One Day to fish. Where would you go in Central Pa

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mikepafly123

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I dont get to many chances to explore outside of Laurel Highlands area for fly fishing but I am thinking of taking a day trip somewhere towards Central Pa. Which stream would you pick? It can be anytime between now and June that I get a "one day pass" from the wife.

Little J
Penns
Spring
Spruce(I dont have access to private)
Pine Creek/slate run area
Fishing creek


I am leaning towards Little J or Penns. I am not real familiar with the area or what to expect from each of the streams. Would love some dry fly action but don't mind nymphs or streamers.

I look forward to some responses.
 
I would recommend spring or lil j.

I've fished the little j for a long time, one of the best areas IMO is in the state forest out in Barree, downstream of Spruce Creek.
Park in the parking lot, and walk as far as you would like to go, the more you walk the further from people and everything else you get. A peaceful place to fish.
 
Personally, I would pick Penns or Little J depending on what is hatching at the time.
 
Where is the parking lot? I looked on google map and couldnt find it on the map. Is it right at the bridge that crosses over Little J in Barree?
 
You cant see the lot from an aerial photo too much tree cover.

Cross the bridge and then make the next left onto the dirt/gravel road.

Keep driving down the gravel road until you get to the parking lot at the dead end. There will be a gate that is the start of the trail.
 
Spring Creek during the sulphur hatch around mid May.
 
Thanks. I appreciate the insight. I am just trying to expand my area outside of Laurel Highlands and Pittsburgh area.
 
I'd also go with Spring in mid-late May; partly because I've fished it more than the others and mostly because to my knowledge every spot in the creek that looks "fishy" holds trout. Plus, I could likely catch fish all day long with just two flies and then catch a Sulphur hatch; water conditions being decent.
 
I recommend coming during the week, mid to late may on Penns, Little J or Spring.

Penns or Little J being the first choices. Spring will produce tons of trout but you will be lucky to get one 15 inches or bigger.

 
If you want to be absolutely sure you'll catch at least some fish - Spring Creek

If you wanna see what it's all about - Penns in May and spend an afternoon and all evening there, come out by flashlight.

My personal favorite is Penns. It's just such a beautiful area. With amazing hatches and so forth. You can be successful, or it can be dead, but I really enjoy a trip there either way. Just give a much more "wild" vibe, in the "big woods" mountain style.

Spring, on the other hand, even when it sucks you can still catch fish, and when it's good you can catch A LOT of fish. But it's a much different atmosphere. You're near towns and roads, even in the canyon it seems "well travelled".

The LJR and BFC both fall somewhere in between those two extremes, both in terms of catching and atmosphere, IMO.

Pine, well, it's mostly stockies, though the area has lots of great smaller stream fishing if that's what you're after. It's better than what you have in the Laurel Highlands, but not all that "different", per se.
 
Hands down, in my personal opinion. Penns Creek somewhere near the middle of the catch and release stretch on a 60 degree cloudy day in mid to late April with Grannoms, early march Browns and grey foxes popping. I would never knock any of the other locations, but to me, Penns Valley is a special place. The setting is amazing, the fish are gorgeous, and there are enough really big trout in there that when you hook one its a very special experience, but it's not like the Delaware, where you come to expect to have the opportunity of a 20 incher on most trips.

With all that being said, and all those conditions lining up. I would be fully happy on a day like that never touching a fish. Penns is like a good woman... Beautiful, not too easy and extremely rewarding if you put the effort in and the time is right.
 
Penns is like a good woman... Beautiful, not too easy and extremely rewarding if you put the effort in and the time is right.
Click to expand...

Pure poetry. Well said.
 
Yep, Spring for numbers, Penns for atmosphere/bigger fish.

I used to fish Pine quite a bit in/above the canyon. Last year I fished the Slate Run area. It was a bit of a circus. I got into fish but had to walk quite a way to find enough space to not feel like I was in Erie. That was on a weekday.

Penns can get a lot of fishermen but there is a lot of space and I haven't had problems with guys crowding me. If you go for the drakes don't expect to have much room.

I've had people literally fish right past me on Spring but that was only once. One really can catch a lot of fish on Spring. It's pretty incredible.

One of these days I'll get to the Little J.
 
Two of my top streams - spring creek and little j.
I give just a bit more preference to the little j, because I catch larger fish there.
But you can't go wrong fishing either one
 
If you really want to make a trip out of it, fish spring for a few hours to start off the morning. If you like it there stay for the day, if you desire more make the drive over to Penn's creek and fish the afternoon and evening there. To me that would be the ultimate central pa trout fishing experience.
 
Reserve a B&B, vacation with the wife, and give her a two-day pass at antique shops.

Win-win.
 
I like the idea of hitting both Spring and Penn in the same day. I have researched a lot about Penns and have a decent idea where to go.

What about Spring creek? Not looking for a Spot burn but just a general area of where to start? Like start at Benner? Head upstream or downstream from there? Any places that are posted or off limits? That is my biggest fear when fishing new waters.
 
For Spring, if it's wet, it has a lot of fish. :)

The most popular access points are:

1. Benner Spring - at the end of Shiloh Road. There's a big access parking lot there. Real big. But remember, it's not all fishermen, and it covers an awful lot of water. Can go up or down. But if you go up, it's not all that far till you get to Rock Road, which is another access point. Going down, things start off pretty frog waterish, but as you go on it speeds up as you enter the canyon, and you can go a LONG way. The whole way down to Paradise. Good walking road that follows the stream. Take bug spray, mosquitoes can be NASTY down that way. Benner generally has smaller average fish size, but more of them.

2. Anywhere along Spring Creek Road from Fisherman's Paradise downstream to the 550 bridge. Fishermen's Paradise is near the Bellefonte fish hatchery, it's no wading FFO, and there are a fair number of escapees from the hatchery in addition to lots of wild trout with lots of artificial stream structures. You can walk up the gated road and hit the canyon (same area as Benner down). Going downstream, Spring Creek Rd is a driving, paved road. Lots of camps and so forth but the stream corridor is mostly owned by the Fish Commission, and there are numerous fish commission owned pulloffs/small parking areas. IMO, this area gets the best hatches, and the fish average a little bigger, but probably not quite as many fish as above. It is attractive water with the way the riffle/pool layout sets up. The downfall is that you have a road right by you. Which means lots of guys fishing and the constant humdrum of passing cars, joggers, dog walkers, and that whole bit. But if you don't want to commit to a long hike in, this is probably the go-to, as you can do a lot of fishing within very short range of the car, and if you wanna move, just jump in the car and move...

Other access points: Below Bellefonte (stream is closed in the town, but open below). Rock Rd. Spring Creek Park in Houserburg. Lemont (fair amount of posted water up there).
 
I generally agree with the sentiments above, but it pays to be flexible. It seems every time I get to central PA it rains hard and most streams are blown out. Fortunately, the area is broad enough so that one of the streams will be OK. The Little J is close to an hour drive away from Penn's, so one or the other was fishing well the times I went.
 
Salvelinusfontinali wrote:
You cant see the lot from an aerial photo too much tree cover.

Cross the bridge and then make the next left onto the dirt/gravel road.

Keep driving down the gravel road until you get to the parking lot at the dead end. There will be a gate that is the start of the trail.
Click to expand...

left is upstream ?

like the OP I have a weekend pass for May 6th - 8th.

I am staying in SC and intend to fish Spring Creek, but it seems the Little J may be a useful back up.

Its my first visit to the area too, so if anyone is around and has local experience and would like some company, please let me know.

cheers

Mark.
 
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