buymanfishheday
New member
I’m open to all types small and large. Everywhere I go the water has been too warm for catch and release. Is it officially bass season?
Any Berks Co. creeks still cold enough for trout?
- Thread starter buymanfishheday
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tjsingle
Well-known member
I fished a limestoner this past weekend in SEPA and the water temps topped out around 65F. That was with the milder temps we had over the weekend. I would say with the heat coming this week that trout is likely going to be off the table. Low flows and high temps aren't a great combo.
With the exception of spring creeks and tailwaters, I would say its bass season.
With the exception of spring creeks and tailwaters, I would say its bass season.
FlyGuy9
Member
Yup time to leave them alone and target bass.
wgmiller
Well-known member
Perhaps Peters Creek. But you ain't catchin' them! 🤣 There's a number of other Berks spring creeks as well, but access is the big issue. As noted, monitor water temps. It's best to just give the troots a break for the rest of this month and August and target WW species.
tjsingle
Well-known member
Peters is a funny little creek. Caught a brookie out of it once, never went back.
tomgamber
Well-known member
Peters creek is fun. Try casting upstream though the culvert under the road.
If you're in that general area, flyfishing below Blue Falls to the bridge is fun. Before I moved to Idaho I used to catch big bluegills, crappie, bass and the occasional small musky by accident. The rest of Maiden creek can even be fished from the bank. Willow creek by the RR bridge used to produce stocked trout, suckers, bass and the occasional brookie.
If you're in that general area, flyfishing below Blue Falls to the bridge is fun. Before I moved to Idaho I used to catch big bluegills, crappie, bass and the occasional small musky by accident. The rest of Maiden creek can even be fished from the bank. Willow creek by the RR bridge used to produce stocked trout, suckers, bass and the occasional brookie.
JeffP
Well-known member
Would love to see Peters surveyed but I bet it would be disappointing.
wgmiller
Well-known member
tomgamber
Well-known member
Thats how l learned to cast accurately. would throw a dry thought the culvert until it landed in the light. Let it drifted into the darkness and listened for the "kiss". there used to some very nice bookies in there. 10 and 12". Joe's hoppers worked well along the walls. I couldn't fish that now. You had to get low and I don't think I'd get back up these days. 😅
Andrwhite610
Well-known member
What’s funny about Peter’s to me is it’s a lush looking trough of a spring creek with wild trout and if you turn around and walk 3 steps you can catch snakehead and bass in a swampy pond. I hooked a nice brown on Peter’s once maybe 14-15”. It ended quickly.
It wasn’t disappointing in the 1980’s, but it declined with continued or increased sedimentation…silt in this case.
As for Berks wild trout streams in hot weather, there are plenty of cold enough Class A and other lower biomass streams to fish. Just consider using a thermometer as a quick check-up on temps if you’re thinking of fishing the lower 20% of the Class A sections’ lengths, although I can at the moment think of only one or two that might get a little warm at their lower ends.
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wgmiller
Well-known member
I poked around a few Berks spring creeks back in February of 2024, with lackluster results. Peters Creek, Laurel Run, and Willow Creek are the ones that come to mind. I may have to go back and fish Peters when streamside growth is in, as it would provide some much needed cover.
Peters Creek, looking downstream toward Lake Ontelaunee
Laurel Run, upstream of Leiszs Bridge Rd.
Peters Creek, looking downstream toward Lake Ontelaunee
Laurel Run, upstream of Leiszs Bridge Rd.
Has anyone ever proposed a habitat project for Peters Creek? It's so obviously channelized/ditched.
lycoflyfisher
Well-known member
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That needs full restoration to restore meander patterns and lots of wood for habitat complexity
Oregon_OwlII
Well-known member
I asked about that creek years ago and was told that the county considers it a Heritage site. (The stream banks were walled of by the CCC in the 1930s to create a straight channel). Perhaps the commissioners can be approached again. Tully TU would be the primary restoration partner if there was interest.
tomgamber
Well-known member
I believe its also has something to do with it and the Lake being the primary water source in the area.
tjsingle
Well-known member
Would be cool if they could get a restoration going. There's some pretty fish in there:
I don’t see that as being wise in this case, given the historical info, the expense of an extravagant project for such a short stretch of stream, and land use changes. Where present in abundance in the stream, the Class A ST population was quite impressive when the combination of abundance and size were considered, and at the time the stream, at least from a cursory perspective, appeared largely as it does in the pics provided. The undercut walls provided plenty of overhead cover, as did the water cress; however, due to lack of sunlight at that time, there was little to no cress in the wooded portion. That may have changed by now with a natural shift over time away from what I recall were evergreens in the wooded portion. Since the rest was a vegetated “meadow” limestoner (with walls), there was no shortage of forage. Over time, however, sediments built up to feet in depth, which effectively reduced the relative hight of the walls above the stream bottom in some stretches. The cress and other vascular aquatic plants aided in the deposition and sediment retention. Only a few hundred meters of the stream held the vast majority of the fish. Even if attempted, restoration would most likely be short-lived, given land use in the past and that which is occurring now in the drainage.
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wgmiller
Well-known member
Here's a shot upstream (east of Maidencreek Rd.), as well as a "bird's eye view".
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One of the weirdest streams I’ve ever fished. Never caught much, just one or two Brookies an outing from the one spot on the stream that is different and relatively easy to fish. If you know the stream you know where I mean. I have also observed LMB in the lower end in the Winter. Those fish have to love that 50 deg water that time of year.
