Bushkill Creek--Northampton County Pa

Below Resica Falls though the Boy Scout reservation is a better option IMHO.
 
I think he means the one that runs through Easton.

I've never been there. I should change that this spring.
 
hwat would you like to know , i have fished this stream all my life and know a lil. pm me
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace
 
I used to fish this stream quite a bit going back 30 years ago. Used to fish near Bushkill Park, Penn Pump as well as the section near Tatamy. Since that time, I have concentrated on the Pocono streams for trout and New York for steelhead. I've been thinking about trying it again because it's much closer to where I live. Any info you can provide will be helpful as I'm sure the stream has changed a lot. There used to be a fly fishing only area and I understand that is no longer.
 
one of my favorite all tiome streams, has a very steady trico hatch in the summer, especially in the c&r section. havnt been there since nov though, proably stll has some good numbers of brookies and bows below the dam at penn pump park, and binney and smith.-kevin
 
The Bushkill has fallen on hard times of late. Recent fish commission shocking survey results verify this observation.
The numbers of trout are down considerably from survey results documented in the 1990s.
My experiences in recent times have been somewhat disappointing as well. I do not want to mislead you. Wild trout continue to make the Bushkill their home. Nevertheless, the numbers are down.
A friend sent news articles to me that indicate the Bushkill is being polluted by an unknown source. It is currently being investigated by the fish commission.
Perhaps, the pollution finding might explain the heavy weed growth, which has covered much of the stream bottom over the past two summers.
There might be other problems too.
We must hope that all that is plaguing the stream can be found and resolved quickly. For the Bushkill is one of the finest trout fishing resources in the ABE area.
 
Hard times, my ssa! This is from the biologists report.
"In 2010, the total estimated wild brown trout biomass of 67.32 kg/ha was more than 20 kilograms greater than the 46.84 kg/ha recorded in 2008. With the exception of the 1989 survey, the wild brown trout population continues to meet or exceeded the minimum biomass standard of 40 kg/ha for Class A wild brown trout managemeny."
However it never fishes well during the winter, perhaps because the browns move to locations I haven't found yet or for some unknown reason, like I'm not a good nymph fishermean. I don't fish it a lot because I just don't target browns, but I've been there several times over the last couple of years.
The last time was after the big storm during the fall and I got skunked and saw only very few fish and know brookies, which I'll add have been by the upper dam for several years. There are a couple of guys on the board that fish the Bushkill fairly often maybe they'll chime in.
The population of trout isn't what it was in the 90's, but it's still good.
 
Richfish, a survey after the severe floods from 2004-06 did show a drop in the population in the c&r section. However the lower population still excesses class A standards. The c&r section is impacted greatly by two dams and this area in particular was ravaged by the floods. It was speculated that this combined to hurt the population. However the biologists noted a very good # of YOY and subsequent surveys have shown that the population is increasing. Only the c&r section is surveyed. In sections upstream, such as the old historic fly-fishing section it is also class A and offers good fishing for wild browns too. Even the stocked sections hold wild browns. The stream holds fish over well too with temps not topping 70 degrees at all this past extremely hot summer.

The pollution discovered is fecal e-coli and is actually believed to come from several sources. You make a very good point about it being possible cause of the weed & algae growth.

The stream indeed has a good population of wild browns with good hatches of midges, tricos, sulphurs, baetis/bwo, craneflies, & caddis. For winter I suggest PT nymphs, midges, & also olive woolly buggers fished slow and deep, even dead-drifted. Scuds and sculpins are abundant too. Public access on both public & private property remains good.
 
At first, I thought you were going to disagree with my assessment of the state of the Bushkill Creek. Your source, Pennsylvania Fish Commission data, would indicate the decline of the trout population in the stream over the past ten or so years. Their information appears to corroborate what I have been observing each time I visit the Bushkill.
In fact, the trout population is about half what is was in 1999. Furthermore, the population has been on a steady decline since 1990. Excepting 2008, the recorded trout population was less in 2010 than any previous year looking back to 1990. If this trend continues over the next decade, the trout numbers might well fall below the minimum numbers for class A wild trout classification.
The point that I want to make is that even though she is a good trout stream, the Bushkill appears to be sick. Please read the recent article from the Morning Call -
http://articles.mcall.com/2010-10-07/news/mc-bushkill-creek-polluted-20101007_1_water-tests-show-bushkill-creek-septic-system
Indifference will only see these trends continue their course. I hope that the good folks, who care for the Bushkill, continue to monitor her health. At the same time, we, who like to fish for those wonderful and wild brown trout, should do what we can to support efforts to protect and restore our favourite trout waters.
I have spent a good deal of time fishing, playing, and working on the Bushkill Creek. I have met many fisherman there, many have become good friends. Clearly, we all love to fish and hope for the best on out trout waters.
 
If you look closely at the populations of the 90s and then the 2000s I think you'll see a trend. Though the population is less it is rather stable, showing the same natural peaks and valleys as during the 90s. Extreme development and runoff & sedimentation are significant impacts that came to the forefront between the 90s and now. I'd have too look again but when I reviewed the surveys I didn't see anything that shows the population is on a definitive total decline. Further, several conservation groups have been working to address these issues, especially regarding sedimentation and the compounding of the problem by the # of dams on the lower Bushkill. A lot of spawning habitat and riffle sections have been silted-in from decades upon decades of sediment being trapped behind the dams. The last two decades of development and runoff yearly exasperated the issue as well. When some of those dams come down and spawning habitat is uncovered and increased as well as the trout having greater access to it I think we'll see trout populations increase accordingly. I'm sure glad for your concern and appreciation for the Bushkill.
 
I love this stream even though I get there infrequently, and of course I first discovered it in 1989...at this time it is indeed a shadow of those days.
Couple of questions for the locals, is there a chance those dams will be removed? And, where exactly was the "historical" FFO section"?
Be well, all.
 
There is a cement quarry next to the stream next to where Rt 191 crosses the stream at Rt 33. I believe they pump out the quarry into the stream? If my memory is correct does that help or hurt the stream?
 
ThePreacher wrote:
I love this stream even though I get there infrequently, and of course I first discovered it in 1989...at this time it is indeed a shadow of those days.
Couple of questions for the locals, is there a chance those dams will be removed? And, where exactly was the "historical" FFO section"?
Be well, all.
Click to expand...


As for the dams, I have heard some serious talk regarding the removal of at least one dam. That is, the finances are available for the removal. That dam is the one closest to the mouth of the stream. Someone like Ryan is likely better informed on the dam subject.
The FFO section started just south of the old Tatamy bridge near Messinger's Mill. There is a small, stone spring house located on the west or stream side of the road. It flowed downstream to the dam near Stocker's Auto-body. That is just downstream of the footbridge.
This section of the Bushkill has suffered the most from recent housing development, siltation, and flooding.
There remains a fairly good population of wild brown trout here. Of course the numbers are not what they once were.
 
I don't know if it helps or hurts, but check out the stream flow and you will see a great fluctuation. Also I have fished when, after they had pumped, in, years past, and the water was milky and fishing sucked. Fishing is not as good as it was in years past,but occasionally you can still catch some nice trout if you know where to fish. The stream needs a TU chapter.
 
If I were a betting man I'd bet that the troutpopulations are up every year since Ivan. The last 2 surveys show YOY very high, which tells me it's rebounding. Floods are what impact the creek the most followed by the pumping at the quarry. And why only survey the C & R section, ALL other sections of the stream are either Class A or a high Class B.
I'm betting the greater impact is that of stocking. Even if this years floods hit the creek hard, if the creek wasn't sotcked you'd see the population back to what they were in the 90's. There's a history of stocking limestones streams that have wild browns, that shows stocking is the greatest impact on these streams. Stop the stocking and the population jumps to 3 to five times what a Class A Wild Brown Trout Stream population should be to make it Class A, that's the M.O. Stop the stocking and it would be Class A from the quarry down to the Delaware River. Stop the stocking and the imacts of floods will probably be somewhat less than they are now.
I also believe that winter fishing will be better than it is now, because I believe the browns winter in the dam pools.
 
LouM wrote:
I don't know if it helps or hurts, but check out the stream flow and you will see a great fluctuation. Also I have fished when, after they had pumped, in, years past, and the water was milky and fishing sucked. Fishing is not as good as it was in years past,but occasionally you can still catch some nice trout if you know where to fish. The stream needs a TU chapter.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking it reduces acidity but may increase sedimentation. Could imagine it affects temperature as well.
 
Isn't Forks of the Delaware the local TU chapter? Ryan R was/is? the pres.

Fished the Bushkill since the 60's and it has been up and down - but always had decent wild brown fishing. Lately, rampant development is an issue combined with the expansion of the cement quarries. Back in the late 60's/ early 70's the issue was replacement of the old stone arch bridges with more modern bridges which lead to channelization around the bridges. The Bushkill sure was more scenic with the old cow pastures and stone arch bridges. Used to love the old FFO area and caught my fish 20"+ brown on a nymph there. Fishing pressure is a mixed bag. I think the overall fishing pressure was worse in years past, but year-round pressure is up today and modern guys sure do better when tiny tricos and olives are about.

Bushkill was always more affected by rain than the other Lehigh Valley limestoners IMHO. A large portion of the watershed above Tatamy is in a heavily farmed, shale bedrock area that is more prone to quick run-off.
 
LouM wrote:
I don't know if it helps or hurts, but check out the stream flow and you will see a great fluctuation. Also I have fished when, after they had pumped, in, years past, and the water was milky and fishing sucked. Fishing is not as good as it was in years past,but occasionally you can still catch some nice trout if you know where to fish. The stream needs a TU chapter.
Click to expand...

[color=CC0000]The stream does have a TU chapter, it is the home waters of the Forks of the Delaware Chapter. www.forkstu.org[/color]

Not sure when the last time you fished it was but the stream has not run milky or off-color from the quarry for several years now. Our chapter worked long and hard with the quarry to resolve that issue, the quarry has been using a floculant to control that issue and it works well. The fishing in the Tatamy area is rather good, but the fish are spooky and every bit wild. There is lots for them to feed upon so they are selective, as wild fish tend to be on any food-rich limestoner. There are wild browns throughout this section, finding them is not difficult.

This is a condensed version of all that we have learned but here goes: Partly due to its limestone geology as well as the presence of several large quarries in the watershed, the Bushkill is what is known as a losing stream. Beginning in the area about 100yards upstream of the Tatamy Bridge upstream to the Quarry property, sinkholes have developed including several that are huge, swallowing vast amounts of water. The aquifer (which supports the stream) has infiltrated the quarry floor (we can argue as to how this happened, I have my opinion on it for sure) so for years now the quarry operators have needed to pump that water back into the stream. Unfortunately, without that water being pumped, the stream loses too much water to the aforementioned huge sinkholes and cannot maintain enough flow to satisfy the sinkholes as well as the streambed downstream through Tatamy. However, during a planned power outage and inadequate # of diesel pumps to maintain flow (which has been rectified) that resulted in a dry streambed all the way through Tatamy, we did learn that there are enough springs beginning around Newlins Mill to refill the stream as it continues downstream to Easton.

Last year the quarry completed a project it has been working on to seal up the quarry floor to reduce the aquifer's infiltration. It seems to be working for them. The interesting and somewhat unknown thing will happen when the quarry eventually closes. It is likely that the aquifer will need to fill the quarry to a certain level before it begins providing enough flow back to the stream. That could take awhile. The future of the stream may also be that in the Tatamy-Stockertown area, during times of low-flow portions of the stream will run underground, similar to parts of Big Fishing Creek and other streams.
 
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