PA’s Canoe Creek Loaded with Trout

By: Jon Montresor

Following opening weekend at Canoe Creek the PA Fish & Boat Commission did an in-season stocking of the Upper and Lower Sections of the Canoe Creek on Tuesday and fishing has been very good. Right now there’s mostly rainbows and browns in the creek and lots of them. Even after heavy pressure this morning I still saw 50 fish in some of the better and deeper holes.

Last year at this time the water in Canoe Creek was low and clear. However, this week the water is still fairly high and somewhat off color due to the recent storms we’ve had. As long as the rain holds off, which is what the current forecast is, I expect the creek to continue to fall and clear up. Fishing will likely continue to get better. On this trip I only fished the inflow or the upper section of Canoe Creek that is stocked, but both sections are loaded with trout.

I was using Pink Shrimp Fire Balls under an indicator and I also used Chartreuse Garlic Fire Balls once the fish became conditioned to the pink. Once the trout stopped biting the Fire Balls we used Pink Shrimp salmon eggs. The water was a little murky, but I was still able to use a single Fire Ball and get bit. I used six-pound test and size 12 Eagle Claw salmon egg hook. The water is fairly high for Canoe Creek because of the recent rain so I was forced to use two split shots. My fishing buddy isn’t a bait guy and used a Yo-Zuri Pins Minnow and a Roostertail and managed to catch a few fish as well.

I found most of the trout in the deeper, slow water. They seemed to be hugging the bottom. However, I still drifted the eggs roughly a foot off the bottom and kept in action most of the day. I caught and released well over my limit yesterday and today. Most of the fish here are your average 12-14 inch planters. I did see a few big ones, too, but we didn’t catch any of them.

Canoe Creek is easily accessible. Trout are stocked at the Lower Canoe Creek Access Point as well as at the Upper Canoe Creek, which is accessed via state game lands, which is within walking distance of the inflow to the lake. Keep in mind the road you use to access the creek follows it for a fair distance and the creek can be accessed on the way.

Editor’s Note: Jon Montresor is part of Trophy Chasers Outdoors. For more info on their page please visit https://www.facebook.com/TrophyChasersOutdoors. To learn more about Canoe Creek State Park please visit http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/CanoeCreekStatePark/Pages/default.aspx.