Small Stream Bass Fishing this Summer - Good or Bad?

[Dave_W]

Low precipitation in late spring and early summer correlates with good smallmouth bass young of the year (YOY) recruitment on rivers. I’m optimistic that we should see such good YOY numbers this summer as we have had such low, stable water levels on the rivers.

However, on a different note, it has been my personal experience that small streams produce poorer bass fishing in these conditions. Here’s my theory: small streams hold largely migratory populations of bass and sunfish and years when there are higher flows in May/June allow for more bass and sunfish to get up into tributaries and creeks. It’s simply easier for fish to move upstream in creeks when there is more water. This year, we had low water levels in May/June and I am seeing the same relative lack of bass as I saw a few years ago when we had the same conditions. I’ve been out recently on a couple of my favorite local WW creeks lately and, while there are bass present, they are there in lower numbers than I typically expect to see by mid-August. Could there be other factors at play? Of course.

However, I am more and more convinced, and this year is reinforcing my theory, that during years when waters levels are low in local creeks in late spring-early summer, you see fewer bass and poorer fishing results in mid to late summer.

If you fish small streams or creeks for WW fish in summer, are you seeing the same thing this year? What, generally, has been your experience WW fishing on smaller waterways this summer (so far)?

 

[sarce]

Brandywine branches seem to be the opposite. It has been too high for good fishing much of the past few years. This year, it has fished better than it has since 2011 (mostly basing this on my dad's reports, I've only made it there once this summer). That creek seems to have too much current for bass if water is above normal flows. I can see what you're getting at - like many things in fishing it may only apply to certain areas.

Here in MD and VA, I've had fantastic creek bass fishing. We've had far more rain than most of PA though.

 

[afishinado]

sarce wrote:
Brandywine branches seem to be the opposite. It has been too high for good fishing much of the past few years. This year, it has fished better than it has since 2011 (mostly basing this on my dad's reports, I've only made it there once this summer). That creek seems to have too much current for bass if water is above normal flows. I can see what you're getting at - like many things in fishing it may only apply to certain areas.

Here in MD and VA, I've had fantastic creek bass fishing. We've had far more rain than most of PA though.

I've had really poor SMB fishing in smaller streams, including the B-wine this year, which is my "home" stream since I live close by. There are few holding areas with the low water levels experienced this summer and bass are few and far between.

The big rivers like the D River and the Susky has fished well for me, and by most accounts it has fished well for other anglers.

I'm in with your theory Dave.

 

[sarce]

Interesting - dad's got some 'splaining to do. West Branch fished very well last weekend when I was home. Small bass were literally everywhere, which is what he had been reporting.

I've heard the big rivers have been on fire but haven't found time to hit them myself.

 

[afishinado]

sarce wrote:
Interesting - dad's got some 'splaining to do. West Branch fished very well last weekend when I was home. Small bass were literally everywhere, which is what he had been reporting.

I've heard the big rivers have been on fire but haven't found time to hit them myself.

The B-wine has been very low this summer with an occasional rainstorm here and there. I've found quite a few smaller bass, last year's crop, but overall very little habitat for decent smallies to be found anywhere.

 

[Swattie87]

I’ve only made two WW fishing outings this year! Been more of a golfing Summer for me it seems for whatever reason.

Outing #1 – June sometime, Swatara Creek below Hummelstown. Real good habitat stretch, but I struggled. A few small Bass and a few small Fallfish. I talked to a guy coming back to pick up his drop off vehicle from a float earlier in the day who did say he pulled a 17 incher out of the stretch I just worked.

Outing #2 – Early July, Juniata River in Perry Co. Only fished about 3 hours thanks to a big traffic tie-up on the TPike on the way. Had a smash up day though…75ish landed with nearly constant action in the mid river deeper riffs and mid depth/medium current runs. Multiple hits from multiple fish on each retrieve many times. Best couple hours of Smallie fishing I’ve ever had, anywhere. Mostly 8-9" range fish, but a decent handful that went bigger. 15" was the biggest.

Not sure how that aligns (or doesn’t) with your theory Dave. What’s your definition of “small” in this context? I know the J isn’t in that bracket, but what about streams like the Swattie/Connie/Shermans/Conestoga, etc. Or are you talking smaller?

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I've only fished the Susky once, and it wasn't a "serious" outing (I was there for other things). But I have fished the 'Stoga and a small ww stream that flows into the Cocalico. I've caught a lot of bass, but I have yet to catch a whopper. So I'd say the numbers are solid, but nothing of size.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I've been on the Susquehanna as much as I can go all year and the fishing has been far superior to past years on the smaller creeks.

Hard to pull away from it.

 

[JG63]

Caught ZERO fish last night below the Rockville bridge at "The Break" near Pizza Hut. Saw none. Threw poppers, Buggers, and Deep minnows to no avail for about two hours. Fished fast Water, slow water, seams, rock piles, weed beds, and the rips below the break. ZERO fish seen. No minnows skipping at dusk and a decent White fly emergence at dusk with NO rises seen. Very discouraging return to a well known (by me) stretch. Hadn't fished it in 10 years and apparently haven't missed much. Really hard to believe some accounts of the river bouncing back. I can take a skunk if there are misses or following fish but there was NO viable evidence of any sort. World class smallmouth and walleye habitat but NO fish. 10 minutes from my house but I won't bother with it. Flats at Fairview will be my next River visit. Hopefully there will be something...

 

[Dave_W]

Swattie87 wrote:
Not sure how that aligns (or doesn’t) with your theory Dave. What’s your definition of “small” in this context? I know the J isn’t in that bracket, but what about streams like the Swattie/Connie/Shermans/Conestoga, etc. Or are you talking smaller?

I'm mostly talking smaller.
I regard streams like Connie, Swatara, Conestoga etc. as medium sized. I think the fish populations on these medium sized waterways are more permanent. They move seasonlly, but don't disappear altogether in the manner that you see on creeks.

The "creeks" I'm thinking about are really trout sized local streams (in fact, many of them are ATWs) that are often just 10-20' across. These streams, when there is more water during the springtime, are often loaded with bass and sunnies.
This summer, not so much.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Right-so a few nights ago I fished one of those streams for the first time this summer, Dave. I caught, in about 1.5hrs, about 8 smallies, but again, the largest was 10" or so. Also caught 5 or 6 sunnies, and one....chub *shudder*.

That seems about average for this creek, but usually I would pull one whopper out each trip. Not this trip. I want to try this stream but down closer to the mouth of the Cocalico and see if anything of size comes 'round.

 

[Beefheart]

I've fished that Rockville Bridge area about 5 times this summer and have had a hard time every time I went. I managed a fish or three each time, but that was it. This was all in early July and early August.

The sections that have produced much better for me have been both above Rockville Bridge and also below Harrisburg.

 

[GonnaFlyNow]

In my SW PA creek, I follow the USGS real time data for fishing. My creek is spot on with the real time data. The fishing is good at normal levels. Due to the nature of our stream, rain really turns off the smallies until water levels come down to normal levels. For example, I caught about 4 smallies on 7-30 during a bad storm. One was a lunker. The other 3 were 1 to 2 lbs. It took the creek about a week to recover back to normal levels and the fishing was off during this period. This has been the cycle I have noticed all year. I have wondered if the higher levels would allow the smallies to relocate. I have not noticed much difference in the fishing as the water levels go from high back to normal as I always catch fish when the water goes back to normal levels. This year I have caught about 25 smallies in the 1 to 3+ lb range. From a fellow angler that fishes the spots I am fishing, I am told the creek has been consistent for the last few years. Lots of smallies. Also, here I think we are concerned with water being too high during the spawn as it washes out the spawn beds. This year we had normal levels so we are expecting good results from the spawn.

 

[melvinp]

Ive been have an average year up here in the northeast(Wyoming count) But size seems to be smaller than normal.Average 10-15 larger fish 16-20in