Pennsylvania Native Brook Trout queries

[Acristickid]

Like many I’ve caught a brookie from BFC and Penns over the years. Not sure if it means anything but both times I caught them in May.

Rleep- have you read the book? Any good?

When I googled, I saw that book and another. Neither PA centric.

Also , never thought about Allegheny res but that makes sense.

I don’t know the reservoir by the name Highland- might know it as the Beaverdam reservoir. A quick check with the PAFB survey indicated no trout present but did list predatory fish. This is an old survey though. This water is relatively close to me but never fished it.

Not saying that’s the lake silverfox and DFG are referring to because Beaverdam seems much larger than 40 acres. There are so many streams flowing into impoundments not sure how anyone can know which one anyone is referencing. I can think of 3-4 streams with impoundments very nearby me in the laurel highlands.

 

[FarmerDave]

My first though would have been something in the Poconos, but I don't know that area at all. So my mind turned to NWPA.

 

[Swattie87]

There's probably enough clues here now to figure this out. In order to get that combo of cold and acidic water, you're probably looking in one of 3 general areas in PA. You're looking for some pretty acidic water here IMO. Brown Trout are actually pretty acid tolerant too...In order to not have them you're talking a PH pretty low...below 5.5, or 5.0 even. It's a fine line between that, and the stream being totally dead...typically around 4.5.

40 acre-ish water supply reservoir, with two tribs, one of which is Class A Brookies. Remote, with long walk in access required. I thought I had it for a sec, but couldn't find a Class A trib for this one.

 

[Acristickid]

I do stand corrected- a further investigation on the PAFB site indicates brookie fingerling stocking in Beaverdam Res in Cambria

 

[Swattie87]

I really like these kinds of puzzles. (I don't really have a strong desire to fish for Brookies in a lake, but it's fun to try to solve these.)

Allegheny Native, Hardway Outdoors, and Everyday Outdoorsmen on YouTube would probably not be happy with the number of their streams I've sleuthed from close observation, and a little research/map and list perusing.

 

[RLeep2]

Regarding Chapman Dam.. I don't think it is much of a candidate for speculation on this question. When it has water in it (I'm not sure if it does right now, they did a draw down on it last year, IIRC), it is a pretty good LMB fishery, at least for numbers. Size, not so much.

A-Kid: I had the Karas book a long time ago and read it then. I don't recall that much about it other than as you note, it is not PA-focused.

 

[silverfox]

Swattie87 wrote:
I really like these kinds of puzzles. (I don't really have a strong desire to fish for Brookies in a lake, but it's fun to try to solve these.)

Allegheny Native, Hardway Outdoors, and Everyday Outdoorsmen on YouTube would probably not be happy with the number of their streams I've sleuthed from close observation, and a little research/map and list perusing.

Glad to provide some entertainment :-D Sorry if this derailed the OP's thread...

I'm only half concerned about the cat getting out of the bag on the lake I'm referring to. Knowing fish exist in the lake is one thing. Getting to it and actually catching them is something entirely different.

I had high hopes when I first found out there were fish there, but it's not the Rangeley Lakes of PA that I was hoping for sadly. I've caught bigger fish in a 5 yard trickle 100 yards from my truck than I have in the lake. It's simply too infertile to grow em big.

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

I've been scouting the poconos now for some time for some brookie ponds/lakes...I know there is one with both largemouth and brookies in it somewhere, just have yet to find it.

Not going to spot-burn one of my favorite brookie waters, but it is sort of the headwaters of a reasonably well-known stream that gets stocked at the mid/lower end. It's almost all posted from the stocked area until you get up into the PA Gamelands that it originates from. Apparently has some wild browns in it, but haven't caught any yet. I didn't expect to find brookies when I started fishing it where I was, but there were so many dang brookies streams dumping in upstream that it appears they took over the entire stream...it's about 20-30 feet wide and loaded to the brim with them, but none over 10-12 inches in size. It is definitely one of the largest streams in PA that I know that holds such a large population of strictly brook trout.

 

[troutbert]

acristickid wrote:
The State Fish - our only native trout ( ok char ).

Couple of thoughts-

What is/are the largest waters that brook trout inhabit in the commonwealth?

Is it Penns? Is it Big Spring? Pine Creek? Or even larger waterways?

I realize the fish move but I was thinking of a year round resident population. What do you think?

I know of some freestone streams that are up to 70 feet wide that support native brook trout populations. I'm not referring to a few "strays" at the mouth of a tributary, but fishable numbers distributed over miles of the streams.

There aren't many of these, and I won't say what the streams are. And 2 of them weren't stocked when I first fished them, and now local groups are stocking them, so the native brookie fishing has been degraded substantially, as you would expect.

I'm not sure why you are asking. But these examples show that large freestone streams, at least up to 70 feet wide, can support native brookies in PA. These streams flow through watersheds that are mostly forested. The streams do get pretty warm in the summer. But the brookies find ways to survive.

 

[dryflyguy]

silverfox wrote:

dryflyguy wrote:
Not gonna drop any names
But I think I've been to the lake silver fox is talking about.

I made a long hike in to fish both streams that feed into the back of it.
And didn't do very well on either.

Didn't try the lake.
It's a water supply reservoir, and I figured it probably wasn't open to fishing.

Sounds right. 2 feeders. 1 class A, one not. My last hike in was 10 miles round trip. The class A is only a class A in the upper half in my experience.

I fished the class A stream from the lake inlet, upstream about a half mile. My buddy and I leapfrogged pools. And caught maybe a handful of small fish each - if that.
Nice to hear that you think the upper reaches are better.

We fished the other stream on the hike out. And caught even fewer on it
However, after getting to the top of that 2nd stream, and starting down the road back to the car, we came across a nice cranberry bog. And it was loaded with ripe fruit, that were delicious!

 

[Acristickid]

TB- I was just curious. I guess it’s a simple matter of habitat and invasive species that would limit the range,
huh?

The Beaverdam reservoir is interesting to me- it’s gets a brook trout fingerling stocking but there has been zero brook trout showing up in the biologists reports.

I don’t know how long they’ve been doing the stocking but it’s been at least several years and if I remember the details right there were fingerling stockings for at least two years before a survey and the survey showed zero brook trout.

 

[silverfox]

acristickid wrote:

The Beaverdam reservoir is interesting to me- it’s gets a brook trout fingerling stocking but there has been zero brook trout showing up in the biologists reports.

I don’t know how long they’ve been doing the stocking but it’s been at least several years and if I remember the details right there were fingerling stockings for at least two years before a survey and the survey showed zero brook trout.

I suspect the following link might answer your question. That said, I've never done well there. Though I'm not much of a lake fisherman, and I suspect if you were to employ the kind of fishing tactics used for lake fishing (for trout), it might be a different story.

https://www.post-gazette.com/life/outdoors/2006/02/26/Fishing-Notebook-Angler-breaks-law-not-a-state-record/stories/200602260248

 

[Acristickid]

^ Interesting. Funny he got cited. If that Guy is from Washington Co to Fish the lake he traveled very far to Fish it.

 

[Swattie87]

I think I have the answer. 80% certainty from all the clues. Everything fits and I even pulled an early 2000’s watershed study that confirms much of it...acidity problems, proposed liming in the headwaters but very difficult access, and lack of species diversity in the watershed. Specific recommendation of no stocking the reservoir to protect the Brookies.

If I’m right, you’re definitely not allowed to fish the reservoir. The water authority that owns it has it plainly on their website.

 

[jifigz]

You folks all have a lot more energy than me to figure out this particular body of water. I couldn't care less about determining what/where this is. Good energy people!!!

 

[dryflyguy]

Personally, I've always had a natural curiosity for places that hold wild trout. And I guess a lot of the other members think the same way also.

Especially - as in this case - something rather unique: a large lake that holds wild brookies. Apparently, almost exclusively.

And no, I'm not going to go there to try it

 

[jifigz]

dryflyguy wrote:
Personally, I've always had a natural curiosity for places that hold wild trout. And I guess a lot of the other members think the same way also.

Especially - as in this case - something rather unique: a large lake that holds wild brookies. Apparently, almost exclusively.

And no, I'm not going to go there to try it

I share that same feeling. I love finding/discovering places that hold wild trout. I, however, don't even have a clue where or what you people are talking about regarding this lake..I think that a lake in PA holding wild brookies is amazing, but I don't care that much to put in the effort and research to discover it. I've got plenty of wild trout to explore around me and it keeps me entertained. I wish that we had more ponds/lakes like the upper Adirondacks has/had. Most of them have now been tainted by other fish. It would be so cool if they were still pure with brookies and if we had that same scenario somewhere that would be amazing.

 

[WILDBROOKIE]

BEABVERDAM RES AND ITS TRIBS ARE A TU WILD BROOKIE PROJECT LOCALS FISH IT HARD