West Creek Cameron County

[Camp]

I traveled by this sweet looking stream on Friday and was curious to know if anyone has tried fishing this water recently. It is curious to me that the PFBC lists this open to year round fishing and the only guide information I could find indicated that there was acid mine runoff problems twenty years ago. There is nice access along 120 between St. Mary's and Emporium and lots of good looking stream features. Is this stream on the rebound? Are there any discharge treatment plans underway? Looks like the headwaters are in state game lands.

 

[Camp]

I did find this report that showed good water quality for West Creek from 2005.

https://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/stateOfWestBranch2005.pdf

Tough finding specific items with west turning up lots of results.

 

[troutbert]

West Creek used to be stocked, but is it now? I don't see it on the stocking list, under either Cameron or Elk Counties.

I also do not see it on the natural reproduction list.

In 2002 I stopped at a bridge and saw some minnows and a juvenile smallmouth bass. So the stream is not dead.

My guess is that there are very few wild trout just based on the character of the stream and its surroundings and because it's not on the repro list. But you never know unless you try. Sometimes there are surprises.

 

[Camp]

I also checked all the trout designations and it does not appear in any of them. It does appear as open to trout fishing year round, if I read correctly. Hoping someone can shed some light on the water quality issues.

 

[Camp]

I completely forgot about starting this topic six years ago. I finally gave West Creek a try this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised. It is heavily stocked and is included in the St. Leo trout derby.

Good news is that the stocked fish are well distributed along the rail trail that follows it. I found no evidence of natural reproduction. The water is clear and cold with no evidence of iron deposits. The water is almost too clean and sterile with little woody debris and only marginal aquatic insect indicators from the small area I sampled.

The stocked trout were healthy and hearty. Glad I finally gave this stream a try.