POCONOS...

[ryc72]

i am entertaining the thought of fishing in the poconos december 26th. i know a lot of folks put the fishing gear away in december but ive always loved fishing in the cold. ive read a lot on this forum on brodhead creek and mcmichaels creek and the information has been very helpful. has anyone fished either or both recently? given the low water levels is either worth fishing? if so, what access points? are there other creeks/rivers i should consider instead? thanks in advance!

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

IMO, forget those. Fish the smaller creeks for beauty and the 3 big rivers for monster fish.

 

[ryc72]

Thanks salve. Pardon my ignorance but for the rivers I'm assuming you are talking about the Delaware. I'm not sure what the other rivers would be. Are the rivers easy wading? The Delaware looks like an awfully big river to wade. What access points do you recommend? I do not know the area well and this will be my first exploratory trip to the poconos.

 

[hooker-of-men]

I haven't been out since September, but the water levels are up after the rains last week and the snow yesterday. It's the first time since June these streams don't look awful.

 

[ICM]

The Poconos have received some decent rain/snow in the last week and the water levels, while not back to normal for the time of year are not too far away and very fishable. You can current water levels for most streams on the USGS website. Just google "usgs (name of stream)" Best access on the Brodhead is at any of the parks along Rt 191. Best on McMichaels is Hickory Valley Park. I would seriously consider the Lackawanna. I was there on 11/28 in the afternoon at Archbald and water level was around 100 cfs - very fishable. Great population of wild browns, many large. Its fed from abandoned mine drainage at 50-55 degrees so it rarely freezes. In 3 hrs landed and released 4 nice Browns from 15" - 19" on #16 PT nymph and #8 Black and Olive Wooly Bugger. I like the the stretch in Archbald near the USGS water gauge north of the Gilmartin St bridge, but fishing and aceess is good in Archbald down through Jessup, Olyphant to ****son City. You can call or stop by A&G Outfitters in ****son City for specifics. Good Luck!

 

[ryc72]

Thanks icm! Very helpful! I found the gilmartin st bridge on google maps. Is there a place near there that is okay for me to park?

 

[Vaughn]

In addition to accessing the Brodhead via the parks along Rt 191, the stretch in the Forevergreen Nature Preserve is also an option.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

The Delaware, the Lackawanna and the Lackawaxen

 

[ICM]

Right on the street. Take I380 north to US 6 exit near Scranton Take US 6 north about 6 miles to Salem Rd exit. Turn left on Salem Rd straight into Archbald until it ends at a T intersection with Church St. Turn right on Church for 250 yds and Gilmartin St bridge will be on your left. Park anywhere on the street near the bridge. As you approach the bridge, you'll see the paved Lackawanna River Heritage Trail on your right. Walk upstream along the trail about 1/4 mile and just past the wood fencing you'll see a berm on your left. Climb the berm and you'll see the water gauge tower across the river. The large pool there and the riffles and runs upstream and downstream of the tower are prime locations. If you have no luck, drive downstream along Church St about 1/2 mile to a small park/ball field on your right. Park and walk across the park to the river. The riffles and runs up and downstream of the pool and the pool itself are also good.

 

[ryc72]

Duh. Street parking. Go figure. Ha! Thanks. I think I am going to start at the Lackawanna in the morning and then fish brodhead in the afternoon. Need to do a lil more research on the lackawaxen. Geographically all 3 bodies look like they are within 30 mins of one another so looks like 2 spots in a full day is doable.

Salve, any recommendations as to where on the lackawaxen?

 

[ICM]

Again, good luck. Let us know how you fare.

 

[ryc72]

Will do! Now I just need to keep an eye on the weather. Would love to see some more rain. A day in the 40s would be a bonus. Thanks again for the help.

 

[krayfish2]

Road parallels Lackawaxen from Delaware junction up several miles. Many pullovers marked for fishing access. Not sure about any releases this time of year so check the Wallenpaupack release site / phone number.

 

[ryc72]

Kray, Thank you for the tips!

 

[ryc72]

follow up on my quest for poconos info. thank you to everyone that gave me suggestions and a place to start. i found an old thread on a different forum that said something about fishing up by prompton dam. has any one fished there? worth checking out? as of now i think i am going to fish the lackawaxen somewhere along 590 from the delaware to rowland one day. and then another day i am going to fish the lackawanna in/around/near archbald. of course weather and conditions permitting. does anyone think a dry dropper is worth fishing? figure an ehc or parachute adams on top and a midge, scud, pt below. or should i just stick to nymphing?

 

[Dave_W]

ryc72 wrote:
does anyone think a dry dropper is worth fishing? figure an ehc or parachute adams on top and a midge, scud, pt below. or should i just stick to nymphing?

A dry dropper is always a good bet. To some degree, it depends on season and conditions. It it were me, during the period from now through April, I'd be more likely to "stick" nymphs and fish close to the bottom on bigger waters such as you describe. When the water warms up and fish are more active in riffles or higher in the water column, a dry/dropper rig would be a better bet.

(Note: It's a bit difficult for us old geezers to read your posts without capitilized letters. Just a heads-up. More folks will respond when they can read and comprehend writing better. Sorry, stodgy old teacher here.)

 

[ryc72]

I'm sorry about the poor punctuation and capiltalization (or lack thereof.) It's weird, it depends on which computer I'm using. Thank you for the tip Dave!

 

[pratt]

krayfish2 wrote:
Road parallels Lackawaxen from Delaware junction up several miles. Many pullovers marked for fishing access. Not sure about any releases this time of year so check the Wallenpaupack release site / phone number.

Since they drew down the lake in the fall, they haven't been running the generators at all.

with regards to where to fish on the Lackawaxen, while there are some holdovers in the stretch from the D to Rowland - they did a fall stocking in the water from Rowland up to Kimbles. If you want to ensure catching fish, I would concentrate on that stretch.

 

[ryc72]

thank you pratt. will keep that in mind. noticed that the water flow is really low and probably getting lower. would love to see a good soaking in the very near future.

 

[AFISHN]

Don't over think or fret too much..you received a ton of great info n advice.Just do it and please let us know how you make out.Good luck