Yough Lake - we need rain

[Bruno]

We Need Rain . I have only seen this happen once before.

206-year-old bridge a sight to see for visitors to depleted Yough River Lake

Karen Wolfe did something this week that few others have done over the past 80 years. She walked the main street of Somerfield and its 206-year-old Great Crossings Bridge, landmarks that are normally about 50 feet underwater at Youghiogheny River Lake in southwestern Somerset County. “We had to...

triblive.com

 

[Broodstock]

I fished the yough yesterday. I’m hardly ever on it but had some time and wanted to wade some areas where the low flows would allow me to get into. 400 cfs on the river makes it a different experience. Water was cold, low and clear. Fish were in the spots you would expect them to be. If all stockers looked like this, fought this hard, and were this healthy - I would feel differently.

Driving through confluence, I was able to scout the other two rivers, they were just a trickle. We really need water here.

 

[dryflyguy]

We Need Rain . I have only seen this happen once before.

206-year-old bridge a sight to see for visitors to depleted Yough River Lake

Karen Wolfe did something this week that few others have done over the past 80 years. She walked the main street of Somerfield and its 206-year-old Great Crossings Bridge, landmarks that are normally about 50 feet underwater at Youghiogheny River Lake in southwestern Somerset County. “We had to...

triblive.com

Thanks for posting this Matt
I figured it was exposed now.

I've seen it several times.
First time I went, the lake was down even lower, and you could see the whole thing
And walk from one side to the other

 

[dryflyguy]

I fished the yough yesterday. I’m hardly ever on it but had some time and wanted to wade some areas where the low flows would allow me to get into. 400 cfs on the river makes it a different experience. Water was cold, low and clear. Fish were in the spots you would expect them to be.

View attachment 1641238499

With a large river like that - the lower the better, has always been my experience.

Now that's the way to take a fish picture

 

[Broodstock]

With a large river like that - the lower the better, has always been my experience.

Now that's the way to take a fish picture

Yeah, I tend to agree with that experience. I like big rivers at low flow and small rivers with a bit more water.

 

[Forestfishin]

I’ve never seen the river this low. Actually quit kayaking the river back in July because it was beating up my kayak. Hopefully will take a bike ride with rod today to get some smallmouth fishing in. It has been interesting to see parts of the river exposed that I haven’t seen before.

Funny because from Coulter down to the mouth it’s deeper now. I grew up in Port Vue and fished from Boston to the mouth a ton when I was a kid. It’s a totally different river there now. More like a lake than a river. And lots of garbage.

 

[Broodstock]

I’ve never seen the river this low. Actually quit kayaking the river back in July because it was beating up my kayak. Hopefully will take a bike ride with rod today to get some smallmouth fishing in. It has been interesting to see parts of the river exposed that I haven’t seen before.

Funny because from Coulter down to the mouth it’s deeper now. I grew up in Port Vue and fished from Boston to the mouth a ton when I was a kid. It’s a totally different river there now. More like a lake than a river. And lots of garbage.

Yes, the new level of the lock and dam in Braddock raised the Mon about 3 feet, which backwater flooded the lower Yough. Like you said, it is a different river now.

 

[dryflyguy]

Yough running at 370 CFS right now below Confluence.
That's as low as I can ever recall seeing it.
And with the cool water temps right now, its a great time to get out and explore

 

[AndyP]

No rain for 32 straight days in Delco and then it was only a trace. No rain in the forecast for the next 10 days.

 

[Forestfishin]

Yes, the new level of the lock and dam in Braddock raised the Mon about 3 feet, which backwater flooded the lower Yough. Like you said, it is a different river now.

Yeah think that was early 2000s when they did the Braddock dam and whatever happened this summer (think removed Elizabeth lock) added even more depth. Wish they could magically move some of that water upstream. Went out tonight for a few hours between West Newton and Cedar Creek and it was really low. Did see some smallmouth but they didn’t seem to be to active.

 

[krayfish2]

I fished the yough yesterday. I’m hardly ever on it but had some time and wanted to wade some areas where the low flows would allow me to get into. 400 cfs on the river makes it a different experience. Water was cold, low and clear. Fish were in the spots you would expect them to be. If all stockers looked like this, fought this hard, and were this healthy - I would feel differently.

Driving through confluence, I was able to scout the other two rivers, they were just a trickle. We really need water here.

View attachment 1641238499

Was it all underneath or did you see ISO and olives?

 

[Broodstock]

Yeah think that was early 2000s when they did the Braddock dam and whatever happened this summer (think removed Elizabeth lock) added even more depth. Wish they could magically move some of that water upstream. Went out tonight for a few hours between West Newton and Cedar Creek and it was really low. Did see some smallmouth but they didn’t seem to be to active.

That’s correct. In removing the Elizabeth lock they needed to increase the pool depth for navigation by adding height to Braddock. The whole thing has been messed up somewhat since they miscalculated and had to dredge out the river to allow for the proper draft.

 

[Broodstock]

Was it all underneath or did you see ISO and olives?

I did see a few very small olives and a couple caddis but no iso. There was nothing happening on top when I fished. I might have seen a single riser, but it was hard to tell with the leaf hatch. I fished streamers, either two or one depending on water type.