Question: What is PA's newest tailwater?

Acristickid

Acristickid

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
5,359
Location
NV, AK
I thought there was a meeting somewhat recently (maybe it was the fish commish meeting about the yough) that had a speaker that was talking about PA's newest tail water.

Any one know where and what the new tail water is?
 
I don't know what you are talking about but I recall someone raving that if the Raystown Lake were managed properly it would be a world class tailwater for like 20 miles?

But I could be dreaming.
 
Maybe they were talking about the Quemahoning in Somerset Cty?

If you go, give us a report.

 
Maurice wrote:
I don't know what you are talking about but I recall someone raving that if the Raystown Lake were managed properly it would be a world class tailwater for like 20 miles?

But I could be dreaming.
Click to expand...

The same thing is said about the Knzua tail water, what a fishery that would be if they managed it properly....also the east branch of the clarion, it is a tailwater , the main channel of the res is 120 ft deep , cold water good flows all summer, unfortunately there is very little insect activity, just wish fish comm would help this stream out
 
Please educate me!! When it's said "managed" what are we talking about exactly? With the already cold outflow, stockings, typical regulations, and stream habitat - all of which seem fairly obvious, what exactly more are we talking about??
 
In relation to how Maurice uses the word "manage" in reference to Raystown he means that if the outflow from the lake was switched to be taken from the depths of the lake instead of near the surface. Raystown currently discharges warm (or warmish) water from the spillway, but if they took the water from the depths of the lake it would be cold year round and then adequate for trout. Instead that portion of the Raystown Branch of the J remains exactly like the rest of the river which means it is loaded with rock bass, smallmouths, redbreast, channel cats, etc. I could stand behind changing it to coldwater or leaving it as is....either way it is/would be fun to fish.
 
foxfire wrote:
Please educate me!! When it's said "managed" what are we talking about exactly? With the already cold outflow, stockings, typical regulations, and stream habitat - all of which seem fairly obvious, what exactly more are we talking about??
Click to expand...

Dams are usually built for one of three reasons: flood control, water supply, or hydroelectric generation.
And none of those functions really need to involve supplying cold water below for trout fishing.
So - just because a dam is high enough to supply cold water all season long from it's depths, doesn't necessarily mean that it happens that way.
Water can be released from the upper levels of the reservoir - where its warmer, and doesn't help the trout fishery very much.
Raystown and Kinzua dams are good examples of this.
Timing of the cold water releases through the hot summer months - when it's really needed for a good trout fishery below - is also crucial.

And that is the kind of "management" that trout fishermen hope for
 
Thanks for the clarification!!
 
None of the tailwaters are new, while one may be newer than the others. The only thing making a new tail water these days would be a change of the release regime and that's really not accurate, it's simply a new regime not a new tail water.
 
nockimixon could be a tail water, the pool is over 60 feet deep, and there are springs on tohickon. when I lived down there would find trout here and there on the stream and it has tremendous hatches. but it is only managed for the yakers twice a year.
 
I just bought a book eastern trophy tailwaters and clarks creek was in it. I knew it was a tailwater but I thought the water spilled from over the top. Can someone clarify it's a true tailwater? I do know the water is always cool, even in the heat of the summer, it's fishable.
 
dryflyguy wrote:
foxfire wrote:
Please educate me!! When it's said "managed" what are we talking about exactly? With the already cold outflow, stockings, typical regulations, and stream habitat - all of which seem fairly obvious, what exactly more are we talking about??
Click to expand...

Dams are usually built for one of three reasons: flood control, water supply, or hydroelectric generation.
And none of those functions really need to involve supplying cold water below for trout fishing.
So - just because a dam is high enough to supply cold water all season long from it's depths, doesn't necessarily mean that it happens that way.
Water can be released from the upper levels of the reservoir - where its warmer, and doesn't help the trout fishery very much.
Raystown and Kinzua dams are good examples of this.
Timing of the cold water releases through the hot summer months - when it's really needed for a good trout fishery below - is also crucial.

And that is the kind of "management" that trout fishermen hope for
Click to expand...
Not a single dam on a trout stream in a PA at a State Park is managed as a cold water release making them warm-water streams for a long distance below the dams.
 
Chaz wrote:
Not a single dam on a trout stream in a PA at a State Park is managed as a cold water release making them warm-water streams for a long distance below the dams.
Click to expand...

Actually, the dam at Codorus State Park in York County is managed as a cold water release - not for trout, but for a paper mill several miles downstream. Trout were stocked for a while soon after the dam was complete, and they quickly established a thriving streambred population that has sustained itself for decades. While the result was more-or-less a 'happy accident' and byproduct of a dam built for another purpose, it nevertheless is a great example of what is possible with the right management.
 
Nockamixon could not have a coldwater tailrace without greatly lowering the lake level in summer, which would tick off a lot more people than it would help. The lake level comes down with just the minimum conservation release of somewhere around 12 cfs.
 
Clarks has got to be a bottom release to provide the temps it does in the summer although I don't have any documentation it is. During times of high inflow, it can spill over the dam. The release in summer is small but the canopy keeps it in the 60' all the way to the kids fishing area.
 
sorry mike I disagree, I grew up on tohickon and haycock run and there is cold water coming into the lake along with depth. wouldn't need a lot of release to keep tohickon cold down stream, theres enough springs in there to things cool through summer even at a minimum flow from botton releases
nockimixon has always been political on this subject.
 
Sandfly, I am pretty familiar with the local situation since my office has been at the mouth of Haycock Run since 1980. Any effort to put a reasonable amount of water into Tohickon below the dam starts to drain the lake, as noted previously. No doubt that there is cold, oxygenless water in the lake in summer, but not enough to make a difference downstream without lowering the lake level. Maintaining good lake levels for boating is something that makes a lot of sense as the lake is supporting thousands of summer boating angler trips as well as numerous recreational boaters.
 
By the way, Nockamixon has a desirable tail water fishery....walleye, cats, and striper hybrids.
 
All non natives, though I suppose Thicken Creek because of the geology probably never supported native trout, it probably supported pickerel as the apex predator.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top