Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2023 - 6

Trout fishing
Pennypack Creek is amply stocked with trout by the
PFBC. In recent years, it has been receiving three springtime
stockings, with one prior to the season opener and two during
the season. Trout fishing can be excellent into late spring,
with fish holding in deep pools and log jams. When the water
is clear, look in rocky holes and runs. I've often spotted nice
trout lying in wait before casting to them.
With spin fishing gear, cover the water quickly, using
spinners or small spoons to motivate trout to follow and
strike. Small minnow-shaped stickbaits also work well.
Watch closely for any following fish that do not bite.
Sometimes, a flash in the depths will signal that there are
good fish in the pool. Try a slower presentation like small
marabou jigs or soft plastics. When the trout seem picky, use
a lighter weight line such as 4-pound-test line.
Fly anglers do well using beadhead nymphs, Woolly
Buggers, and other flashy streamers in the early spring
right after stockings take place. Once trout have been in
the stream longer, try switching to smaller, more naturalcolored
nymphs. Some dry fly action takes place in the creek,
with caddisflies making up most of the activity, followed by
terrestrial insects, like ants and beetles in the spring.
A late season stocking in the fall, often in mid-October,
offers great fall fishing for trout along the stream. If the water
is low, fish will spread out less than in higher springtime
flows. Look for them concentrated in deep pools and holes
in the creek. Good fishing can persist well into the winter,
especially if higher flows disperse fish throughout the system.
Warmwater fishing
Redbreast Sunfish are excellent targets when the trout
are more fickle, and Smallmouth Bass are abundant in some
reaches. On a recent stop during the summer, I watched a
large mixed school of sunfish and bass fight over the flies
that I casted into the stream. The challenge was not if fish
could be caught but if you could get your offering past the
smaller fish in the stream to enable larger ones to take it.
With direct access to the Delaware River, other interesting
fish may show up from time to time as well. From
American Eels to Hickory Shad, don't be surprised by your
encounters, especially as you near the tidal line at the lower
end of the stream.
Pennypack Park
Beginning just after the Civil War, large areas of
parkland were created and protected throughout the City of
Philadelphia. The shading and other benefits provided by
the mature forest along the stream are vital to it remaining
a viable fishing location in the city. Access includes multiple
parking lots along the creek in the city. The Pine Road
parking area is a great starting point to explore the stream,
with easy access, ample parking, and plenty of hiking trails.
Further upstream, the Pennypack Trail provides miles of
access to the creek along the upper end of the stocked section
in Lorimer Park and above.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater
This Rainbow Trout took a beadhead nymph. Fly anglers may have
success on Pennypack Creek using beadhead nymphs and Woolly
Buggers, especially early in spring after recent trout stockings.
Rocky riffles and runs on Pennypack Creek are good spots to try in
the springtime when looking for trout along the creek. Walk along
trails in Pennypack Park to get away from other anglers.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2023

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