We need rain!

[timmyt]

70 at Callicoon on the big D earlier today. This sucks, i'll take Winter over this crap. nothing worse than going from winter right to summer, makes me wanna move someplace else because winter and summer both suck

 

[BradFromPotter]

It's only a couple of days... the temps drop back down next week. Relax everything will be ok.

 

[huntfish]

+1 ^

 

[streamerguy]

The streams in the nw part of the state are very, very low and some are getting pretty warm for this time of year. I was going to help stock a stream this morning but it was postponed due to warm water temps and no flow!

Got a shot of rain this evening but I don't think it really did anything. These cool temps will definitely help but man we need water bad....

 

[Chaz]

We need conservation flows from every dam in PA!!!

 

[Smike]

30 second check on NOAA says nothing to panic about, as here is low temps by thursday.

 

[wildtrout2]

Smike wrote:
30 second check on NOAA says nothing to panic about, as here is low temps by thursday.

I think the USGS map tells a different story. The entire eastern half of the state is almost all RED dots, not good. We need rain badly, the early season high stream temps are only a part of the problem.

 

[Chaz]

Yes the temps have dropped, but the streams still need a good healthy rain storm, it's been 3 weeks here. April 20/21 1 inch of rain, then for 3 weeks before that nothing.
Edit: I've only mowed the lawn once and it's mid May, usually have mowed 6 times by now.

 

[Smike]

Agreed, just keep in mind the indicators (those red dots) are comparing current flow to average for the same time period (not actual levels) So for this time of year when flows are historically high, below average gets you actual levels that are not out of the range for the year.

Levels (not averages) now might be comparable to late summer and fall typical levels. Now as long as the temps stay down, damage is minimal. Biggest impact is predators have an easier time in lower levels.

Periods like this (sparse rain) come and go all the time, now if it extends into summer and the heat come back on, then things get bad.

 

[troutbert]

Smike wrote:
Agreed, just keep in mind the indicators (those red dots) are comparing current flow to average for the same time period (not actual levels) So for this time of year when flows are historically high, below average gets you actual levels that are not out of the range for the year.

Good point. Some of the streams with orange dots right now are actually at very good fishing levels.

If the same streams had orange dots in July or August, they would be at much lower levels than now, and be too low for good fishing.

So, you cannot rely on the dot colors to tell you whether fishing conditions are good vs poor.

You have to figure out for each stream what you consider the range of good fishing levels, i.e. the lower limit and upper limit of what you think of as being worth fishing, and the range you consider optimal.

 

[Chaz]

I'm not even looking at gauges, I'm looking at creeks.
Looking at Pine Creek it's flowing at about 400 cfs, the median is 800, 400 is pretty low for this time of the year.
Perkiomen Creek 27 CFS median is 50.
WB Perkiomen CFS 14 median is 30.
While they may fish fine, I wouldn't want them to go much long without rain.

 

[wildtrout2]

It sounds like some are candy coating the situation. The red dots (2) simply mean low water flow (

 

[PennKev]

wildtrout2 wrote:
It sounds like some are candy coating the situation. The red dots (2) simply mean low water flow (

 

[Chaz]

I'm not panicking, I'm just saying that for this time of the year the flows are well below the median, the median is calculated for each day of the year, for a place like Pine Creek it's about 100 years of record.
Flows are good for fishing but, without rain they won't be for long, and it's been hot for May, hot enough that it's uncomfortable to be fishing in the afternoon.
I don't look at the colors I look at the flows on the hydrograph.

 

[pcray1231]

The way I see it:

We have dry spells and wet spells. That's life. This is a dry spell. I'd much prefer a dry May and a wet August over the opposite.

It's not hurting anything now. If it holds, it's a bad lead-in to summer where it could begin to hurt things. But there's plenty of time before the "critical" time frame for things to turn around.

Cross that bridge when we get there, nuthin we can do about it anyway. For now, enjoy the good fishing. Short term, pray for continued dry weather. Long term, pray for rain.

 

[Troy]

We need rain period. There is no sugar coating it. Whomever doesn't see this is in denial.

 

[troutbert]

I think the anti-rain forces have been soundly defeated. :-o

So, go ahead, hit that rain switch.

 

[MD_Gene]

Maryland is hurting too. The ground is cracked and the Patapsco River, about a mile from house is running about 1/3 of normal.

 

[krayfish2]

Looks like north central part of state got some rain. Keep it coming motha nature!!

 

[wildtrout2]

krayfish2 wrote:
Looks like north central part of state got some rain. Keep it coming motha nature!!

Yes, a brief thunderstorm, which really helps nothing. We need a full day rain event to actually help things.