Bowman Creek

[bstone97]

So I decided to take the fishing gear for a car ride today and do some scouting since I'm relatively new to northeast PA. I drove most of the length of Bowman Creek from where it comes out of Mt. Spring Lake all the way to Tunkhannock. Its a really nice looking stream. Saw some natives up closer to where it comes out of the lake but saw no other activity at any of the other spots I stop at. I bump into a couple guys in the catch and release section that also said they saw zero activity or fish. Is this a put and take stream? Any info would be great since theres so much new water for me to explore I don't want to waste my time.

Thanks bStone

 

[BeastBrown]

The upper reaches got VERY low and hot last year, it is a feast or famine stream in the upper area. One hot summer and a lot of fish die off. The lower section now has quite a few problems with silt from the massive wind farm that provides energy to Virgina, and the pipelines that are crossing the tributaries. They are also sinking wells above the fly fishing only stretch about 2 miles as the crow flies, and water is being withdrawn in the fly fishing only stretch as well. It really changed in the last 10 years, from flooding and now run off from every gas related activity, be it wells all the way to load balancing wind. Sad.

There were back hoes in the stream at the bottom of Sorber Mountain that were lighting bonfires( no lie) to remove lumber. It was a mess. If you look below the bridge at the bottom of Sorber it is a steady silt cloud at this point that covers the bottom.

 

[bstone97]

HAHA I saw that guy too using a backhoe to clean up all the flooding debris and using it for bonefires. That's a shame about the stream. I can see the wind farm from back door. People in my town are pissed about it.

 

[chromefinder]

Take a quick look at the number of new roads that have been cut into the watershed for wind-farms, pipelines, gas wells and other uses. Very sad if you ask me and its only just started.



View Larger Map

 

[freestoned123]

Don't waste your time.

 

[flyfishinx2]

chromefinder wrote:
Take a quick look at the number of new roads that have been cut into the watershed for wind-farms, pipelines, gas wells and other uses. Very sad if you ask me and its only just started.



View Larger Map

what's the green arrow pointing at and where would Mountain Springs lake be on that map? It's been a few years since I've ventured back into those headwaters,was loaded with brookies back then. with the problems Fishing Creek and its tribs have it will really suck if this stream is ruined.

 

[afishinado]

The map shows South Mountain of Forkston Mountain, just north of Noxen. My cabin is located in the northern part of the map posted. :-(

The roads cut in and the "squares" are actually pads for windmills being installed on the mountain by BP Wind Energy. There are 90 windmills total scheduled to come on line this year. Better than gas wells, I suppose, but still ugly right now.

 

[BeastBrown]

I'm looking at a well pad map here, Wyoming County: 250 permitted wells, 124 total wells started. Forkston twp: 2 wells started northeastern corner, north branch twp: 1 well permitted north central. Noxen: 1 permitted on border of monroe. Windham: 3 started 6 permitted. Upper Mehoopany watershed has a nice line of permitted and started wells all along it.

 

[afishinado]

Check this out.

They are pads for windmills, not gas wells.

 

[troutbert]

flyfishinx2 wrote:
what's the green arrow pointing at and where would Mountain Springs lake be on that map?

I don't think that shows Mountain Springs Lake. As afish said, it's down near Noxen.

I was up at Mountain Springs Lake last fall, and that area was not chopped up. It looked the same as usual.

But later in the fall they drained the lake, because the dam was unsafe. I believe that is permanent, i.e. the dam will not be rebuilt.

I have mixed feelings about that. It was a very scenic lake. But removing it may reduce the water temps in upper Bowmans Creek and allow free movement of fish up there, so may benefit the brook trout population in upper Bowman Creek.

 

[flyfishinx2]

troutbert wrote:

flyfishinx2 wrote:
what's the green arrow pointing at and where would Mountain Springs lake be on that map?

I don't think that shows Mountain Springs Lake. As afish said, it's down near Noxen.

I was up at Mountain Springs Lake last fall, and that area was not chopped up. It looked the same as usual.

But later in the fall they drained the lake, because the dam was unsafe. I believe that is permanent, i.e. the dam will not be rebuilt.

I have mixed feelings about that. It was a very scenic lake. But removing it may reduce the water temps in upper Bowmans Creek and allow free movement of fish up there, so may benefit the brook trout population in upper Bowman Creek.

They drained that a while back and (I think) did some repairs and then re-filled it. That was a nice place to take a child or gf/wife to fish and have a picnic but I think it's obvious that the stream will be better off without it.