Lehigh R. Carbon Co. July 14, 2019

Tigereye

Tigereye

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Lehigh Gorge
Flows at 300 and temp from dam was 68. Fished river just downstream of a cold trib above White Haven. Water temp there was 63. Full moon or close to one if that means anything. Air temps mid 70's. Time 7 -9 pm


No significant bug activity an occasional stonefly, iso, and chalky cahills, some spinners late.

As expected most risers were on the trib side taking advantage of cooler water. Was off my game a bit and dealt with an inordinate amount of tangles and encounters with trees.

Fished a smallish #14 iso comparadun which looks enough like a spinner which took a 4 nice rainbows about 12 inches. Once I couldn't see it anymore switched to the Cahill with no luck on top. However i did hook up with 2 more as it swung beneath the surface. All stocked rainbows.

 
I would love to give the Lehigh a try with another experienced angler. I dont know the river that well and my brother drowned in the Lehigh around Bowmanstown so I have a fear of that raging beast but would love an opportunity to tag along with someone that knows the river better than I some day.

Thanks for the post and Tight Lines !!
 
Any thermal relief in sight for the fish? Water hit 71 coming out of the dam yesterday, i see the pool is full at 1370. Is there just one release gate on the dam and that is that?

Havent fished up there since june 30th, miss it already
 
Rest assured Timmy the fish are fine. This weekend's WW release was a God send. With air temps in the mid 90's and beating sun, any exposed rocks act like big heat sinks. The higher flows mitigated that problem tremendously. The many rapids also help keep the water well oxygenated.

As one goes further downsstream there are a number of cold water tributaries (Mud Run, Hickory Run, Drakes, Hayes etc.)
in addtion to deep holes that moderate the temperature of the flows.

Also remember that the water in the gorge is between two mtns and doesnt get the direct sunlight for a long periods of time lessening the effect of sun. Unscientifically I would venture to guess 8-10 degree cooler air temps in the gorge.

Considering the conditions a high of 71 out of the dam is not all that bad. The water temp down stream most likely much cooler. I didnt measure this weekend but would guess 68 or so on ave with sections below cold feeders cooler than that.

A few cooler nights in the forecast should help even further.

The problem Timmy is exactly what you state. Though FEW is a bottom release dam. With WW releases occurring earlier in the year and the mandate to keep pool level at 1370 means that the cold water pool is expended by the time we need it most ie July August.

There are studies, redtape, politics and financial issues involved to install provisions to mix top or surface water with bottom releases to regulate temperatures. It is a work in progress, hopefull we see it in our lifetime. I know the DRBC PFBC and other big players are behind it. time will tell
 
https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/1910040/army-corps-updates-water-release-schedule-at-francis-e-walter-dam/fbclid/IwAR1o6fC-N7_9tf_nIczeYk0dadvsvYj56LDyQCgemQa7_stZGESc82fBC7o/

In case you guys missed it, they've saved up enough water for more whitewater and fishing releases this year. This will give the fish some additional relief.

Tigereye nailed it. Folks get confused by the Lehigh, as it is the opposite of most bottom release dams and it cools off even more as you go downstream (rather than warming up) and enter the gorge + more cold water feeder tributaries and deep holes give the fish places to hide from the heat.

I may pop by this weekend in the gorge to take some temperatures in a couple of areas around Rockport to get a better understanding of how this recent heat / release schedule has affected the water temps.
 
Unfortunately, I had to make an unplanned trip to visit family in Pittsburgh. Won't be able to do it this weekend either. Might have to be mid-August when I can get up that way again.
 
My experience says take 2-4 degrees off the water temp reported at the Whitehaven gauge for the gorge when flows are 400 and below (this means there is a higher cold water trib influence) Water 400 and above without a recent rain means temps are about the same throughout. (as the % of outflow with the dam exceeds any influence)

Not exact science, but general rule of thumb. Pretty much when temps get to 67 out of the dam, I leave it alone until September. Some years outflow stays in the low 70's (good years, and very survivable by trout in the highly oxygenated water) and in some I've seen water temps touch 80 out of the dam.
 
Good info Smike

Do they ever consider bumping the release number for heat? It seems like the ONLY time they want to release anything more than what the inflow number is once its at 1370 is for whitewater releases. A day like today when its 95, maybe they could give a bump to 4 or 500 for the daylight hours. Do they just not do this because whitewater gets all the priority or is it that since coldwater is already depleted (also apparently sooner than it could be because of whitewater according to what tigereye posted above) it wont make a difference anyway?
 
https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Portals/39/docs/Civil/Walter/2019-F-E-Walter-Flow-Management-Plan.pdf?ver=2018-10-25-153323-953

Here is the management plan. It explains their release policies and reasonng.

Not perfect from my selfish viewpoint but a working compromisei would guess.

 
We're getting there boys, few more cold nights and it'll be time to go again!!!! I cant wait!
 
No need to wait. LR has been lights out. Rockport area temps are low 60's as a high. All trib's are cold right now. Even the Toby is under 70.

Slate drakes and BWO's late afternoon.

Last release this weekend I believe.
 
No kidding? Thats awesome.

Where do you look at (can you?) look at temps online other than the release temp from the dam? I am just learning the river and am really not familiar with the gorge area at all. So far my experience is the upper river and a little bit down by lehighton. I fully intend to go explore the gorge but just havent had the time to put in to do it.

Very wadeable flows right now too!
 
Yo timm

But it looks like this weekend's a white water release. But the levels do look great, except for this weekend.
 
Timmmy...I live in Blakeslee - 10 miles or so from the LR so I fish this area regularly and always have recent stream temps taken by me via thermometer.

And I have a brookie stream right by my house so I can always get that temp.

Good luck if you get out next week.
 
Anyone going to be fishing on the 15th? Heading up with a buddy, looking to possibly hook up with someone to show us the ropes on the Lehigh, if not we will figure it out.
 
That's great that the temps have dropped in the gorge then. Cool nights must be helping. I'll be heading there early Sunday then.
 
I hear ya millser, must be sweet to be that close, i would love that!

Back to my question though, other than the release temp on the usgs guage, are there another other temp guages online anywhere, thanks!
 
Tobyhanna has a USGS gauge online. You should be able to google it.

Lehigh above the dam also has gauge at Stoddardsville. You should be able to google it.

Both of those gauges are decent for reference but both are also always warmer than the "canopied" tributary streams feeding into the LR below the dam.

I'll be fishing LR tomorrow late afternoon til dark. Looks like cooler temps and overcast. Can't ask for better situation. I may even put my waders on. Mayflies should be out. Not sure what section I'm going to fish yet.
 
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