Historic Susquehanna River

[misanthropist]

When you hear about the Susquehanna river drainage. The species you are most likely to hear about are non native species like Smallmouth Bass and Musky.

I know Shad and Striper are two species native to that drainage. My understanding of those two species is that they are saltwater fish that move into freshwater to spawn and then leave. My first question is how far up the river system did they run to spawn? A short distance? as far as the headwaters? and what were the full time resident fish species?

Thanks.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Interesting topic.
American Eels. There are still remains of eel weirs in places on the river. I've been told some were built by native Americans but I don't know if that is true.

 

[Fishidiot]

Indeed, most of the popular game fish in this watershed are introduced. Native to the Susky watershed (I think) would include, in addition to shad and striped bass, white sucker, yellow and white perch, fallfish, and redbreast sunfish among some others.

The question of how far up these rivers fish travelled is an interesting topic and we've discussed it before. Considering that shad and striped bass go up the Delaware sometimes as far as the Catskills (and even further up some tribs) one can surmise that migratory fishes such as these would likely have been common well up into the West Branch and the North Branch, especially shad.

I've long planned some research on this topic, but it has been bumped to the backburner this year. Archeological records of fish bones in Native American campsites would be a good indicator (although not conclusive). Nineteenth century newspaper accounts from the pre-Conowingo dam era would also be important. Some of my cursory research has revealed that shad were very popular in the Susky at Harrisburg in the 1840s and likely much earlier.

 

[salmonoid]

In addition to it's location as a ferry spot, one of Columbia's early main stays was the shad fishing industry (for a long time!). Lots of history associated with that - weirs were outlawed, possibly as early as the 1700s, but no one followed the law. A dam was built across the Susky at Columbia in 1839, and some fisherpeople were killed in altercations in the years following.

The precursor to the PFBC was formed to enforce the weir laws and some of their early enforcers were beat up by Columbian fisherpeople.

Eel was definitely an important early fish in the Susky, and another that you often read about in old angling literature is referred to as the Susquehanna Salmon (aka walleye).

Since I drive along the river almost every day, I often wonder what it would be like if it didn't have so many (or any) dams on it. Eels and shad would likely return, and the Chesapeake would be inundated with millions of tons of legacy sediment that are trapped behind the dams.

 

[misanthropist]

How long do young Shad and Striper stay in freshwater?

 

[JeffK]

I don't know how far shad went up the river, but Owego in Tioga Co and Binghampton in Broome Co. NY had a big political battle over rights to the shad fishery (Tioga Co. won). There must have been a significant run up that far to be worth fighting over. On the Delaware system, I have seen shad as far as Debruce in the Willowemoc (locals tell me they get that far every 1 in 4 or 5 years) and had my best shad fishing day last year on the Beaverkill.

On the Delaware, shad stage in the bay in February or March and head up river when the temperature reaches 50F and the flow is below 25,000 cfs. Peak runs are typicall late April/early May. They spawn later in the spring and mostly slowly die off. Some spindly survivors will be around until the middle of July. The shadlings come down in the fall, which turns on the other predators putting on the feedbag before winter.

Stripers spawn in roughly May in the tidal section of the river. Striper fry really can't swim and need the back on worth flow of the tidal section to stay in place. Then all sorts of behaviors take place. The herring run is right after the striper spawn so many of the spawned out stripers follow the spawning herring to get back in condition. Most go back to the sea, but some go up as far as the junction pool in Hancock. Mostly juvenile fish roam around freshwater, but some giants are found as well. Stripers are supposed to have a taste for trout and hang around the mouths of trout streams and in the cool water sections upstream. Trout fishermen from Calicoon to Hancock not uncommonly see stripers go for the trout at the ends of their line.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

I don't know about shad etc, but there are are still brook trout in the tribs and sections of the west branch headwaters, many of which have been displaced partially or completely by wild brown trout since stocking began. They are still there though.

 

[troutbert]

There's a book on the Susque shad:

American Shad in the Susquehanna River Basin
A Three-Hundred-Year History Richard Gerstell

You could probably get the book from your local library through inter-library loan.

 

[krayfish2]

A friend had a mid-30" striper hooked in junction pool two years ago. Unexpected on a 5wt and bugger. Ended up breaking him off. Some guys target them but the numbers are fairly low since it a LONG swim to get that far up.

I imagine that stripers made it up the Susky to the NY border as well.

 

[icyguides]

In the old days the shad and probably some stripers would make it essentially to the headwaters. The further upstream shad spawn the better chance of survival their young have.

If the dams weren't in place there would probably be small stripers year round in the lower susquehanna. I'd imagine all the new habitat created would benefit young stripers and be a huge boost for coastal/overall striper #'s. I hope i live to see the day when the susquehanna is rid of dams.

 

[geebee]

stripers can and do live in fresh water year round. as the bays and creeks of New England have been cleaned up over the last 20 years of so, more and more resident striper populations are being found in them.

these fish vary in size from large females (cows) 30"+ to small schoolies (rats). there seems to be few in the sub legal range (shorts).

imho before the industrialization of the NE and mid atlantic in the late 1700, striper populations in undammed unpolluted (thermally) rivers and bays would have been year round, however due to 'progress' the stripers began migrating south in the winter and north in the summer, to follow the 'bait' - shad, sandeels and YoY crab, lobster.

These rivers would also have had pops of short nose sturgeon, as the James and the Penobscot do once again.

the Stripers and sturgeon would have headed up as far as they physically could.

cheers

Mark.

 

[sandfly]

historically shad ran up pine creek from what the biologist tell me here. I would think stripers ran all the way up the mainstem or north branch. there are some stripers in the upper river(sayer area) and Chemung river now.

 

[mr7183]

Are the dams on the Susky for recreation or flood protection?

 

[salmonoid]

Conowingo, Holtwood, Safe Harbor and York Haven are for hydro power production. Other lowhead dams are for recreation purposes or remnants of history. Much farther upstream, particularly in tributaries to the Susky, the dams are for flood control purposes.

 

[TJones]

I once heard of a sturgeon in the Juniata around Newport... I believe this was in the 1800s

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

If I saw a full size sturgeon in 4ft of clear water whilst I was yaking, I might crap myself at first.

 

[sandfly]

the dams are what stopped eel migrations which in turn have stopped muscle reproduction, which in turn has led to more pollution

 

[TJones]

For sure on the sturgeon!

Anybody know about walleye... Are they an introduced species as well?

 

[trike23]

To witness the Susquehanna before the construction on the dam's must of been one hell of a sight. There are many books on the subject some very interesting reads. Its my understanding that shad indeed did run all the way to New York. If anyone remembers the small shad comeback of the mid 1990's they will remember how the stripers used to gorge themselves on white shad it was amazing! I have to imagine Stripers would fallow them up river as far as they would go.

I remember when my brother and I were young he actually caught a striper that ate the shad he was reeling in. Fish was in the 25lb range best part it was on his 4ft ugly stick. What he did was technically ileagal but hey we were kids.

The construction of the dams was really the nail in the coffin for many native species. The river and upper chesapeake bay have and never will be the same. Its a shame what mankind has done but you cant stop progress I suppose. Aside from fish the lower susquehanna and upper chesapeake used to winter more waterfowl than anywhere on the east coast. Sadly that is not the case anymore either mostly due to the dams sediment killing most of the wild celery beds. Sad to say I havent even caught a white Shad in years now and I fear I may never agian.

 

[Fishidiot]

TJones wrote:
Anybody know about walleye... Are they an introduced species as well?

I believe the walleye was introduced to the Susky watershed (along with pike, muskies, black bass, and channel cats).