bringthepain
Active member
A buddy fished the susky from a kayak last week and did real well around Duncannon. I bet the fish are concentrated in specific areas
2005 was the year with large numbers of juvenile smallmouth dying, as I recall.I have some notes from some trips in 2005 & 2007, it was lower then but I was catching fish.
(Discharge & Gage Height is from the Harrisburg USGS site the day I fished.Temps were taken by me where I was fishing (near Marysville). The day I read 92, I checked the water temp three times I was so shocked:
Date Depth Flow Temp
08/12/05 3.05 4440 92
09/28/05 2.96 3660 75
07/20/07 3.15 5290 80
07/21/07 3.13 5117 85
2005 was the year with large numbers of juvenile smallmouth dying, as I recall.
I once took a water temp of 90F on the Susquehanna River near Dauphin.
I wouldn't worry one bit about conditions now and stream fishing in the spring.At this point, I’m worried there won’t be any spring fishing on my wild trout streams. The damage from this dry spell will take a long time to recover from.
Not to mention if levels remain this low into the winter, and we get a week of sub zero temperatures, it’s going to be bad.
So far this is not nearly as bad as some previous droughts, at least in NC PA.At this point, I’m worried there won’t be any spring fishing on my wild trout streams. The damage from this dry spell will take a long time to recover from.
Not to mention if levels remain this low into the winter, and we get a week of sub zero temperatures, it’s going to be bad.
Agreed. Fishing on holed up trout who are just trying to get their groove on isn't very sporting.We worry far more about this than the Trout do. They’re fine. Fishing for them right now is not a lot of fun…low water, and the spawn, but they’re fine.
Worrying about others doing this is also a waste of worrying.Agreed. Fishing on holed up trout who are just trying to get their groove on isn't very sporting.
Can you imagine how many fish are holed up in the stilling basin on the Lehigh?
Don't worry be happy?Worrying about others doing this is also a waste of worrying.
I can approve.Don't worry be happy?
People need to realize that even though we’ve had a somewhat unprecedented lack of recent rain, that most of the aquifers and creeks had been filled/running well above average throughout most of the spring and summer. This past weekend in central PA, I noticed that even the small rivulets and spring seeps around Penns Creek still contained a surprising amount of water for how dry it has supposedly been. I really don’t think things are nearly as bad as people think and I expect we are just a few good rainy days away from getting back to normal. I blame the return of springlike warm blustery weather for the recent rash of wildfires more than I do a severe drought that simply does not exist.I’m not saying Coplay Creek isn’t dry, and those fish pictured aren’t dead, but Coplay runs along a pretty major quarry, which likely adds an added variable effect on its flow levels.
I haven’t seen a dry streambed yet. FWIW. And I’ve walked along plenty of streams in flows lower (according to their gauges) than right now and have observed many many Trout alive, and acting essentially normally.
The trout are fine in the lower water since the temps are cool. If this drought was coupled with weeks of scorching 90 degree temps, it might be different, but still by and large, the fish would be fine. The #1 thing that is probably hurting the fish most right now is increased predation. Raccoons, herons, eagles, ospreys, etc are all probably finding a fish dinner a little easier to come by right now.
The circle of life. Life goes on.