Penns Creek Bad Flows- Weather Stinks

[MD_Gene]

I have been crying in my beer. My new trailer is getting a lot of living as in the past I fished more than I was in the trailer. My "home" stream at camp is Penns. I pulled some data down from the USGS site for 2017-2019 this period. I like Penns about 400 CFS. Others 500. But at 600 it becomes too much for most wise anglers.

Check it out.

 

[avocet]

I hear you. Just like last year the prime time for bugs and we get too much rain.

 

[PALongbow]

Agreed. Things were ramping up on Fishing Creek in Columbia County. A few weeks ago we had bugs all over and now there is nothing due to the high water.

Ron

 

[afishinado]

No doubt the high flows on Penns have been really disappointing. I look to fish Penns when the flow goes below 500 cfs. This has not happened this season and the flow right now is way up at 1800 cfs.

The PAFF Jam is this weekend and Penns is out for fishing. The same story for last year's Jam. I did get out and have a decent trip to Penns last year in early May.

The flows for most larger streams in PA are off the charts high right now. It is disappointing for all of us that look forward to fishing the great hatches of May.

For any kind of stream fishing stick to the smaller mountain streams or spring creeks.

Hopefully the flows will get down to more normal levels soon. But it's really like Groundhog Day going back to last year. I don't recall the precipitation and stream levels staying so high for such a long time.

In addition, the smallmouth spawn and YOY will take another hit this year if the levels don't get back down to more normal levels.

 

[dryflyguy]

And the worst part: more thunderstorms are forecast on friday.
Really makes it hard on a dedicated dry fly fisherman

I'm starting to wonder if this is the new norm

 

[timmyt]

I'm starting to wonder if i should move

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I only recall perfect weather at one Jam I attended. The others were rain events. Good luck one and all. GG

 

[shakey]

last year,penns was perfect the monday AFTER the jam.

maybe it will happen again this year?

 

[jacob]

I hope it clears up by next weekend. My best buddy and I have our annual penns trip from 5/25 to 6/1.

I guess if worse goes to worst, we will still have all of the lovely tribs as an option.

Big fishing and penns is my jam though. I hope it all works out! It’s my one extended fishing trip I can take each year.

 

[psychobeagle12]

Every trip I have ever taken to Penn's has been accompanied by rain. It's either raining when I get there or raining the next morning when I get up to head down to the creek. I can only remember one trip to Penn's where it wasn't running high and chocolate, and it was the only trip that we did what I would consider above average for fishing. I love it up there, beautiful area and river, but man it seems to me like it's always up at the times I want to go there!

 

[ROVERT]

I think Penn's fishes ok (subsurface) when the flows are up. It's just not as enjoyable. It definitely cuts down on the competition, though. I saw one other fisherman Friday evening (1200-ish cfs) and three this morning (~1000). The edges can be fished and it can be crossed at select locations. I do like it most in the 300-600 range.

FWIW, I fished Spring and the Little J yesterday. Spring was easy wading. The LJ felt like a suicide mission at 700 cfs. Unlike Penn's, the LJ (at least in the gorge) does not have access from the banks. It is pretty much a wall of vegetation straight into three feet of swift water. I'll not be back at those flows without a boat. The fish were willing where you could get to them.