JimKennedy
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2016
- Messages
- 290
Ok, cookie cutter browns (9 to 11 inches) near Baltimore without spot burning or fishing in low water for stressed fish:
Big Gunpowder
Codorus Creek
Both are cold water release fisheries that are well managed and consistently produce trout for anglers at the moderate skill level and better.
Gunpowder, of course, is a straight shot up I83, but best access to codorus is probably 795 to route 30 in reisterstown then east on black rock road (I think). So east of route 15.
The Catoctin front creeks west of route 15 in Maryland and Pennsylvania are mainly highly stressed brook trout, but big hunting creek is all wild browns and stocked rainbows. Technically, big hunting is a tailwater, but the lake that feeds it is small. The release was bumped up about two weeks early in September to increase the spawn potential. Last year’s spawn was very weak throughout Maryland, and probably in Pennsylvania too.
There are other wild browns and a very few brooks in the Antietam, greater gunpowder, deer creek and lower Susquehanna drainage systems all across Maryland’s northern and Pennsylvania’s southern tiers, but the good ones are closely guarded secrets. If you go on the hunt for them, wear boots you are ok with getting shredded, and bring your A game because they are tough. On a weak day, you will fish over plenty of trout and leave feeling like the water is poisoned. On a good day, with a little luck and a lot of skill, you will catch rewarding trout.
Wherever you end up fishing this time of year, make sure you are up to speed on how to spot a redd a make sure to avoid it. They are often in deeper waters than you might expect. All in all, keep wading to a minimum.
Big Gunpowder
Codorus Creek
Both are cold water release fisheries that are well managed and consistently produce trout for anglers at the moderate skill level and better.
Gunpowder, of course, is a straight shot up I83, but best access to codorus is probably 795 to route 30 in reisterstown then east on black rock road (I think). So east of route 15.
The Catoctin front creeks west of route 15 in Maryland and Pennsylvania are mainly highly stressed brook trout, but big hunting creek is all wild browns and stocked rainbows. Technically, big hunting is a tailwater, but the lake that feeds it is small. The release was bumped up about two weeks early in September to increase the spawn potential. Last year’s spawn was very weak throughout Maryland, and probably in Pennsylvania too.
There are other wild browns and a very few brooks in the Antietam, greater gunpowder, deer creek and lower Susquehanna drainage systems all across Maryland’s northern and Pennsylvania’s southern tiers, but the good ones are closely guarded secrets. If you go on the hunt for them, wear boots you are ok with getting shredded, and bring your A game because they are tough. On a weak day, you will fish over plenty of trout and leave feeling like the water is poisoned. On a good day, with a little luck and a lot of skill, you will catch rewarding trout.
Wherever you end up fishing this time of year, make sure you are up to speed on how to spot a redd a make sure to avoid it. They are often in deeper waters than you might expect. All in all, keep wading to a minimum.
