Deer Creek

[timwabell]

Planning on heading up to deer creek this weekend. Has anybody caught any shad yet?

[TheSpinFisher]

Water is low and to cooled. I think it is to early yet.

[ctb]

Frog Hair - got a current creek temp?

[dwkoller]

I was there today, there's no one fishing the creek. There were some anglers out by the bridge -- but I didn't see anything being caught. Fish at Lapidium and the dam. Very slow at the dam -- opened the gates and the water was really moving. Went down to Lapidium -- caught one nice hickory. That was it.

[FishFarm]

I heard people at Rocks were spread 20' apart at the upper deer creek yesterday and this evening for the trout opening. They stocked something like 4500 in a 2 mile stretch. Then at a local 1 acre pond, Friends Pond in Forest Hill they put another 500. That place was crowded also.

[Frog Hair]

cbt
The creek temp yesterday was is in the upper 40’s and very close to the prime 50-degree mark. Lots of herring in the creek but not in the masses we use to see in the past. The big problem as I see it is lack of water flow in the river and creek. Some of the lowest levels this time of year I have ever seen. On the bright side I did catch shad in the deeper waters around the Lapidum ramp. All the usual signs of fish in the creek are there, Great Blue Herons on the rocks, Osprey working the skies over the creek, and every day more cormorants can be seen on the river. Your best chance for success now is late evening when the tide is high and when the power company has been pushing more water. Maybe with the rains forecasted for today the creek will raise and it will be fish now time.
Hope this helps
Wayne B.
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FYI
1.They are ticketing cars at the ramp for not paying fee.
2. The power company is no longer giving how many turbines they will be running on their hot line. Instead they will only tell you how many CFS they will be pushing during the course of the day, be careful wading.

[HenryL]

Frog Hair-
I beg your pardon, but I have to correct you.
The number I use, 888.457.4076, gives both the number of large and/or small gates opened, as well as the CFS reading.
You probably used their other number, 877.457.2525.
This updated information, I feel, is much more useful to us.
As with fishing at any time, use your common sense, go with a friend, and as Mom always said, "Safety First!" A wading staff has saved my butt innumerable times up there.
Tight Lines,
Henry

[Frog Hair]

HenryL, Thanks for the information and advice. I’m new to this game of fishing and still on a learning curve. Your valued insight will be very helpful in the future.
Wayne B.

[HenryL]

Wayne-
Didn't realize that it was you- thanks for the chuckle!
My suggestions were for those who are actually newbies!
Hope to see you out there!
Henry

[OneMoreCast]

HenryL, Thanks for the information and advice. I’m new to this game of fishing and still on a learning curve. Your valued insight will be very helpful in the future.
Wayne B.

:clap:

Thanks for the chuckle Wayne....
Hope to see you up there this year.
Yeah Henry, he changed his username a few years ago. Took me a while to get used to it too.

[Frog Hair]

Hi Henry, I thought you would get a kick out of it.
I attended a meeting last Sat where there were two representatives from the power company giving presentations. The first gentleman was I believe an engineer doing the work on the new addition below the dam. Bottom line for him was there pretty much on schedule and should be completely finished by June 1<SUP>st,</SUP>. The second presenter was what I would call a PR specialist for the power company. She was telling all how much better it will be for the fishermen below the dam and yada, yada. I sort of glazed over after the first 30 seconds but I did come around long enough to hear there going to allow a food vendor below the dam, and the units forecast on the hotline will disappear in time replaced with cfs. There reasoning and I quote, units is “proprietary information.”

[Frog Hair]

OMC
My friend, after all you’ve done for us fly guys on tidalfish it would be an absolute pleasure to stand side-by-side with you catching shad . Please PM me when you get a few hours free to fish up here in Wayne's world so I can show you around. This could possible be my last year of fishing every day I can for shad. Moving out of state.
Wayne B.

[Ken Tidy]

This is one of the few weekends I will get to fish this spring and of course it is raining cats & dogs. Maybe all this rain water will clear up by Sunday and provide enough water to allow the fish to swim up deer creek.

[troutman6]

Wayne, say it isn't so. We will miss the up to the minute reports on hickories. More importantly we wil miss your vigilance and concern for the Susq. fishery. I too will miss fishing next to a former co-worker and friend.I always said you could catch shad in the desert, but I hope your moving where there is plenty of fishing.

[HenryL]

Greetings!
Wayne, as was mentioned, you will be missed! Your insights and concern are models for those just getting into the sport. Wherever you move, I'd imagine there's fish somewhere close by!
I went to Deer Creek today to do some recon, and thanks to the much-needed rains, it was milk chocolate in color and as high as I've ever seen it.
On the bright side, the water level and clarity will be great by Sunday, and should provide some good fishing.
Unfortunately, I won't be there- it's "accepted student day" for new students and parents at Mount Saint Mary's, and needless to say, it's a must-do family thang.
For whoever goes, please post a report.
And again, Wayne, good luck and Godpseed!
Henry

[Frog Hair]

It’s gratifying to know that all the time and effort over the decades didn’t go unnoticed by my many friends and peers. I thank you all. Our new home, if we live through the move has a trout stream a couple hundred yards away and very close to Yellow Breeches. In the thirty years I’ve lived along Deer Creek (designated trout stream) I have never fished for them, instead choose to fish the river and flats for the big boys. This could be interesting going from 6-inch flies on a 9 wt to a fly I can’t even see on a 2-3wt. The plan is to join TU in the Latimore area and go from there. As for shad fishing, I’ll still be at my usual spot just not as often.
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Enough of this let’s talk shad. Yes the creek is up, dirty, and cool but should clear and warm up in a couple days, just perfect conditions to get them to move in from the deeper waters off Lapidum where they’ve been staging for a couple weeks now. If you’re fortunate enough to be there when they make the first run up the creek most likely the fish will be larger then the schools that follow. The best part, fishing pressure will be minimal until word gets out then it turns into more of a social sport with lots of fish catching mixed in.
Hope to see you all out there. Look for and old gray haired mustached geezer with his yellow four-legged sidekick at his side. Stop and say hi we love company and talking shad. Always carry a few extra flies with me just in case someone runs short.
Wayne B.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk26/Octorara2008/bag-of-shad-flys.jpg?t=1238846104

[chrisdetweiler]

Our new home, if we live through the move has a trout stream a couple hundred yards away and very close to Yellow Breeches.

Wayne,

I live in Camp Hill. Where is your new home?

Chris Detweiler

[Frog Hair]

Chris,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
York Springs is the zip, but our home is just inside the three county triangle of Adams, York, and Franklin.<o:p></o:p>
Wayne<o:p></o:p>
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FYI<o:p></o:p>
Deer Creek should be fishable today (Sunday). Tried last night and it was way to dirty. They were catching shad yesterday in the clean water above Deer Creek but I would expect that water in the river to be getting dirty today as the it makes its way down from up state.<o:p></o:p>

[EdR]

Did not get to the Deer Creek pump station until about 8AM and it was still muddy and no one fishing. I did not even try it. At Stafford bridge they were not catching. So, I thought I would use my spin gear at the mouth of the creek. No bent rods North or South down there. So I drove to the dam and nothing going on there either.
I expect a tough year this year. We seem to do better in years with a good snow melt that keep water levels up without the clouding that comes after the rains. The water level of the Susquehanna at the mouth of Deer Creek was low also. It looked more like summertime levels. Might be a little early still. The further North I drove the fewer blooming dogwoods I saw. More rain is coming this week and that should help get the hickories moving.
BTW, I like the new observation/fishing deck being built at Conowingo Dam. Hopefully the handicapped fishermen and women won't be crowded out and will soon get a chance to enjoy the shad run. So, kudos to Exelon. Even if gate openings are soon to become proprietary information.
"You shoudda been here yesterday."

[chrisdetweiler]

York Springs is the zip, but our home is just inside the three county triangle of Adams, York, and Franklin.

Sounds like you are pretty close to Caledonia State Park, Michaux State Forest. There is some nice wild trout water up that way, if you enjoy small stream fishing.

[natsdad]

Fished around Deer Creek yesterday. Posted this on another thread:

Fished just above the boat launch early this morning. Caught 2 hickories. Water was slow and dirty. Moved above Deer Creek and fished for a couple of hours. Water was cleaner and started cathing some when the flow from the dam picked up. Caught another 12

[deeker]

Does anyone have an update on Deer Creek ? Wondering if they are there in any numbers ? Thinking about going up tomorrow and would appreciate the latest on water clairity,temps,etc.Thanks much.

[FishFarm]

Two of us fished a few hours mid day from various areas stretching from Lapidum to Deer Creek yesterday (Tuesday). Most of the easily accesable spots had several people fishing. The mouth of Deer Creek had maybe 15-20 people. I didnt see anything caught and did not catch anything. I heard one guy caught two shad on the south side of Rock Run pretty early. Spoke to 3 guys in a 12 foot jon boat who fished around Lapidum. They didnt catch anything but quit early because they were soaking wet and freezing from wind blown spray. Current was pretty strong. It was windy. Clarity was not bad along the shore but I heard it was only 8-12" off shore. Lots of birds working and lots of herron about a half mile up Deer Creek guarding the shallows. It may help to make the hike and fish above Deer Creek for clearer water. The deeper holes below Lapidum are producing. They want to come upstream but I think the recent rain and mud slowed them down and now we have this cold just as it was starting to warm up. This weekend it should all start to come together.

[deeker]

Thanks for the info.May need to wait another day to let that water warm and clear a bit.