East Branch Clarion River below dam

[TomDewey]

Just curious if anyone has fished this stretch in recent years. I believe it is a Delayed Harvest area now. I was there about 15 years ago. It would be between Glen Hazel and the dam.

I was told then by locals that it was well stocked in the early season.

15 years ago in July, although the water was perfect, I couldn't find a single living creature in my collection net. Nary a mayfly nymph, caddisfly case or anything else for that matter.

I've heard more work has been done to improve the water chemistry.

Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tomgamber]

Not sure what work may or may not have been done but it has never really had any great hatches...its a streamer water. Lots of smallmouth and some rather large browns but few and far between. I haven't been up there in a while either.

 

[jrcll]

i have fished the east branch a couple of times in the past two years , can you say cold water !!!! the corp of army engineer built lake has a main channel of 120 ft with a bottom release ,last august its 90 degree and the water was around 58 deg and while other streams are ankle deep, it has great flow but it is disappointing there is little insect activity just wondering what this stream could be like with some stream improvement

 

[dryflyguy]

I have checked this stream out several times the last few years, and I have never seen anything hatching.
I did see a few fish rising at bendigo state park - to "no seeums"
There is a small dam there that makes a nice pool.
But the water still seems pretty sterile IMO

 

[tomgamber]

Like I said its a great streamer water....

 

[TDB]

It is just way too bad that there are good cold water sources like this that don't yield good fisheries. This should not be the case. This type of set up would be ideal for Art. Lures only (better yet, FFO.. - with all C&R. Complete a fingerling stocking or whatever it takes - but it could easily be a year round destination... It would be a great draw for that area.

 

[tomgamber]

TDB wrote:
It is just way too bad that there are good cold water sources like this that don't yield good fisheries. This should not be the case. This type of set up would be ideal for Art. Lures only (better yet, FFO.. - with all C&R. Complete a fingerling stocking or whatever it takes - but it could easily be a year round destination... It would be a great draw for that area.

Clarion River, East Branch - Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only - 1.15 miles; From 100 meters downstream of the outflow of the East Branch Clarion River Lake downstream.

 

[RLeeP]

The last I knew (asmittedly a while ago...), there were still enough minor AMD problems with East Br. tribs above the dam to have a modest suppresive effect on the aquatic insect community in the area below the dam. There is one trib above the dam, as I recall, Swamp Creek I think it is, that is treated for AMD. And there may be other minor sources in the upper watershed.

So, in addition to the cold water, this is also at least a little bit of the probelm. Or was at one time, anyway...