Lehigh River drift

[ryc72]

I have a hall pass to fish for a day in November. Has anyone done a drift on the Lehigh River? It’s one of the considerations and looks pretty and interesting. If there are others I should consider, would love to hear. Drift with a guide or diy walk and wade. My plans are flexible but I’d like to keep it within 2 hours of Princeton nj. Thanks in advance!

 

[hooker-of-men]

I obviously don't know if this is up your alley at all, but, if you're going to pay someone to take you for a boat ride in November, you might look at stripers off the coast of your fine state.

Are there concerns with fishing over redds on the Lehigh in November? I know it's a mix of wild and stocked, but I'm not intimately familiar with the fishery (so maybe I should stfu 🤷‍♂️).

 

[Tigereye]

Only ever did one drift on the Lehigh, in early spring. From JT to Bowmanstown. I cant speak specifically about a fall float.

I did fish the river wading in the gorge section a few times in early November. Pretty rough sledding. The river can be very finicky when water temps get below 50. Not your best fishing. If this warm spell hangs around abit, you may be ok. Keep an eye on USGS water data for temps and flow.

That said, a float is a pretty cool experience. A good chance to learn a good swath of the river in a few hours.

I wouldnt worry too much about redds.
You dont get to wade very far from shore and walking up and down mid stream is a fools errand. Most of the river, above JT anyway, is comprised of bowling ball size and larger rocks. Not much spawning habitat.

I may catch alot of hell for this but its my belief that most of the breeding is done in the tribs.

 

[DaveKile]

Contact @SBecker here on the site. He is a guide, but can help you out with some questions.

 

[SBecker]

Yep, any questions reach out.

 

[SBecker]

Only ever did one drift on the Lehigh, in early spring. From JT to Bowmanstown. I cant speak specifically about a fall float.

I did fish the river wading in the gorge section a few times in early November. Pretty rough sledding. The river can be very finicky when water temps get below 50. Not your best fishing. If this warm spell hangs around abit, you may be ok. Keep an eye on USGS water data for temps and flow.

That said, a float is a pretty cool experience. A good chance to learn a good swath of the river in a few hours.

I wouldnt worry too much about redds.
You dont get to wade very far from shore and walking up and down mid stream is a fools errand. Most of the river, above JT anyway, is comprised of bowling ball size and larger rocks. Not much spawning habitat.

I may catch alot of hell for this but its my belief that most of the breeding is done in the tribs.

Not sure where you would catch hell from, that is where most of it happens.

 

[Tigereye]

There was a thread a year or so back when i asked the question that if the Lehigh had reproduction, where are the little ones? My experience has been most browns caught average 14 to 16 inches. They were either hold overs or fish that outgrew the habitat in the tribs and dropped back to the river. Very seldom are fish <10".

 

[troutbert]

The Lehigh River is beautiful. It's great for a boat ride, whether you catch fish or not.