Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2021 - 9

reason. With over 22 miles of
Spring Creek open all year, it is
the perfect spot to explore during
the early season months when
many other streams are closed.
Strong hatches (such as early
season caddis and blue-winged
olives) bring trout to the surface
to feed after the long winter.
These fish are mostly beautiful
wild Brown Trout, which is a
nice bonus. It is this bug activity
that sets Spring Creek apart from
other streams on this list. There
is the possibility of hitting some
exceptional days during early
spring when trout actively feed
A colorful Brown Trout hits the net in March before being released.
on the surface and give anglers
a shot at banner days using dry
flies. Access is also in no short supply thanks to many
melt, the stream can swell to unsafe levels and make wading
PFBC-owned areas that are well-marked with signage up
treacherous. Even in these conditions, trout can still be caught
and down the stream.
using streamers or lures near the banks as fish move out of the
heavy current and look for areas of reprieve.

Little Juniata River

The Little Juniata River has gained plenty of notoriety
over the last decade due to its outstanding wild Brown Trout
fishing. There are almost 14 miles of stream managed under
Catch and Release All Tackle regulations that anglers can
take advantage of fishing throughout the entire year. The
Little Juniata River is a small, limestone spring influenced
small river that features strong hatches and plenty of access
from roads that parallel the water. Anglers are well-served to
monitor the water levels here. After big spring rains or snow

Pine Creek and its tributaries

Pine Creek, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, and Clinton counties,
provides an extraordinary opportunity to fish big water for
big trout during the months of March and April. Aside from
Pine Creek itself, Cedar Run and Slate Run, Lycoming and
Tioga counties, are two world-class streams that add a nice
change of pace to the larger water and still give anglers solid
options for spring fishing. Not only is there an opportunity
to catch numbers of trout, but all three of these streams have
exceptionally big fish. At any moment, it
is possible to tangle with a large Brown
Trout. In terms of sheer miles of fishable
water, it is tough to beat Pine Creek and
its two most well-known tributaries. As
an added bonus, this is a terrific time to
fish Pine Creek, Cedar Run, and Slate Run
without much fear of the rattlesnakes,
which reside in this area and are more
active during the summer months.
While Pennsylvania trout anglers
typically circle May and June on the
calendar as the best months to pursue
their quarry, the early season of March
and April provides terrific action on many
waters around the state. There is diversity
and quality to be had for both stocked
and wild trout as fish shake off the chill
of winter and start feeding aggressively
during this new year. Trout do not live by
a schedule, and the start of trout season
happens long before opening day.
There is nothing better than catching fish on trout waters open to year-round fishing.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2021

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