Schuylkill River Trout

[njk3395]

I believe in November they stocked something like 20,000 trout from pottsville to middleport. The PFBC has been doing experimental stockings since like 2000. They electroshocked it in some various places and found wild brookies, browns, and rainbows.. Plus some stocked holdovers.

Pretty much everyone who has lived in Schuylkill county for a decent amount of time thinks of the Schuylkill River as a place to dump mine drainage and other various waste.

Anyways, I live really close to it and was wondering if it is really worthwhile to fish it. I read the biologist report, apparently there is wild trout, but the rates of survivals for their stocked fish are like 5 % or lower.

I have heard of people fishing it and catching fish, even some bigger fish (18"+). I tried it twice last year, but never really fished it seriously for any amount of time. If anyone has any info on it, I would love to hear it. PM's are welcome.

 

[MattBoyer]

I haven't fished it, but every time I drive down 61 the stretch above Cressona looks phenomenal. I know a few dudes from the board are going to be hitting it up in the next few weeks, I'll see that they get pointed to this post.

Boyer

 

[Mike]

I have promoted the river's trout population in the past and now I must do the opposite. Fishing HAD been fair to good based pm anglers' reports. Apparently, however, the trout population largely collapsed sometime during the winter of 2008-2009. Last summer's trout population survey showed poor results. Some trout remained, including some 20 inch browns, but the population was largely gone. Even local fly anglers in New Philadelphia approached us and asked us what had happened. Fishing had been so good in that area through summer, 2008, according to the anglers, and by spring, 2009, the fishery was gone. An explanation is difficult, given that the other fish species in the river were still present in their expected numbers.

 

[njk3395]

Do you have any idea what might have caused the sudden drop?

 

[Mike]

See my last sentence.

 

[njk3395]

Oh, didnt read very closely.

 

[TLoomis]

Yano, I have seen trout in the skuke, but I have never fished for trout there. I know guys who fish it opening day and catch a few fish. But when I flyfished it, I just caught bass, with nymphs and stuff. That was a while ago when I was just throwing whatever at any fish that would bite