For migratory, saltwater striped bass, there's electroshocking in the spawning areas rivers/tribs to examine YOY and success of spawn. I guess there's nothing scientifically done in the past on the Lehigh or even similar rivers that point to spawning processes? I enjoy all the input and theories; thanks for the repsonses.
Where, when do Lehigh River wild browns spawn?
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Hadn’t thought about this, but it also potentially partially explains why large fish are very rare in the tribs. I’ve fished them a fair bit and 12” is about the max you find in the Gorge tribs. A nice small stream fish, but in other areas of the state with wild Browns in small streams you do find the occasional 15”+ fish.
On some of those streams that’d be a wild ride down to the river though.
bringthepain
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I don't think most of the fish come from the tribs. I do think they have learned to move all over that river depending on the season and conditions though.
The point about the size of the fish is interesting. At times I have caught smaller wild fish. Hypothetically i would love to see a few good rain years with no stocking what would happen to the population in there. In good rain years it would work out ok. If you had a run like the 3 we are in now including this year it would probably put a hurting on them
The point about the size of the fish is interesting. At times I have caught smaller wild fish. Hypothetically i would love to see a few good rain years with no stocking what would happen to the population in there. In good rain years it would work out ok. If you had a run like the 3 we are in now including this year it would probably put a hurting on them
I’m familiar with a past (between 5-10 yrs ago) summer’s electrofishing survey results, from one of the tribs (not Pohopoco) to the Lehigh within Carbon Co. The sampling site, which was most likely 300 m or longer given the number of fish collected, was impressive regarding the number of larger (than 12”) fish present and they were assumed to have come from the river. The site was close to the mouth of the trib. The result may have been atypical, but it was quite good.
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Tigereye
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Interesting. Is it possible that instead of coming from the river to go up the trib, could it be that these were a concentration of drop backs. The timing of the study is important to address any spawning correlation.
They were probably running up from the river when it got warm, seeking thermal refuge.
Tigereye
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Hmmm. Limited number of large fish in tribs, limited number of smaller fish in river🤔
LehighRegular
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Not true. We have eyewitness accounts of large browns moving up the tributaries to spawn. I have never seen a redd in the Lehigh. I think there are some areas suitable, but they are few and far between in the main river. I believe, most of the spawning occurs in the tribs, at least the ones they can get up.
As for Penns, I have witnessed browns on redds in Penns Creek. THey will spawn in the creek especially if they can't get up the tribs, like Cherry Run.
LehighRegular
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There were a couple years where the PFBC stocked fingerling browns. Those fish survived a few years and were gone. Some grew to around 14" or so. I believe they were fin clipped to identify them.
I've seen redds in Bald Eagle Creek. And I've talked to people who have found redds in the Little Juniata River. I've also heard reports of spawning in the West Branch Delaware.
None of these is as large as the Lehigh River in the Gorge, but they are larger than the average trout stream.
Looking for redds in Bald Eagle Creek was interesting. You could walk long distances and see no redds. They were just in particular areas.
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We should subpoena those eyewitnesses for testimony on specifics.
Not true? That’s the kind of response one makes to a definitive claim. I only said that such behavior wouldn’t surprise me.
I wouldn’t necessarily jump to the general conclusion that the browns run up the tribs each year to spawn unless that has been well documented. They might, but they might not. Additionally, this behavior might only occur in certain Carbon Co and upper-most Lehigh Co trout fishing stretches of the river that were cool enough through the summer, but not occur in other Carbon Co and upper-most Lehigh Co trout fishing stretches that were too warm.
In an Adirondack lake, one that does not stratify, the resident adult brook trout spawn well in years when lake temps are cool, delay spawning to later in fall when lake temps have been somewhat warm, produce fewer redds, and some give up on spawning when lake temps have been even warmer during the summer. This has resulted in failed year classes at times.
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rustbeltwilds
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I agree
rustbeltwilds
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Mike , you said they would reasorb the egfs n milt...why is it then while i was a fish culturist for the pfbc just 2 short years sgo. Our manager made us strip the brood stock brown and brook trout in the trophy raceways..claiming if we didnt they would prob die.???
bringthepain
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There are small gravel pockets all over the river in and around large rocks, down in depressions, etc. While there arent large stretches of gravel all over, I always assumed (we all know that saying) that the fish found these areas and used them. I don't fish much in the fall with kids soccer, etc so i can't attest to anything first hand in that sense.
With at least some of the tribs blocked in one way or another it seems to me that there would be more wild fish in the river than there is room for them all to spawn in the tribs.
With at least some of the tribs blocked in one way or another it seems to me that there would be more wild fish in the river than there is room for them all to spawn in the tribs.
As a general comment about hatchery settings and not specific to PFBC hatcheries, I’d say that culturists strip eggs despite not being needed in order to optimize fish health in a hatchery setting where it is likely that there is more stress than the wild, water quality is generally poorer, and where exposure to disease is more likely. Stress, including that potentially associated with egg reabsorption, unnatural crowding, and water quality variations, increases vulnerability to disease. Retained eggs may also lead to internal infection.
This is an extreme example of stress effects, but you may have noticed that certain species of hatchery trout do not transport as well when in spawning condition as they do post-spawn.
rustbeltwilds
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Nice vid. Less the music though 😛
Bamboozle
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Was that music...?
Streammagic237
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Eli Goulding is the artist
