Pennsylvania's Best Brook Trout Waters?

[wildtrout2]

Right, and I honestly don't think it happens very much.

I don't think so either. But, it would only take a few times of someone doing that on a particularly vulnerable stream to have serious negative results. Just eliminate that possibility with C&R only. I know there are folks who just ignore the laws, but you need to start somewhere.

 

[krayfish2]

So, is anyone going to name some streams for me to try or not. I need easy access and big gemmies

 

[silverfox]

So, is anyone going to name some streams for me to try or not. I need easy access and big gemmies

Highly unlikely. You could try New York, Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia, though. They have some good intel freely available.

 

[caddisflyer]

So, is anyone going to name some streams for me to try or not. I need easy access and big gemmies

I was wondering that myself.
I would have referred you to Big Springs at one time but the last number of times I visited there were no nice ones to be seen. Personally, I don't care one way or another about Brook Trout or native fish at all. Give me a nice big wild Brown Trout or Rainbow or Smallmouth. You know the invasive fish.

 

[Fish Sticks]

I think at this point its safe to say spring creek is never going back to being a brook trout stream. So knowing we have an entire watershed with no stocking from PFBC with a lot of catch and release you realize that this is essentially what fisheries scientists are telling us to do with native brook trout but in PA we won’t do the same exact thing we are already doing for an invasive species for brook trout. You could argue PFBC on the little J is essentially doingsame thing, following fisheries scientists recommendations for brook trout with invasive species. How ironic is it that the fish listed as “greatest conservation need” is getting denied the protections and watershed scale management that the invasive and 3rd most damaging threat in PA is recieving from the fish comission charged with protecting brook trout.

We are giving the 3rd largest threat to native brook trout state wide the watershed scale management that shannon white determined native brook trout need to thrive right here in PA.


And ya know what I get it, theres a lot of fishing social factors in this. But no one is coming after the little J or spring creek or seriously talking about reclaiming those waters for brook trout. They will be that way now. But we still have watersheds in this state where if native brook trout were given the same treatment they could really suprise us based on all the literature I have shared on here.

 

[silverfox]

I think at this point its safe to say spring creek is never going back to being a brook trout stream. So knowing we have an entire watershed with no stocking from PFBC with a lot of catch and release you realize that this is essentially what fisheries scientists are telling us to do with native brook trout but in PA we won’t do the same exact thing we are already doing for an invasive species for brook trout. You could argue PFBC on the little J is essentially doingsame thing, following fisheries scientists recommendations for brook trout with invasive species. How ironic is it that the fish listed as “greatest conservation need” is getting denied the protections and watershed scale management that the invasive and 3rd most damaging threat in PA is recieving from the fish comission charged with protecting brook trout.

We are giving the 3rd largest threat to native brook trout state wide the watershed scale management that shannon white determined native brook trout need to thrive right here in PA.


And ya know what I get it, theres a lot of fishing social factors in this. But no one is coming after the little J or spring creek or seriously talking about reclaiming those waters for brook trout. They will be that way now. But we still have watersheds in this state where if native brook trout were given the same treatment they could really suprise us based on all the literature I have shared on here.
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Right. Maybe all the BT, RT, ST abbreviations caused too much confusion, and they created conservation zones for the wrong species by mistake. Like the "best fishing waters" map labeling error.

 

[silverfox]

I was wondering that myself.
I would have referred you to Big Springs at one time but the last number of times I visited there were no nice ones to be seen. Personally, I don't care one way or another about Brook Trout or native fish at all. Give me a nice big wild Brown Trout or Rainbow or Smallmouth. You know the invasive fish.

Well, you live in the right state, then.

 

[McSneek]

Any list of the bast brown trout streams that has FSB, the Letort and Spruce Creek on it is highly inaccurate.

 

[troutbert]

Lists of "Best Streams" help you figure out which streams are most likely to be crowded, so that you can avoid them, and fish other streams.

 

[silverfox]

Any list of the bast brown trout streams that has FSB, the Letort and Spruce Creek on it is highly inaccurate.

Why? Two will test your skills, and the third will test your bank account. They're all great brown trout fisheries, though. Some of the best in the state. There are others that are better that don't get named, but that doesn't mean they aren't great. Plus, they're all safe to send tourists to since the fish are protected either by regulation or education.

 

[krayfish2]

If you want to start a 10 year plan for shocking spring and removing the BT & RT, I'm on board. As this progresses, some heritage strain ST can be added to the upper stretches. Start near lemont and work down. Lengthen the shock area by 1- 2 miles every year. All the way to the dam in town. Everything removed can be transferred to raystown spillway for the tailwater initiative that never happened.

 

[silverfox]

If you want to start a 10 year plan for shocking spring and removing the BT & RT, I'm on board. As this progresses, some heritage strain ST can be added to the upper stretches. Start near lemont and work down. Lengthen the shock area by 1- 2 miles every year. All the way to the dam in town. Everything removed can be transferred to raystown spillway for the tailwater initiative that never happened.

I don't know how "we don't have any remarkable brook trout streams" turns into "electrofishing all the brown trout out of spring creek." Ah, yes, the Raystown spillway. The never-ending quest for ever more nonnative trout fisheries where they shouldn't exist. Nothing says "conservation" like spending millions of dollars to create more artificial fisheries rather than doing anything at all for native trout.

 

[bigjohn358]

I don't normally drop stream names but it shouldn't be any surprise or secret that if someone wants big brookies, Fishing Creek in the Narrows is your best bet in the state. Yes it has a lot of wild browns but there also is a very large population of brook trout in the narrows. Its no secret. Its probably not where you would want to go for numbers of fish because it is known as a very tough stream to fish and can often stump anglers.

 

[silverfox]

I don't normally drop stream names but it shouldn't be any surprise or secret that if someone wants big brookies, Fishing Creek in the Narrows is your best bet in the state. Yes it has a lot of wild browns but there also is a very large population of brook trout in the narrows. Its no secret. Its probably not where you would want to go for numbers of fish because it is known as a very tough stream to fish and can often stump anglers.

In my experience, I caught brook trout at a frequency of about 1 in 3 trips there. Yes, they're there, but it's predominantly brown fish. At least from my angling effort there. Hardly what I'd consider one of our "best brook trout streams." It's essentially like most of the larger well-known streams. You might catch a brook trout, but they're certainly not the primary species.

 

[pcray1231]

Agree,

Lately, anyway, I think Penns has BFC beat on the brookie front! Yes, if I spend a day on Penns, it's more likely than not that I'm gonna land a brookie or two. Perhaps a higher ratio than my experiences on BFC. They're wild, and average over 10 inches.

Still a brown trout stream and going to stay that way. But in both Penns and BFC, they're there.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Makes me wonder why the brook trout are having such a good 2 years in Penns

 

[Fish Sticks]

Was that one section taken off stocking list near there a while back?

 

[pcray1231]

Was that one section taken off stocking list near there a while back?

There was a section that was taken off the list, though that's downstream a bit, and they mainly stock bows.
Best guess is look for changes in fish passage in the lower ends of Poe, Panther, or Swift. I am thinking these are adult brook trout entering Penns from tribs, and given the location of where brookies are turning up, those are the most likely sources. There was always a smattering of stocked brookies coming in from Poe, but the ones I've caught lately aren't stockies.

Could be environmental too. A couple years back there was a very, very low period on Penns that concentrated the browns, perhaps providing an opening? And late last summer the whole area flooded pretty good with the tropical remnants, maybe washed out a barrier, or pushed a slug of fish over one. I don't have a smoking gun, but stuff like that can lead to a pulse. Poe Lake dam was renovated bout 10 years ago as well, though I don't see anything obvious on what they did to say that's it...

 

[bigjohn358]

In my experience, I caught brook trout at a frequency of about 1 in 3 trips there. Yes, they're there, but it's predominantly brown fish. At least from my angling effort there. Hardly what I'd consider one of our "best brook trout streams." It's essentially like most of the larger well-known streams. You might catch a brook trout, but they're certainly not the primary species.

Just depends on the day when fishing Fishing Creek and depends on what you consider "BEST" being. Best as in numbers or best as in size? I doubt you find both those answers on one body of water. As far as numbers thats probably some small stream you shouldn't get answers on. Several years ago I caught a late winter/early spring BWO hatch. I caught a dozen brookies all in one hole with all being 10-12 inches. My biggest native brookie is 15". All from up Fishing Creek around and in the narrows. You can go other places and catch more brook trout but you won't be getting them that size.

 

[silverfox]

Was that one section taken off stocking list near there a while back?

It would be nice if anyone would actually look into the species there. Since they were omitted from the slot limit program and there was no mention of the impact of that program on the brook trout, I suspect nobody even considered what might happen with the species as a result of any management decision.

It could theoretically be that the slot limit program is functioning as a C&R program. It might have reduced harvest-oriented anglers from fishing in that section. If anyone would have studied it prior to the experimental change, it might have highlighted that harvest was limiting the brook trout there. If anyone cared to investigate that or even considered that it might be an outcome, we might know. Or not.

It's also possible this was looked at but never made public. That seems to be a common theme and wouldn't surprise me at all.