Penns Creek Fall Fishing

[Mdk2]

I am going to be in town the first weekend of November and I was wondering if that is still a good time to fish on Penns. I like to fish the Coburn section and lower down.

I know it’s nearing spawning season, I know not to fish over the spawning beds but is it still ok fish and is the fishing still good?

Thanks in advance.

 

[McSneek]

It’s still ok to fish and you may have good fishing or you may not have good fishing. It’s Penn Creek. That’s just how it is.

 

[troutbert]

The first week of November is not "near" spawning season, it's in spawning season. Whether that matters or not is something you have to decide for yourself.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Browns are on redds on my local creek now

 

[troutbert]

Browns are on redds on my local creek now

On my lunch break today I saw brown trout on redds.

 

[Fish Sticks]

I would definitely avoid walking in the side channels or shallow runs below deeper tail-outs too because that is where native brook trout in Penns seem to be displaced to by the brown trout and even though it does not appear to be the most prime spawning habitat they usually have to use what the browns don’t in most streams where both exist. I assume there is some reproduction in penns given all the brook trout popping up. Keep in mind that these eggs are in the ground and vulnerable to being destroyed by your boot until april. If your going to fish now or throughout the winter I would try to stick to standing and crossing In extremely shallow and very fast riffles that go fast enough to push on your ankles quite a bit or fishing very deep slow holes. Alot of people don’t know redds become invisible and silt in in just a few weeks you can’t “look” for them, common misconception.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Another excellent fly fishing quarry and important component of ecosystem in Penns are fall fish who spawn in April and make mounds of stones which are easier to see so be mindful of these as well if not only just to not decrease an important food source for trout for fishing reasons.

Some of this may seem tedious to be mindful of but these organisms just didn’t evolve to spawn over millions of years with hoards of people with huge wading boots crunching up and down streams. I see the same mistake on Big spring in newville.

 

[Mdk2]

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll be passing on fishing.

 

[caddisflyer]

go fish a stream that is stocked in fall by fish comm. look it up online. i think in most of them you can keep fih too if you want to eat some

 

[Fish Sticks]

go fish a stream that is stocked in fall by fish comm. look it up online. i think in most of them you can keep fih too if you want to eat some

Also I would add that these stocked streams mostly already provide excellent nymphing and streamer fishing this time of year their gorgeous silvery fusiform shaped fall fish that can hit 20” in some places. They were one of the original native top apex predators in many of these streams and even a 10” one on a 4 weight is an impressive fight. Alot of people have no idea they eat crayfish and fish flesh at a certain size just like brown trout. And its an april spawner so their just focused on eating this time of year. The only reason people don’t fish for the is the consumptive angler is not interested and the catch and release angler has been the victim of a branding issue that falsely devalues these things as a sport fish. Have fun out there.

 

[HopperPlopper]

Also I would add that these stocked streams mostly already provide excellent nymphing and streamer fishing this time of year their gorgeous silvery fusiform shaped fall fish that can hit 20” in some places. They were one of the original native top apex predators in many of these streams and even a 10” one on a 4 weight is an impressive fight. Alot of people have no idea they eat crayfish and fish flesh at a certain size just like brown trout. And its an april spawner so their just focused on eating this time of year. The only reason people don’t fish for the is the consumptive angler is not interested and the catch and release angler has been the victim of a branding issue that falsely devalues these things as a sport fish. Have fun out there.

Couldn't agree more! Still remember my first fallfish on Penn Creek. It was probably just shy of 16''. Put up a crazy fight. And they can be surprisingly open to rising to dry flies. Same goes for mountain whitefish where present (typically West Coast)

 

[discomidge]

I like to get out on the stream during the spawn and see where the redds are, that way I know where not to wade in the winter/early spring. On the section of Penns I fish most, they're in pretty much the same areas every year and are easily avoided, though they do pop up in surprising places occasionally (they're spawning now BTW). On other streams though, like Spring, sometimes the whole freaking stream is a redd. The only way to avoid them is to not step in the water. It's a bummer to see people wading in these sections during the winter.

For me, Penns fishing has kind of sucked for a while now anyway. I think the OP is making the right call to go somewhere else. I did catch a big honking fallfish last weekend though, so that was cool. And a bunch of bass, which was weird.

 

[Fish Sticks]

I like to get out on the stream during the spawn and see where the redds are, that way I know where not to wade in the winter/early spring. On the section of Penns I fish most, they're in pretty much the same areas every year and are easily avoided, though they do pop up in surprising places occasionally (they're spawning now BTW). On other streams though, like Spring, sometimes the whole freaking stream is a redd. The only way to avoid them is to not step in the water. It's a bummer to see people wading in these sections during the winter.

For me, Penns fishing has kind of sucked for a while now anyway. I think the OP is making the right call to go somewhere else. I did catch a big honking fallfish last weekend though, so that was cool. And a bunch of bass, which was weird.

Fall fish probably sit behind those brown trout redds and eat eggs id imagine. They are awesome to target this time of year in a lot of streams. I find smallmouth anywhere slow in penns for most part. PFBC found a flathead in penns with a nearly 30 inch walleye in its gullet.

 

[discomidge]

Holy cow. I've seen plenty of catfish on lower Penns, but none big enough to eat a 30" walleye. River monster in a stream.

That fallfish crushed a streamer in a very deep hole. I love that they do that, but I'll save it for the fallfish appreciation thread.