HBG Spring Creek, Dauphin County 09-05-2014

[Gorosaurus]

Decided that I would take my yearly trek to our little LeTort-In-The-Making, Spring Creek. This delicate little creek reportedly holds a reproducing population of brown trout (confirmed) and several very large fish (unconfirmed) for such a tiny stream.

TEMPS: Varied, but between 56 and 65 degrees.
Air Temp: 82-88
Time: 2:15pm-4:30pm



The Spring House seems to be the real springhead for the creek. There is a pretty good gush coming out of the ground, and it is VERY cold. I would say around 56 degrees! There are always trout in the pool around the spring house, but they are very skitzy, and it's almost impossible to cast. You can see me squirrel fishing in at least one of the pictures there.

The stream itself heads through housing projects, below bridges, along prisons, and beside fast food places. The trash that I found most common was not beer cans or beach balls, but bicycles! There were probably 8 different bikes that I found in various stages of natural covering.

The water was quite low, and the fish were not going to tolerate any sort of line whatsoever. My 5x tapered leader and mono line did not impress them.

There are a whole lot of surprisingly deep holes in this creek, and I can believe that a bugger would be very effective at the right time. It also leads credence to the idea that this unassuming stream might hold a few bruisers. It really speaks well for the quality of the springs that there are trout at all in the face of all of the runoff this gets during the summer. In earlier days this would've really been a treat.

One of the biggest problems I have always faced with Spring Creek is that I can't find any true access points but at the very top of it. Fishing downstream is definitely not a successful strategy, but I really can't find any other way- so I fish selectively down, wait a while, then fish back up.


No trout brought to hand today. A few chubs were active. In my estimation, this stream is doing very well and possibly improving with time. It's a long way off from being regularly "fishable," but it's a cute detour for brave locals. I also strongly feel that awareness of this gem from conservation-minded folks like ourselves is its best bet for continued survival.

Any other tips? Is it better/is there access closer to the mouth?

 

[salvelinus]

You can access it via the Greenbelt between Cameron St. and Rt. 441. My buddy fishes the stream on occasion and has caught several nice fish. Try around the Five Senses Garden.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Yes park in the lot off 441 and you can go down or up.

I have fished this a few times on the past few months. Lots if fish right off the banks. Made very long casts to them. Nailed them on a royal stimulator. Hard spooky fish. Lost a few 18+ caught a few 16"ers. Most the fish

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

I've fished it. You gotta fight ur way through the fall fish. Have mostly caught dinks. Tons of trash.

 

[klingy]

Sal and phishing hit the nail on the head with there being mostly small fish. Can be really tough fishing. Though the trout are mostly small and spread thin, there are plenty of large fallfish. And shopping carts. And dime bags. And syringes. And if you time it right, you can hit the turd hatch during a heavy rain. Nothing like cleaning TP off your leader knots in between casts around trash bins and doll heads.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Full of trash. And after a small rainfall it gets muddy fast and turns a gray color. Grass clippings and fast food containers are the main hatch. I wouldn't wet wade it. And if you forget your nippers and have to bite the line you could be in for a sore throat or worse. Hard to believe it holds fish.

 

[geebee]

sounds like it needs some TLC - who is the local TU ?

is there a watershed association ?

thanks for sharing, sounds like a promising project.

 

[troutbert]

The Doc Fritchey Chapter of TU has made efforts there. They put in some cross-vanes to try to create some pool habitat.

And they've tried to convince the local authorities to limit their cutting of riparian vegetation. They had done a lot of that after a flood.

Does anyone have other suggestions for what might be done?

This is the most stormwater blasted stream I've ever seen that still holds trout.

You can go on AcmeMapper and see how extremely urbanized the watershed is. Highways, vast parking lots for big shopping centers, houses, office buildings etc.

For any students in the area studying stream ecology, environmental science, etc. this should be a must field trip. You can see a classic example of "urban stream syndrome" in its advanced stages.

 

[salvelinus]

Since the prison is right there they should round up some "volunteers" to do some work. That is if it's not infringing on their rights.

 

[wgmiller]

I would have to suspect that to truly "protect" that stream, a MASSIVE amount of work would have to be done in the watershed. And of course that translates into a lot of $$$. The stream certainly is an example for one that refuses to die and it is amazing that it holds trout. When you look at the pollution and other issues surrounding it, the deck certainly is stacked against it.

 

[scotto]

Doc Fritchey Chapter has done nearly $400,000 of restoration. Local authorities are not willing to total revamp storm water management practices due to extremely high cost in such an urbanized area. I would say that Spring Creek is was it is and will never be more.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

You guys make it sound like a cesspool.

Is a pretty good stream considering all the cards against it. Not sure I'm understanding.

 

[JackM]

They don't want it to seem too attractive. Don't be naive.

 

[DanVerona]

I was going to say something earlier but didn't want to tick anyone off, because the first 3 posts praised the stream, and the next 3 sounded like an entirely different stream. (i.e number of big fish vs. fallfish & dinks, etc....).....

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Ha! Yeah...Urban streams can be fun. If you enjoy fishing near apartment complexes, highways and parking lots this one is for you. And you better not leave the expensive second rod or GPS in plain view in the parked car.

 

[klingy]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Ha! Yeah...Urban streams can be fun. If you enjoy fishing near apartment complexes, highways and parking lots this one is for you. And you better not leave the expensive second rod or GPS in plain view in the parked car.

No doubt. I didn't really mean to paint spring for anything other than it is. ALL of those things I stated above are absolutely true. Last time I was there I experienced not one, but all of the following: solicited for casual sex by a very friendly, though overly cologned gentleman, witnessed two transactions involving what i can only assume was not over-the-counter medication, and nearly got mauled by a group of 4 pit bulls, only one of which the owner had a leash for (how they picked that one, I have no idea). But yeah, there are a few trout.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

They don't want it to seem too attractive. Don't be naive.

Because that thought never occurred to me at all :roll:

Yes it's urban, yes it has small fish, yes it has storm water issues, yes it can smell like a sewer, yes it has fall fish, yes you can find shady people there, yes there are a few nice fish too.....

Yes it's a diamond in an otherwise cesspool of a city.
I think it's pretty good for what it is.

On a side note,
Most of the best streams in the state ALSO contain all said above.

 

[scotto]

Its a nice for an urban toilet

 

[scotto]

Its a nice for an urban toilet

 

[Night_Stalker]

Most streams I fish have sewer plants in there system...if not raw matter. That is why you do not wet wade any of them.

The added nutrients are food for the biomass to consume. Crack vials and syringes help to improve DNA of the fish long term.

I've been told there are a few Whoppers in there...