Tohickon Creek

[JasonC]

With the rain we received throughout the summer, does anyone know if this creek is still holding viable trout right now? Also, could anyone be so kind as to point me toward a spot to park and access the water? Greatly appreciated!

 

[Swattie87]

Don't take this the wrong way, as I'm being serious, and sincerely trying to help you.

You'll find you'll catch more fish, and learn more good places to fish by fishing, as opposed to asking questions about places to fish. If I haven't offended you, and you try out this advice, you'll quickly realize the wisdom in it, and begin to build your own cache of good places to fish.

A guy I fish with a lot, and a frequent poster on PAFF, says "cast first, ask questions later." Good advice. Most times you'll find your answers by simply casting. Or if access is the issue, going and checking out a stream in person. Some streams I thought had good access from research were completely posted up, and vice versa. Never know until you look.

I know nothing about Tohickon. Nevertheless, my advice is, go fish it. Or at least check it out, and see if there's viable legal access to fish it. If you find good fishing, store that in your memory for places to fish in the future. If it's a dud, try somewhere else next time out. I love checking out new streams. Of the new streams I fish, only approximately 1 in 3 makes it onto my list of places to fish again. You'll strike out more than you'll hit homeruns. The HR's are well worth it though.

 

[JasonC]

No offense taken whatsoever as I enjoy going out and trying new streams and finding what works and what doesn’t. However, I was wondering if anyone had an idea regarding water temps on this specific stream. It’s over and hour drive for me and once June hits and the temps rarely drop below 70, I’m not going to waste my valuable time to venture all the the way up there. I know this is heavily stocked and from word of mouth, holdover trout are scarce. I’m thinking of making an afternoon trip this weekend there to scout and wet a line to see what happens. But again, I’d rather be smart and if the temps are borderline, I’d prefer to wait a month or so and not stress the fish. The survival of trout are more valuable to me than finding a new spot.

 

[Canoetripper]

I don't know anything about trout fishing in the Tohickon Creek. I am sure that it warms up quite a bit given that it is Bucks County. It is a very interesting creek to canoe when the water is high through the farm lands of Bucks County.

The topography is very interesting in that there is gorge there and the water drops something like 240+ feet in a mile of stream which is why so many white water enthusiasts converge there when water is released from Lake Nockamixon in the fall and spring.


I lived in Bucks County for almost 10 years and don't remember any one talking about trout fishing there. Maybe they did if and when it was stocked in the spring.

My guess is that it gets to warm and shallow in the summer, but as we all know, this has been a very different summer than most with all of this rain. The gorge is very pretty and unexpected in a relatively flat farm county like Bucks.

 

[JasonC]

I’ve fished below the Dam at Nock and have done pretty well with bass there. Also seen a number of pike and musky as well. I was wondering more about the portions closer to the Delaware as the waters near the Nock are too far of a drive for me. I as well am under the impression this stream gets too warm and low in the summer to support any trout worth fishing for. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Mike]

It is too warm starting in June to support trout in any worthwhile numbers by now; in fact it would not surprise me if they are gone except for the few that might find the very small spring inflows that exist during wet seasons. It is a great place to fish in spring in the gorge that was mentioned above. You will think that you are in northcentral Pa once you enter the gorge. Access the lower end of the gorge from the county park's twisting access road that winds downhill from the parking area.

At this time of the year it is a good place to fish for numerous, but small, smallmouths.

 

[sandfly]

there are no pike in tohickon, pickerel are there, as is a few trout in the spring holes. used to hold big bass until they built the dam. (was the best water) I grew up fishing it. now and then you might find a musky, walleye, or wiper in one of the deeper pools. to fish the upper area just find a bridge and enter the stream there.

 

[trout48]

Jason sent you a PM.

 

[Chaz]

This would be a good stream to start releasing water from the dam during the summer. The water is there, and just a conservation flow would do the trick. Sadly there is not much public land along the creek.

 

[JasonC]

I completely agree. I think there is a pretty good stretch of public access within the Ralph Stover Park however, enough that fishermen could have decent stretches of water to themselves.

 

[Mike]

The conservation release flow is 11 cfs according to Nockamixon SP. In more typical summer weather even that flow tends to lower the lake level. The drainage basin above the lake just doesn't yield much of a base flow. That is typical of DRBC's Groundwater Protected Area in a substantial portion of SE Pa's Delaware drainage.