A couple of observations:
Way back when in the mid 1970s, the outflow was adjusted so the run had about as much water in it as today. It was overgrown and mainly just full of little brookies. Over the years, water has been adjusted up and down and I strongly suspect that still can happen.
I heard Ed Koch (author of Fishing the Midge and longtime operator of the yellow breeches fly shop in those days). He talked about the stream’s big shortcoming as a trout habitat: the spring spews a massive amount of nitrogen, which gives the trout popeye disease. The nitrogen doesn’t dissipate until about a third of the way down the lake. That’s why no one fishes the creek upstream from the lake. Starting this time of year, you’ll see trout run up the creek from the lake to spawn, but they get Popeyes and die. There’s a lot more detail on the nitrogen in the lake, but the biggest add-on is in the next paragraph.
If not for the dam outflow and dam, the current run might be highly variable with nitrogen. The creek probably would still be the c+ to b- fishery that it’s been all my life. The lake is a wonderful asset to the to the town and has been there for a very long time. While the creek might be a little improved without the lake, it’s 1 full of springs (read limestone legends or take a kayak trip) and 2 a great place for kids to get hooked on fishing (like happened to me), so, in my mind, the lake is a good thing.
I’m thinking of writing to the township (or whatever municipal entity it is) parks and rec operation to suggest they plant a few trees along the creek. Hopefully no one will protest on the grounds of needing backcast room.
Last week when I was there, a big rainbow (18 inches or so) was feeding in the shallow run where the stone bridge abutments used to be, there’s a full on cress bed on either side of the creek there and when I inevitably spooked the big rainbow, it went into a cress bed and flushed two 11 inchers. I do like that the pipes are gone from just below the dam, and there’s no reason a little structure can’t be added in the fast water in that area (maybe I’ll add that to my parks and rec letter. Keep in mind, a lot of the political issues important to us as fishers can be fairly effectively addressed at a very low level.)
The lower creek, from the footbridge to the breeches, is as good or better than ever ( but the creek has never been a hallmark fishery).
I suspect a few modifications could improve what’s there. Will it be like the good old days? Depends on what you consider the good old days, and what you consider a good fishing spot. At this point in my life, there’s more to a good fishing spot than a meathole full of stocked trout. I’ll probably keep on fishing there until I’m dead, remembering good times stream side, with the full realization that the memories may have been a+, but the actual fishing was mainly c+.
In short, it’s a great spot when they stock it, and the cold water makes it a pretty good spot from mid May through mid March.
