Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2023 - 11

A
s the cold weather begins to
take over, our thoughts drift
to hunting, holidays and the
end of the year hustle and bustle. For
those who do not want to take a season
off from trout fishing, there are still
plenty of opportunities. In southcentral
Pennsylvania, there are many streams
where fishing remains strong even
through the winter months.
The best streams to fish in
southcentral Pennsylvania during the
winter are limestone or limestoneinfluenced
trout streams. They will have
the warmest temperatures, which will
in turn have the most actively feeding
trout. There are several freestone streams
where fishing can still be good, but
patience is required.
A wintertime fly box selection.
Limestone streams
The three most well-known limestone streams in this area
are Letort Spring Creek, Cumberland County, Big Spring
Creek, Cumberland County, and Falling Spring Branch,
Franklin County. There are plenty of others in the area, but
none have the trout populations of these three streams. Each
one presents its own set of challenges but has feeding trout.
Since the majority of the fishing on these streams is fly fishing,
I bring my nymph box. Pheasant Tail Nymphs, cress bugs and
freshwater shrimp are all staple flies. Most fish will be in the
deepest pools tight to the bottom waiting for food to drift to
them. On warmer or sunny days, the fish will move into the
shallows more often, and if the temperature gets just right, you
may even find yourself among rising fish as the midges come
off. I tend to take a high-sticking approach to minimize how
much line I'm running through my guides. This reduces ice
build up in my guides. A 9-foot rod is excellent to have while
high-sticking. It allows you to maximize your reach. At times,
winter trout seem finicky, but patient and persistent anglers
are often rewarded.
Limestone influenced streams
There are several streams in this region where either the
stream begins as a limestone stream or there are limestone
streams that feed into them. This raises the temperature of
the stream more than that of a freestone stream but not as
high as a limestone stream. The most well-known limestone
influenced streams in this region are the Yellow Breeches Creek,
Cumberland County, Quittapahilla Creek, Lebanon County,
and Little Juniata River. Each waterway sees ice during the year
but to a much lesser extent than streams with a lower alkalinity
level. The best fishing is in deeper pools. On the fly rod, I
throw a mix of nymphs and slow-drifting streamers. In the
open regulation sections of the streams, I use smaller baits such
as waxworms and small worms on my spinning rod. During
warmer days, I tie on a spinner to see how active the fish are
that day. Spinners are still effective during the winter months in
the right conditions.
Freestone streams
There are too many freestone streams to name, but I tend
to focus on streams with a delayed harvest or catch and release
section. I'm also looking for streams that were stocked in the
fall such as Clark Creek, Dauphin County, Conewago Creek,
Adams County, and Muddy Creek, York County, so I don't
have to rely on trout that have made it through the summer
months. I can narrow my choices down and increase my
chances of catching fish. Each of these stream
sections are fly fishing only. Again, I bring a series
of nymphs to use to hopefully entice a strike. Since
the water is colder, I take a low and slow fishing
approach. The ideal drift of your flies will be
equal to that of the flow of the creek. Since these
are mostly stocked trout, adding a little flash will
allow trout to spot your flies faster and increase
your number of takes.
Just because it has become colder outside doesn't
A wild Brown Trout in its winter colors.
mean that trout fishing must stop. Southcentral
Pennsylvania has many opportunities available with
a winter stream worth fishing near you.
November/December 2023
11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2023

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