Anybody fish Octoraro Creek?

99xj99

99xj99

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Joined
Aug 20, 2012
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Hi everyone,

Although I am a new member of the forum, I have enjoyed reading along with the posts and learning the ropes on this forum for a couple months now. I recently started fly fishing a couple months ago with my TCO outfit and love it.

I thought I would start out my first post with a fishing stream report question. I know there is a post about Octoraro Creek but it was a couple years ago so I figured I would bring it up again.

I have been fishing Octoraro Creek for a couple days now but with now luck except with creek chubs. It is a catch and release fly fishing only creek so I figured it would be decent since the fish should stay in the creek. The creek is also stocked and holds a number of decent plunge pools that I figured would hold trout. I explored many areas of the creek around 472 (walked both directions under the 472 and Black Rock bridges, about 1/2 mile each way) and Puseyville Road. I have used all kinds of flies such as a black gnat, pheasant tailed nymphs, and green weenies but nothing seems to attract trout (if there are even any in the creek).

I just figured I would see if anyone has had any luck on this creek and if so, they could direct me in a direction that could hold more trout. I'm not asking for any secret holes, but some tips and a point in the right direction would be much appreciated.


Also, on a side note, are there any good streams for trout in southern lancaster county?

Thanks!
 
First off welcome to the board. This is a tough stream to flyfish this time of year. If I were you check the stream temp first. Where you are fishing does hold trout early in the year but not this time of year. Try the pulling streamer where there is water. This stream fishes best in april and may. I know they do a fall stocking just not sure when it is. The meadow section is alot better(Its the next road after black rock. Make a right and the First left Pull over and park there.) Good luck tryin to find them now!
 
Yeah try middle of October. There are other options in the southern end of the county. I'm not the best person to ask about that, though.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I was walking around in the meadow area of the creek and it did seem much better. Ill try again later in the fall after they stock again
 
Ditto to what pennsadventures said (and cool that all four posters here so far are Lancastrians!).

Octoraro warms by summer time. There's a slight chance that a fish or two could hold over in some of the deeper holes, if there happened to be a cool spring there, but I wouldn't bet a whole lot on that.

They'll put something like 300 fish in during the fall; I don't know that I've ever fished it then, so I don't know if its stocked up in the woods or down in the meadow.

Unfortunately, its a marginal stream at best for trout.
 
I grew up learning how to flyfish on the Octoraro Creek. For many years it was a delayed harvest area. After June 15 I would occasionally keep a few for the grill simply because of the annual warm up in stream temps. I have seen temps go over 80 degrees during normal summertime conditions. Since it has been designated C&R the trout that seem like they should still be there literally seem to disappear. The stream structure has changed drastically over the past few decades during high water events but still has many good holding spots for trout. There are some places where cooler springs enter through the streambed itself, find one of these coupled with a deeper pocket downstream and you may find a few trout holed up there. The meadow area has definitely fished better than the woods section over recent years. I simply think it gets more fish during the stockings. No doubt it is a better springtime stream. However, there are some beautiful areas that don't see a whole pressure over the course of a season and the Octoraro will always be "special" to me because it is where I learned the ropes. Good luck and welcome to PAFF.
 
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