If you could fish only one stream in PA...

[Fishidiot]

The recent thread about favorite waters in NW PA got me thinking about our state's thousands of trout streams and fishing opportunities. I've had the good fortune to fish many of our blue ribbon waters over the years but the Cumberland Valley streams have been my home waters for a long time so I'll always have a sentimental attachment to Letort, Falling Springs, Yellow B, Big Spring and other nearby waters like Big Hunting Creek. If you had to pick only one trout stream/river in PA to fish for the rest of your life - which would it be? I'd pick Spring Creek in Centre Co.
Spring Creek has a lot of qualities that make it #1 in my book:

Challenging fish but not too hard to catch
Fishes well throughout the year
Very high population of wild trout
Good public access and lengthly sections to fish
Good hatches
Reliable during weather extremes
Good mix of riffles/runs/pools
Consistent surface feeding
Nice, smaller size with easy wading (outside Paradise)

Spring Creek is incredible. What would your pick be?

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I live cloase to alot of the great stream around. Fishing Ck, Spring Ck, Penns Ck, Spruce Ck. I fish them all a ton every year all of them and for my love for Penns Ck will never die I catch alot in Spring Ck but the sorrounding of Penns Ck the views, wild life, landscape, the true canyon effect being able to walk the whole thing down the old railroad tracks the cool old fashion tunnels. i do not know what exactly it is but when i think of Penns I think just feels like I do not want to go anywhere else.

 

[chucke]

I would say Penns Creek in the spring and in the summer Spring Creek.

 

[jayL]

Spring Creek, but I've only been traveling more than an hour from home to fish for about two years. Lots to see.

 

[PaulG]

Spring Creek( centre Co) for me! Been going there for many years and never get tired of it, some other streams come close.

PaulG

 

[MKern]

Spring Creek!

 

[Acristickid]

Chartiers Creek- both cold water and warm waters species and close to home. Caught my first sauger and catfish on a flyrod in the same run.

 

[JustFish]

The "V" as I like to call it or otherwise known as Valley Creek. Not the best but tough. I know there are a lot of better trout streams throughout PA. Spring being awesome. The "V" is about seven minutes from my house. Wild browns + seven minute drive =consistent fun all year. Some half decent hatches and sometimes really challenging.

Did I get it right this time Chaz! :-? :-D

 

[Maurice]

acristickid wrote:
Chartiers Creek- both cold water and warm waters species and close to home. Caught my first sauger and catfish on a flyrod in the same run.

Paul,

Step away from the crack pipe!

How close do you live to "stinkhole crik"

I lived for ten years on the back side of Rte 19. Right next to Gun-town lake. That crik would be down around 342 on my list.

 

[shultzy501]

Spring Creek! Same reasons as above. The Delaware is also a favorite and closer for me, but you can't beat the consistency of Spring!

 

[Acristickid]

"[Paul,

Step away from the crack pipe!

How close do you live to "stinkhole crik"

I lived for ten years on the back side of Rte 19. Right next to Gun-town lake. That crik would be down around 342 on my list.]"


Mo- okay,okay.

Chartiers might not be #1 but I did catch a catfish and a sauger for the first time on a flyrod there (not the fish pictured below). Actually very nearby rt.50 in Heidelberg about 5-6 miles away. Also had a suprisingly nice time fishing mid-day for bass and such near Mayview. It was also where I recall using buggers and having success.

Still pretty cruddy but I have seen worse. I am not a member but see there is a watershed assocation website. I think it mentions a site being cleaned up for uranmium- that's probably not good.

Here is an actual quote from one of the stream projects:"The Molycorp plant there produced a ferroniobium alloy from an ore that contained natural thorium with some uranium."

http://www.upperchartierscreek.org/

So- I know what your 342 is. What is your #1? Paul

 

[PennKev]

Little Juniata


-Good access.
-High number of fish.
-Good average size of fish.
-Very real potential to catch large fish on every trip.
-Not too hard to catch fish but not always easy either.
-Can often find rising fish.
-Bigger water with plenty of GOOD runs, pools, riffles, and pocket water.
-Fishes well in July and August when many creeks are running very low.

Spring Creek is not too far behind.

Kev

 

[Flyfisherman_PA]

Probably not near anyone's top but..

Slippery Rock, in McConnell's Mill State Park. Beautiful scenery, the white fly hatch, and the chance to not see a soul and pick up a smallie and/or a trout here and there.

I would go as far as calling this the prettiest area in PA, in my opinion.

 

[sandfly]

The Delaware, along with trout theres a multitude of other fish to catch on the fly..

 

[PennKev]

Flyfisherman_PA wrote:
Probably not near anyone's top but..

Slippery Rock, in McConnell's Mill State Park. Beautiful scenery, the white fly hatch, and the chance to not see a soul and pick up a smallie and/or a trout here and there.

I would go as far as calling this the prettiest area in PA, in my opinion.

If this were a thread about smallmouth, SRC would be at or near the top of my list. For it's size, the Rock is a tremendous smallmouth fishery IMO.

Kev

 

[VTPAangler]

I'd have to go with Spring Creek. It's consistent all year and packed with fish. Some sections get crowded at peak time and it'd be nice if some of the key mayfly hatches weren't missing, but all in all I think Spring is the top stream in the state.

The Little J., Fishing Creek, and Penns I think are in the discussion, as is the West Branch of the Delaware. I can't think of any other PA streams that are in that league, though there are dozens that are a notch below.

 

[Maurice]

So- I know what your 342 is. What is your #1? Paul

My number one would have to be Muddy Creek. You can't argue with love. But I would have to say the one I would most like to fish more often is Penns. Strictly for the bugs and scenery. So I guess its Penns. I would like to in my life time get proficient at catching fish there. I hope my darling Muddy Creek isn't reading this.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

PennKev wrote:
Little Juniata


-Good access.
-High number of fish.
-Good average size of fish.
-Very real potential to catch large fish on every trip.
-Not too hard to catch fish but not always easy either.
-Can often find rising fish.
-Bigger water with plenty of GOOD runs, pools, riffles, and pocket water.
-Fishes well in July and August when many creeks are running very low.

Spring Creek is not too far behind.

Kev

I'll second this. Spring is easier, but if you know where to fish it, the Little J is unmatched in the East.

 

[redrockgrizzly]

I'll second this. Spring is easier, but if you know where to fish it, the Little J is unmatched in the East.

i would say Penns Creek, but if Heritage-Angler wants to share his places on the Little J, ill see if its better than Penns.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This is the guy you want to talk to:

http://www.sprucecreekoutfitters.org/

His name is Allan Bright. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet in the flyfishing business. I can't recommend him highly enough.