SPRUCE CREEK is one of the many well-known streams located in South Central Pennsylvania. Since it is a true limestone stream, the hatches are very prolific. Spruce Creek runs cold all year, and is considered by many one of the best streams in all of Pennsylvania. It harbors many wild browns, as well as a few stocked fish that are placed there by the private clubs. Wild fish up to three-plus pounds are found here. And there have been tales that fish in the five-pound class lurk within the stream.
Unfortunately for anglers, much of the water on this creek is either privately owned or club property. You can gain access to the creek from most of the outfitters on the river (be sure to call ahead for reservations). There is one open stretch of water, about a mile above the town of Spruce Creek, that is owned by Penn State University.
This half-mile stretch of water is used by Penn State University for studies on the migration and feeding habits of brown trout. Here anyone can gain access to the creek, and it's governed by Catch and Release, artificials only. Some of the hatches on Spruce creek include Blue Quills, Hendricksons, Blue-winged Olive, Sulphurs, and Tricos.
Here you'll also find a lot of Caddis, and Terrestrials too, which work well during the summer months. Long, light leaders are the trick here, and if you have trouble connecting, just try going to a smaller Midge pattern. At times these fish can be fussy, so sometimes smaller flies will do the trick.
Route 45 follows Spruce Creek along most of its journey to the Little Juniata. The creek can be accessed by taking Route 45 from State College. For more information on how you can get onto some of Spruce Creek's private water, stop by a local flyshop or outfitter, or simply try Penn State's water.
Spruce Creek is a tremendous stream, and lives up to its reputation as one of Pennsylvania's finest.
SPRING CREEK Located in the Northern part of Central Pennsylvania. Spring Creek is a large, limestone spring creek that is making a strong recovery after years of pollution almost destroyed it completely. Running through Centre County, Spring Creek has attracted many fishermen from all over.
In the early days, it was known for its brook trout population, which diminished after the introduction of brown trout. Spring Creek became well known for its large browns and great hatches. Fisherman's Paradise is a well-known section of this stream that once drew enormous numbers of anglers because it was heavily stocked with large trout and was easy to access. This stream was one of the first to use special regulations. Today, it is regulated by the guidelines of Heritage Trout Angling.This section runs for 1 Mile; Lower boundry of Spring Creek Fish Culture station to a point adjacent to the Stackhouse School Pistol Range.
During the mid 1950's, Spring Creek was heavily polluted by sewage, chemical and gasoline spills, along with Kepone and Mirex releases. By the late 1950's, most insect hatches were lost. Stocking was stopped in 1981 and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) designated the entire stream as a No-Kill Zone This was due to health concerns for humans from the persistent problems with fish that were contaminated by chemicals that spilled into the stream.
Today, there are still water quality problems and Spring Creek remains a No-Kill zone. Even with its current water quality problems, this stream has made a tremendous comeback with large amounts of wild brown trout reproducing. The average size of fish found here range up to 14 inches, and some up to 20 inches have also been caught. The larger fish can be found near the hatchery at Fisherman's Paradise and the hatchery at Bennar Springs. It is most likely that these large fish found their way out of the hatcheries and into the creek. Insect hatches also are making a strong comeback throughout different sections of the river.
From its source to where it merges with Cedar Run downstream by Oak Hall, Spring Creek is a small stream that widens to about 15 feet and is heavily posted against trespassing. Continuing from the HRI Quarry at Oak Hall, past Route 26 to Houserville, you will find good hatches of Olives, Sulfurs, and Tricos. The flow from the Houserville area to the Benner Springs Hatchery, through to the upper portion of Fisherman's Paradise, has experienced most of the chemical problems and has the lowest population of trout on the stream. Almost all of the hatches in this area were lost, but in recent years, they have been rebounding. Access to this area of the creek is not as easy as others, so it receives the least fishing pressure. Additional springs flow into Spring Creek near Benner Hatchery, and improve the fishing throughout Fisherman's Paradise, down to the junction with Bald Eagle Creek at Milesburg. This stretch of Spring Creek runs past businesses, houses, patchy tree and wooded areas. Here, you'll find some posted sections and an exhibition area that is closed to trout fishing in Bellefonte (from just above Talleyrand Park to the Lamb Street Bridge). Two productive, limestone tributaries add cold water to Spring Creek near Bellefonte. Logan Branch is one of them and is an important addition. This tributary holds large trout and helps maintain good fishing in Spring Creek, to where it joins Bald Eagle Creek.
Despite the problems Spring Creek experienced in the past, the fishing is getting better by the year. You will no longer see the old Drake hatches or the more classic Mayfly hatches, as they have disappeared. What you will see is a stream that's making a tremendous comeback, with good Sulphur, Trico, Caddis and Olive hatches in spots. Spring Creek is not fished as heavily as it was in the past, but it is still considered one of the best, large trout streams in Pennsylvania.
PENNS CREEK , located in the Northern part of Central Pennsylvania, is a creek well known for its large Green Drake hatch in late May and early June. Running through three counties in Pennsylvania (Centre, Mifflin and Union), this stream has attracted fly rodders from all over.
Penns Creek begins a couple of miles north of Spring Mills where it emerges from the mouth of Penns Cave. At its source, it is a small, cool, limestone creek running from 15- to 30-feet wide. This area is heavily posted and very inaccessible for fishing. South of SR 45, from Spring Mills to the town of Coburn (about seven miles), Penns Creek doubles its volume and size from a few cold springs, widening up to 40 feet. Flowing gently through farms and meadows, you'll find a decent number of wild browns here. Keep in mind that this area is posted in spots, so it's a good idea to obey the landowners' wishes. By the time mid-June arrives, the absence of a large number of trees, that would provide shade to this area, allows the water to warm up to an unfavorable fishing temperature all the way down to the town of Coburn, where Elk Creek flows in. With the shot of cold water from Elk Creek, Penns Creek resumes its characteristics as a great, wild brown trout stream.
The seven-mile area from the confluence of Elk Creek to the catch-and-release area near Poe Paddy Campgrounds is designated as an All Tackle Trophy Trout Project Area. Near Poe Paddy, Swift Run enters and from approximately 650 yds downstream from there 3.9 miles to just about 550 yds below Cherry run, you'll come upon an area designated for Catch-and-Release fishing. Although they don't stock fish in this area, you'll find a good population of browns, some up to 14 inches, with an occasional 16-inch or larger fish. Casting can be challenging in parts of this area, as larger browns feed against the banks outside of casting range.
Throughout the catch-and-release area, there are prolific hatches, deep pools, and very scenic surroundings. Below the catch-and-release section, trout are stocked, but you may only want to fish as far downstream as Weikert, because below there, cold water sources are lacking and the stream is inaccessible.
If you're heading to Penns Creek just for the Green Drake hatch, it's likely that you'll be leaving frustrated. Since there's such an enormous amount of food on the water, it's awfully difficult to entice trout to take your fly. You may fare better by trying earlier in the day, before the Spinner Fall is in full swing. Penns Creek offers a full variety of insects (as early as mid-March, depending on water runoff), and is best from mid-April through mid-October. Be wary when fishing in midsummer because water temperatures often can rise as high as 80 degrees on the lower portion of the stream, so it may not be worth the trip. Penns Creek is accessible off SR 45 and a few other smaller roads. Visit a local shop for a more detailed map of the area.
If you're seeking a challenging place to fish for wild browns, give Penns Creek a try.
|
