John:
Here are some detailed locations/spots on Spring Creek that you can try. Note: Most folks fishing Spring Creek know about these spots, so not really giving anything away. Note: If fishing on the weekend, there will be people in many of the holes listed below.
Just head about a mile east of the dorms on E. College Avenue. You'll cross Spring Creek, and there will be a Sheetz on the right. At that light, make a left onto Houserville, Road which parallels Spring Creek. Continue on Houserville Road you'll cross over Spring Creek and come to a stop sign.
Make a left at the stop sign (now Rock Road) and go up the hill and down the hill and under I-99 (will be a high bridge over the creek). This should be stop #1 to fish.
Continue down Rock Road until you see an old green iron bridge on the right going over Spring Creek. This bridge has a gate on it and is the back entrance to Benner Spring. This should be stop #2 to fish. Fish downstream of the little dam there. Fishing is better downstream than upstream (due to the silt on the upstream portion).
Continue up the big hill on Rock Road, until you come to Barnes Lane, will be first road to right. This is one of the old prison roads. It's paved. Go about 2 miles. You'll see some prison orchards on the right, a few houses and fields on the left. Lots of game (bears, turkeys, deer up there). Keep going, and you'll drop off the hill and come to a concrete bridge. Park there. Stop #3. Fish upstream about 1/2 mile to the bottom of Fisherman's Paradise Fish Hatchery. This is a really nice section of water with lots of springs and trout.
For stop #4, make a right at the concrete bridge and head around the bend, keep going. Go about 1/2 mile (if that) and you will see a fish commission parking lot on the right. Park there. There is a handicap ramp there as well. Jump in the stream and fish the far side upstream about 1/3 mile. There is a path along the one side, which you can walk down. Lots and lots of nice holes along the far side (left bank if fishing upstream). I believe Mark Antolosky owns the house next to the pond there. He used to, and may still guide/teach classes on Spring Creek. There used to be a small sign in his front yard advertising such. (I put this here so you have a landmark/reference).
Of course you could always go into Bellefonte and fish Logan Branch of Spring Creek. You can also try below the sewage plant in Bellefonte and hit up Spring Creek there. Don't laugh, the creek --- more like nice stream -- fishes really nice there. Can keep going downstream (by car) to the site of the old McCoy dam and fish up or downstream. There's a parking lot there on the left side if headed towards Milesburg from Bellefonte. Be sure to see the informational displays with pictures and descriptions of the old mill works and later electrical generation station.
In essence, what I am trying to say. The entire length of Spring Creek is loaded with wild browns. The population has rebounded after about a decade of decreased trout populations from siltation.
Most are in the 10-12 inch range. A few 14 or 15 inch wild browns around. Haven't heard of any wild browns being caught over 18 in the past few years. I guess there are exceptions. However, there are some hog wild rainbows (18 to 20 inches) in there. They are scattered throughout the drainage and you'll never know when you might get into one.
The above sites are just the more popular ones. Be sure to do some exploring. There's two fly shops on East College Avenue. First is TCO Outfitters located next to the Sheetz I mentioned above. Next is Fisherman's Paradise, just continue past TCO and after the next light, there is a road up the hill to the left. They are located in that little strip mall there. Talk to Steve Swensky, he's the local owner. Has owned the shop for about 37 years now.
Anyhow, hope you have fun. Let us know how you do/did?
Tight Lines,
John Coxey
(Altoona, PA)
