Where would you fish? State College

[nomad_archer]

I'm going to be driving up camp next Friday and will be headed from Lancaster to west Hickory, PA and will be passing through the State College/ Bellefonte area en route to rt 80.

Every year I make a point to stop somewhere and fish a few hours. In the past I've hit spring creek and big fishing creek. So my question for the fly fish PA brain trust, where would you fish if you were passing through next Friday 4/30?

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Hard to go wrong Penns, spring or Big Fishing Creek in that area. With a little further detour you could hit the Little J. All should be at good levels as there is no sigmificant rain in forecast.

 

[nomad_archer]

Interesting, I've never fished Penns.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

The answer depends. What are you looking to do? Do you want big water/wild browns or do you want the small stream brookie experience? You got lots of options here.

 

[dc410]

Bald Eagle Creek would be a decent option for the area you will be traveling through.

 

[nomad_archer]

The answer depends. What are you looking to do? Do you want big water/wild browns or do you want the small stream brookie experience? You got lots of options here.

Good question. My goal is to fish something new. I am primarily a nymph fisherman but I won't pass up a chance to fish a caddis hatch. As much as I like brookies I'm not very good on tiny blue lines.

 

[nomad_archer]

Bald Eagle Creek would be a decent option for the area you will be traveling through.

I'll take a look into that. Also I don't mind taking a detour.

 

[JeffP]

The Kish is an option. Right off 322 and plenty of stocked and native trout.

 

[tomgamber]

If you're asking that question. If your time is limited.... The answer is Spring creek in the Paradise. Easy access. Lots of space and options. Not hard to find recent reports.

 

[afishinado]

Interesting, I've never fished Penns.

 

[Mike]

If in the future when you make that run and are perhaps tired of going where everyone else goes, I can put you onto some freestoners along or off Rts 322 and 144 that are good and everyone crosses as they head to the more popular streams. They are Brown Trout streams. They are good enough that PFBC biologists sometimes fish them. On the other hand, that Kish recommendation is a good one.

 

[nomad_archer]

So reading between the lines here but I think you're saying it's something I should do.

 

[afishinado]

Yes....every FFer should cast a line there at some time.

 

[FarmerDave]

I agree with Afish. I am not from that area and only visited a few times. The second stream I fished there was Penns. Big water compared to where I was used to fishing, but so many trout that it would be hard to get skunked. That was also over 20 years ago, and to this day, every time I return, Penns is a must.

At first, I was not impressed with the appearance of those limestone streams. They seemed awfully cloudy, and I was used to the little blue lines in NWPA (less fertile freestone streams) where the water runs gin clear. But I was quickly impressed with the sheer numbers of trout in the limestone streams as well as how picky those trout were.

 

[LLR]

Go to Penn's

 

[nomad_archer]

Penns it is! So with 3-4 hours to fish would you fish Weikert or Coburn?

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Personally, I'd go to Coburn. Everyone has their own preference, but that's my favorite spot followed by all the other access points. Good luck

 

[FarmerDave]

Penns it is! So with 3-4 hours to fish would you fish Weikert or Coburn?

yes.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

strong hendrickson hatch on Penns thursday afternoon. High, intense sun = few rising fish. We pickoff what we saw though. closer to dark decent midge and olive emergence and hatch respectively.

 

[Mrangler]

Penn' and spring creek are great right now. It would be hard for me to make that decision right now. Caddis and Hendricksons with olives mixed in.