Susquehanna River Help!

[glenrockonthefly]

Hi All,

New to the forum and to PA! Had a lot of fun with spring trout and have been looking forward to the smallies on the Susquehanna.
First off I am aware that the fishing has taken a dramitic decline in the past 5 years, but so far I have fished in 3 or 4 spots with only one good hit and have seen only one smb caught.

I have fished for years for smallies on the Potomac and have used clousers and wooly buggers with great success fishing both fast and slower water. I have fished near the mouth of Codorus Creek, near the power plant island (downstream) and around the route 30 bridge near wrightsville.

So my questions are...

Where are good access points for wading between MD line and just north of harrisburg?

What patterns work the best?

Is the river really in very bad shape? I have not even gotten a sun-fish on an olive WB.

Thanks for the help,

Sean

 

[Fishidiot]

Hi Sean,
Welcome to the PAFF forums. I'm a long time Susky fan who rarely fishes the lower river (below Harrisburg) anymore. The Potomac is far better. With that said, you should be able to catch some bass in the lower Susky. Usually, June is post spawn and the bass are tough to catch. Try again in a week or so - fish the evenings and low light conditions. You should be able to get some action. Based on my experience, sunfish and rock bass are even scarcer than SMBs in that section. Walleyes, catties, and muskies are numerous. Nobody knows why - studies continue. As for wading, the best section in my opinion would be the Dauphin Narrows above H-burg. There are several public access sites owned by the PFBC.
Based on where I live, I usually fish somewhere else in the summer.

 

[glenrockonthefly]

Thanks Fishidiot!

Being in Gettysburg have you hit lake Maurburg with fly tackle?

 

[Fishidiot]

I fish Lake Marburg every year but it's not my favorite place for fly fishing, esp in summertime. Honestly, I'm a guy who lakes wading or canoeing rivers and streams.