Lured by the 2006 Brook Trout Management Plan’s lack of information on the actual density but stimulated by the statement, ” Viable brook trout populations are now found in all three stream reaches,” I pulled into the small, informal parking area on the south side of the stream.
My original plan was not to come here. Rather, recognizing that the closer to the river one gets, the more water there will be, I had intended to fish upstream from the Lostland Run access road. However, when I arrived, it was blocked as a result of construction associated with bridge repair. A quick look at the map revealed the public section farther upstream.
Granted, late September is not the optimum time to fish small water for brookies because, at the end of summer, the impact of hot weather is at a height. But, I think this is a good time to sample since the fish will be in community pools and easier to find. Well, the only community pool this far upstream is the deep water underneath the bridge at the parking area.
Rather than fight the thick brush, I walked up the streambed looking for anything interesting. I continued to walk for about 1/2 mile with no luck. The water was barely moving, and a few chubs scattered on my approach, but there was nothing interesting in terms of brookies. On a positive note, once you bushwhack to the stream and move upstream beyond the turn, the forest floor opens up and walking is pretty easy along the bank.
I checked in with the DNR on this stream, and the biologist confirmed that brookies are here and that he had seen some large ones in the bridge pool. So, maybe this was just a bad day or just a bad summer after the second year of lower-than-normal rainfall.
Bottom Line: Don’t bother. Maybe it’s better closer to the access road – that certainly deserves a check, but this spot is not worth the time given the great water of the North Branch a short distance away.
Google Local Coordinates: 39.39538,-79.255984
Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the 2006 Brook Trout Management Plan.
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Looking north from the road into the public section
No water to speak of…
It’s always reassuring to see the yellow blaze marking the boundary of public property – confirmation that access is allowed.
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore