Wild trout in tribs to Octoraro Ck.?

[Mike]

I am seeking information on any known or even rumored wild trout streams that are tributaries to Octoraro Creek between Chester-Octoraro Reservoir and the Pa/MD line. We find occasional wild Browns in the C-O Reservoir tailrace in spring before the stream gets too warm, but our searches of the lower ends of tribs a mile or two upstream and downstream from there for a source has never located a single wild trout. We found a population in McCreary Rn, trib to Octoraro Ck, and perhaps that's where the few trout near the Reservoir came from. Farther away and up a branch, we found wild Browns in Knott Run, trib to the East Branch. We have not searched every trib, but have perhaps searched half of them. As I am suggesting, fish could be moving up the Octoraro to the reservoir tailrace from McCreary, but I just wonder if there is a closer source.

If anyone knows of any additional wild trout tribs to the East or West Branches of the Octoraro, those would be of interest too. Other than Knott Run, we have struck out when searching perhaps half or more of the tribs to the East Branch. Those searches have focused on tribs close to Knott Run and the named tribs in the Atglen area. Other than Stewart Rn and Bowery Rn, tribs to the West Branch have not been searched.

Please email any responses to mkaufmann@pa.gov

Thank you in advance.

 

[sarce]

Not sure about the PA side, but MD has several. Basin Run, Stone Run, Love Run, and one more unnamed tributary west of Love Run. Seems to be a bit of a stronghold in that area.

 

[Mike]

Those would be another possible source for the C-O tailrace, but perhaps not for yearlings. I have had my eyes on a wooded trib shown on topo maps to be just upstream from the MD line, but my near-sighted focus has been more on tribs that are closer to the reservoir. Thanks for the reminder about the MD tribs, though.

 

[Swattie87]

Mike - Check out the small UNT in Wolf’s Hollow County Park. Just upstream from Knott Run and coming in on the opposite bank.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the tip, Swattie.
My two office colleagues surveyed it on 10/3/16 from the mouth upstream for a distance of 120 m. No wild trout were found. Notes say " suffers from stormwater runoff and shifting substrate. 34% forested"

It is a transitional stream (temperature-wise) based on the fish community.

 

[sarce]

I had wondered about that one, hiked along it once and thought it had potential. It was mid winter so I didn't bother fishing it. Thanks, Mike.