,4, 5,7 & 9 are stocked which means almost half of the stream isn’t.

It’s a glass half full/half empty thing…

I live nearby although hardly fish it except in winter. I’m just trying to get the old Heritage Stretch some respect so my ego is preserved when I get back there again… ;-)

 

[mute]

How do the fish at the hatchery escape? Through massive floods or something since theyre right there next to the river? I would assume it would have to be a hell of a flood?

 

[Bamboozle]

If you never saw the Little Lehigh get totally blown out, you would would almost not believe it, but suffice it to say, the bridge by the old fly shops is under water and the level inside the shop is about 4 feet high.

Supposedly, the hatchery did SOMETHING to alleviate or at least reduce the number of escapees a while back. Mike Kaufman (Mike) on this board should know the details.

However even so, IF there is a problem at the hatchery after heavy rains & flooding, the news spreads like wildfire and the stream gets crowded, especially at the "Kiddee Pool" and just below as all the "sportsman" like the increased odds.

 

[mute]

Gotcha, makes sense. To be honest, while im only 30mins from allentown, ive only ever fished the LL twice, and this is my time fishing the parkway. The kiddie pool is by the wall im guessing there by the hatchery?

THats why ive recently started my blog, as my goals for 2021 is to really start getting out there.

 

[mute]

Gotcha, makes sense. To be honest, while im only 30mins from allentown, ive only ever fished the LL twice, and this is my time fishing the parkway. The kiddie pool is by the wall im guessing there by the hatchery?

This is why ive recently started my blog, as my goals for 2021 is to really start getting out there. Regardless ive always been in the tech\website field as its also just a place to store my adventures. I do plan on really branching out of this SEPA area more often then staying in it every weekend.

 

[Bamboozle]

Yes the "Kiddie Pool" is below the wall, I didn't name it but the name is appropriate.

I never fish the LL much. It used to be an annual Christmas Day ritual way back, but the days of having the place to myself on Christmas Day or just about anytime it isn't raining or snowing hard are few and far between.

It will probably be a ghost town this Thursday with the snow, but I'll be shoveling... ;-)

These days, I only go in the winter when I am looking for a place where I don't have to wade to fish, enjoy a stogie and fish for an hour or so and head home.

Bottom line, there's nothing wrong with the stream and there is a LOT of water to fish and explore. I have seen some huge wild fish come out of it.

To be honest some of the nicest water is in Section 9 & 7 which is pretty sparse with people after the last stockings, but the fly guys all like the FFO water. My guess is because they think there are more fish in those sections as they are catch & release, but I'm not so sure about that.

 

[JeffK]

Didn't travel to Little Lehigh in 2020, but hope that changes in 2021.

I always fished the Heritage Stretch in the winter and in April and May when adjacent sections were mobbed with bait guys. Then once the tricos started avoided the Heritage Stretch since the adjacent areas saw very few fly fishers. After a week of tricos the trout in the Heritage Stretch got very picky; away from the crowds they stayed naive a little longer.

 

[Bamboozle]

I haven't fished it since 2019 either.

I occasionally get to other sections, but for the most part it is winter only in the former Heritage section because if I can avoid getting IN the water when it is cold, I'm all over it.

I still don't wade that section even though the NO WADING restriction has been gone for years. It just seems natural to me fishing it from the bank.

It the same thing for me at the Letort and Big Springs for the same reasons although they are 90+ minutes away and the Little Lehigh is about 15.

It's nice having it as an option when time is short and the air is cold!!

 

[springer1]

I thought the question was regarding the stream flows that are most conducive for fishing. Very curious series of unrelated responses LoL.

 

[JeffK]

OK, I like it about 100 cfs but agree with other comments. When I fished it a lot there was almost no blown out because I knew where the fish would hang out at most water levels. Of course never went when it was over the bank. 200 cfs is a decent cut-off if you don't know the stream well - or aren't current like me.

Chucking huge streamers in high, colored water works and seems to attract some monsters. Usually gets more follows than swallows for me, but can find some good fish to target later. Works just as well on similar sized limestoners like Spring Ck - not just a Little Lehigh thing.

I miss the no wading rules. It made it more interesting, but no places were impossible from shore. I too prefer to avoid wading in winter.

I switched to fly fishing about 50 years ago and at one time the Little Lehigh was said to be immune from flooding. I don't remember the fly shop flooding until about 20 years ago (although I know Hurricane Dianne in 55 swamped the area). Since then floods seem pretty common.

I think it has gotten tougher; my one friend who is a regular and has upped his midging game catches loads of fish including many monsters (I hate to see his photos). If you fine tune your midge fishing the Little Lehigh fishes well. However, it can be tough without putting your time in.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

About 20 years ago, there used to be such nice midging on a couple stretches in the winter that I used to come up almost every afternoon for a couple hours to catch a few. I haven't fished that stream since before 2005, I'd guess.

 

[theoriginalnickyp]

Which gauge do you guys like to use?