Fishing access Lackawanna Valley

[wetnet]

I am looking for a place to meet up with my son to get some fishing time in. He attends PSU worthington but has some breaks between classes to get a couple hours on the stream. Any recommendations for quick access for him to get a couple of hours in. I'm from the area but usually fish elsewhere.

 

[troutbert]

The special regs area on the Lackawanna River. From Archbald or Winton. You have to check flow levels. It can be high this time of year and it's a sizeable river. But it has a good trout population.

 

[wetnet]

Can you give me some landmarks at both ends of that section? We've fished near the Giant market and behind Gibbons Ford and in Mayfield during season. I just want to be sure we're in legal waters if we fish now, not knowing the whole stream. I'm a country rat and too many small towns all connected, I can't tell where one starts and one stops. I thank you for your reply, it is really appreciated. We are catch and release, artificial lure, fly fishing only.

 

[FishTank]

Wetnet, you're legal from the "Anchor bridge", Lackawanna ave. in Dickson, all the way up to the baseball field, in Archabald, "upstream of the co-gen plant". That's all trophy regs.

I think you may have to stay out of the Mellow park area though, from the foot bridge up stream to the end of the park. That has some kids designation on it. That water gets hit real hard anyway as it's easy access.

If you're venturing out this weekend, be real careful. The water is up, cold, and pushing hard. A good area to check out would be down by the Winton st turn off Main st. There used to be an old rail bridge there. It sweeps in from a run and tails out into a deep pool.

At any rate, downstream of the anchor bridge has no special regs. Technically it is out of season til opening day.

Tightlines and be safe!!!

 

[troutbert]

If you're not familiar with that area at all, probably the best bet is to park at the baseball field at the lower end of Archbald and walk down the old rr grade toward the co-gen plant and fish along there. That's special regs, so it's open at this time of year. And that access is pretty easy to find. And you can walk down the old rr grade for a long ways and pick spots to fish as you go.

In my experience, the upper part of the trophy regs area fishes better than the lower half. But I'm not a local, just a visitor.

Fish Tank, what does the term "anchor" in Anchor Bridge refer to? Just curious.

Wetnet, you can buy a commercial map of the Scranton area at mini-marts and bookstores etc. It's worth doing, because as you say, there are lots of small towns that run together and a lot of streets that can be complicated to negotiate. If you have a map, though, you can find all the bridges and parks etc. Good maps are important for fishing.

 

[FishTank]

Troutbert, as one heads out of Scranton on Main st, and passes into Dickson city, shortly after the Giant food mart, there's a stoplight. At that light is Lackawanna Ave in Dickson. There is a navy memorial there, on the other side of the street in the form of an anchor from some decomissioned war vessel. So, when I coloquially refer to the bridge there, that crosses the river, I call it the "anchor bridge". The upstream side of that bridge is the terminus of the trophy section.


Actually, the biggest of the big trout live in downtown Scranton. It aint easy fishing and you have to watch your back due to the homeless community that resides along the river, but if you have a brass set, 28" fish aren't uncommon on streamers.

That river from the start of the trophy project down to the confluence of the susky should be "NO KILL". It's one hell of a fertile stream, but the rumor in my parts is that Staback doesn't want to tick off his constiuents by putting those regs. on it. You'd be amazed at how many locals harvest trophies with worms from that water and throw them in their gardens. I have never seen a WCO below the bridge off railroad st. in Winton.

The commission's prescence on that river is lacking at best.

Happy Easter!!!

 

[wetnet]

Thanks Fishtank, Thanks Troutbert!

I feel pretty stupid now thinking how many times I've driven by that anchor. Like I said I've only fished there during season and don't want to have to explain, even when it's freezing cold and the waters to my eyelids why I've strayed off the designated path this time of year. We've fished behind the Gibbons Ford lot and despite it being in the middle of the city it was absolutely serene and beautiful in the stream with the bank strung with mountain laurel. Right now we're just looking for legal waters we haven't fished allot that have seen more pressure then where we've been. Next weekend is a State College weekend, but we've got some days to burn until then. Don't worry Fishtank, the water is high and stupid isn't on the agenda. Thanks for the safety reminder!

 

[FishTank]

Wetnet, I totally hear ya' about behind the Gibbons lot. Going back 10 years ago, just up from where you can slide in by the fence, I hit a mid day sulphur hatch on a cloudy drizzly day in early June. I hit 6 fish in a 50yd stretch, the smallest was 16" and the biggest pushing 20". It was that event that caused me to take to the salt.

That's a great stretch, but hasn't been to productive for me in the past few years, at least with the size it used to hold.

The saddest demise of a stretch is from the Turko funeral home down to the bridge. That used to be a fantastic spot, but now it gets slammed by bait and rapala guys and people harvest 16" fish like they're trophies. It kills me that people are keeping those wild fish.

I have definitely seen a decline in quantity of large fish the past few years. Wether it's due to harvest, people hittin' the fish when the water temps are in the high 60's low 70's, or the previous back to back floods, I can't say; however when I was in my teens it was a slow night to release less than 5 fish in the 16"+ class.

Oh well, once the air temps. get back up and the water level drops a bit I'll be back on it most nights during the week from about 6:30ish till 10pm-11pm.

At any rate if you want a heads up on activity or bugs, shoot me a PM and I'll be happy to tell you what I've seen.

I still feel it the river through Scranton should be no kill.

Tightlines Pal!!!

 

[wetnet]

Is there anytime you fish daylight? I'd like you to meet someone that could really benefit from your knowledge if your game.

 

[wetnet]

Actually now that I think of it PM too.

 

[troutbert]

Tank you, er thank you for the info. I've fished nearly all of it from a rr bridge below I81, clear up through Carbondale to Simpson, and even some from Simpson up to Forest City.

I haven't tried it in downtown Scranton yet, but I've been thinking about that. Urban adventure trout fishing!

I agree about the regs. They should manage the river so the trout population reaches the river's full potential.

When I was first exploring the river I met an old-timer who fished it pretty seriously and he said he knew of people who kept huge trout, showed them around to everybody, then fed the fish to their cats. That ain't right!

 

[JesseC]

I'm so thankful for you guys that fish this river. I literally live about 1 minute up the road from the anchor in Blakely/Dickson/Olyphant and I never fish the river at all. I am pretty familar with the river. I'm 28 and lived in Blakely all my life. I fished it a when I was younger. late teens but never had any success. I'd love to learn to fly fish period but more so this river since its in my "backyard" I do like trout fishing. I'm always out there on the opening day, but in the area of Honesdale(dyberry) or Forest City for the Lacky.... But driving up there anymore with the gas prices is going to suck. Not to much of a big deal to me but there are some days I'd rather drive 5 or 10 mins instead of 30 or 40. I'm always game for fishing so any time you guys need someone to join ya let me know. Ya might even see me out there soon. Bright Yellow Xterra so ya can't miss me. lol

~ Jesse

 

[FishTank]

Wetnet, I do fish daylight alot. I work tuesday thru saturday, so when I get out of work, especially May thru June I head right to the river. On my days off, sun. & mon. I will fish from about first light to well after sunset, straight through. I'm on foot and walking\fishing a 10 mile roundtrip is common for me.

In the past few years I've put more time into tying for the salt and preping my vehicle and gear. I live out of my buggy or kayaks from Sat night to Mon night, when I do the salt in Jersey. Being that fuel prices are so cost prohibitive for travel, I've come home back home to trout, if you will.

I am more than happy to help anyone's learning curve, either with the river, or flycasting\tying in general, or both. It truly is woven into the fabric of my reality and flyfishing is my lifestyle. The year before I went to the salt I fished every day of the week for 11months straight.

I have a friend who used to haunt the river with my frequency and he'd complain to me about too many guys being at certain spots flyfishing. He told me to stop talking about the river. The flaw in that logic, as I see it, is that in all the years I've been on the special regs. waters, or especially below them, I have only seen a WCO vehicle once. Maybe they're there, but with all the worm containers I see off Winton st. they don't appear to be.

My rebuttal to my friend is that popularity of OUR water is a double edged sword. Yeah, somoene might be in the spot we want to fish, but, If no one who shares our conservation minded interests knows about it, then how can we expect the interests of this corridor to be taken into account. REMEMBER: The river is not stocked from Carbondale downstream, and there are 28" fish in Scranton...HHHMMMM!!!!

The only things that concern me about showing other flyrodders this water is that they release the fish in a timely manner, and that they stay off the fish when the water hits 68degrees. or better. {There's some mine outflows I can show you if you need to fish here in July through august!!!}.

At any rate, Jesse, troutbert, and wetnet, I'll shoot you PM's in a bit. It would be my pleasure to catch up with you.

Tighlines Fellas!!!!

 

[JesseC]

Thanks Fish. Looking forward to hearing from you. I see that you are from Olyphant. According to your profile. Very close to me of course. I hear so many stories about the river in our area yet I don't fish it. I'll call myself a beginner when it comes to fly fishing. I try and read online about tips and such but I also need to get out there and practice. Not only casting but everything when it comes to Fly Fishing. I need the learn the knots, what type of fly to use and when. All the stuff. A friend of mine was supposed to start along with me a few years ago but never really did. I have gotten out there when I can but always seems to go back to the spinning gear. Like I said with the river so close I need to take advantage of it. I can walk from my house to the anchor in about 3 minutes. I would rather drive of course cause people would laugh at me in my waiters and all my gear. lol.... No one would think there is any fish in the river. Ha Ha.

The person that owns the smoke shop in Peckville(Mr. C)(my friends dad) used to fish the river all the time. He would tell me so many stories. I just never believed him. I'll be like a kid in a candy store when i catch that first one from the river. I can't wait.

~ Jesse

 

[wetnet]

Really appreciated. I have a special project for you're up for it. About your friend and stream sharing. I understand his point but if someone didn't fish in my comfort spot once in awhile I'd never find the pleasure of finding a new one, and another, and another.......

Glad to here there are some on the Lack. to grab a coffee with and throw a line.

 

[FishTank]

Wetnet, Troutbert, and JesseC, check your PM's.

I'm leaving work now and head'n to the river for some air. The temps air temps are less than I'd like, but the sun has been on the water all day. Hopefully the orange rocks where I'm hittn' have had a chance to warm a bit. ;-)

Tightlines and stay in touch!!!

 

[OlyphantLacky]

It's nice to see other people that fish the Lackawanna on here.i mainly fish the special regs area during the week and on weekends i can be anywhere from Scranton all the way up to Carbondale.Hopefully we can all get out sometime.

 

[waterman50]

I fished the Lacky last year heavy for the first time.It's all of what is being said here and then some.Had some great evenings and have never saw another fisherman in the area I fished.Take some walks and explore this great river.You will be amazed where you will see fish.Right Chris

 

[OlyphantLacky]

Waterman i was gonna say the same thing about not seeing anyone fish the special regs area.besides FishTank and another guy i see down there daily.and a stray once and a while.