Recomendations

[njsportsman]

My wife’s family has a home in Albrightsville and I am looking for a good trout stream in and around the area 30-45 minute range. Preferably a fly only stream. Thanks

 

[trout48]

Tobyhana and Mud run are within those limits also Nescopeck is about 35 min. You van also fish the Lehigh in albrightsville the Mcmicheal in stroudsburg is also in that time frame. Tobyhana is probably the most remote walk in. Mud run is full of rhodeadenruns and hard to cast lots of plunge pools and runs shale bottom and slippery. Lots of water to fish up there. Nick

 

[Ryan R]

My wife’s family has a home in Albrightsville and I am looking for a good trout stream in and around the area 30-45 minute range. Preferably a fly only stream. Thanks

Do you want fish a large trout river or the smaller mountain tributaries to the big river? As the previous poster said, the Lehigh Gorge's prime trout water is right there and access is plentiful (although it may require a good walk.) This time of year the tribs will fish real well, especially after a good rain. You've got Stony Creek right there, Mud Run, Hayes (Black) Creek and several more. Tobyhanna Creek is nearby, McMichaels too. Everybody fishes Mud Run but Stony Creek receives much less pressure. Let me look in my book and get my bearings straight, I'll give you some better information and a list of some other nearby creeks that are really good too but overlooked by most visiting the area.

 

[Ryan R]

OK, some more Albrightsville area stream information (I highly recommend getting the DeLorme Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer, Trout Streams of Pennsylvania is invaluable too. Used together they'll put you ahead of the curve in your PA trout fishing.) Anyway onto the streams:

Lehigh River- Main Access points are 1)FEW dam. 2) White Haven Poconos development. 3) Railroad grade beside the White Haven Thriftway store 4) Lehigh Tannery. 5) Mouth of Black (Hayes) Creek. 6) Hickory Run. 7) Rockport. 8) Drakes Creek. 9) Glen Onoko. 10) Jim Thorpe. 11) Packerton/Lehighton/Parryville. 12) Bowmanstown/Riverview Road 13) Palmerton. The Lehigh River trout water offers about 40-50 miles of fishing, about 95% of which is open to public fishing. Probably 90% of that public access is publicly-owned land too(either state, county, or local).

Major Lehigh tribs include Black(Hayes) Creek and its trib Fourth Run, Sandy Run, Hickory Run, Mud Run, Drakes Creek, Stony Creek, Pohopoco Creek, Lizzard Creek, and Aquashicola Creek. Pohopoco Creek (easy access) is a bottom release tailwater out of Beltzville Lake that enters the Lehigh in Parryville(Lehighton). It has a good population of wild browns, holdover stocked trout (mostly browns and rainbows), and a good wild brookie trib. Drakes and Stony are close to Albrightsville on State Gamelands. Several anglers I trust have said to definitely try Stony a few times, but it's also a bit of a hike.

Other quality creeks nearby are Tobyhanna Creek and Kistler Run, McMichaels, Appenzell (near McMichaels and always overlooked in favor of McMichaels. Good trout populations, usually much less pressure.) Pocono Creek, Devils Hole Creek, Hypsy Creek, and Dotters Creek.

Shoot, there's a whole lot more but that's a pretty good start. Keep in mind, not all of this is park the car and walk 50-100 yards to the creek- type fishing. If you're willing to hike some of these creeks thru the state gamelands and parks you can find some fine wild trout fishing. Some of these places have easy access though too. Good luck exploring, I hope this helps you out some.

 

[njsportsman]

OK, some more Albrightsville area stream information (I highly recommend getting the DeLorme Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer, Trout Streams of Pennsylvania is invaluable too. Used together they'll put you ahead of the curve in your PA trout fishing.) Anyway onto the streams:

Lehigh River- Main Access points are 1)FEW dam. 2) White Haven Poconos development. 3) Railroad grade beside the White Haven Thriftway store 4) Lehigh Tannery. 5) Mouth of Black (Hayes) Creek. 6) Hickory Run. 7) Rockport. 8) Drakes Creek. 9) Glen Onoko. 10) Jim Thorpe. 11) Packerton/Lehighton/Parryville. 12) Bowmanstown/Riverview Road 13) Palmerton. The Lehigh River trout water offers about 40-50 miles of fishing, about 95% of which is open to public fishing. Probably 90% of that public access is publicly-owned land too(either state, county, or local).

Major Lehigh tribs include Black(Hayes) Creek and its trib Fourth Run, Sandy Run, Hickory Run, Mud Run, Drakes Creek, Stony Creek, Pohopoco Creek, Lizzard Creek, and Aquashicola Creek. Pohopoco Creek (easy access) is a bottom release tailwater out of Beltzville Lake that enters the Lehigh in Parryville(Lehighton). It has a good population of wild browns, holdover stocked trout (mostly browns and rainbows), and a good wild brookie trib. Drakes and Stony are close to Albrightsville on State Gamelands. Several anglers I trust have said to definitely try Stony a few times, but it's also a bit of a hike.

Other quality creeks nearby are Tobyhanna Creek and Kistler Run, McMichaels, Appenzell (near McMichaels and always overlooked in favor of McMichaels. Good trout populations, usually much less pressure.) Pocono Creek, Devils Hole Creek, Hypsy Creek, and Dotters Creek.

Shoot, there's a whole lot more but that's a pretty good start. Keep in mind, not all of this is park the car and walk 50-100 yards to the creek- type fishing. If you're willing to hike some of these creeks thru the state gamelands and parks you can find some fine wild trout fishing. Some of these places have easy access though too. Good luck exploring, I hope this helps you out some.

Thanks, I am new to the sport and trying to get acclimated with my technique first. Just bought my first rig and can't wait to get started.

 

[Ryan R]

Thanks, I am new to the sport and trying to get acclimated with my technique first. Just bought my first rig and can't wait to get started.

Well then don't bother with Black(Hayes) Creek right now, crystal clear water for extremely difficult fishing to wary wild browns. However, just after a rain when the water levels are up a bit and it's a little off-color is a great time fish the smaller streams and actually catch wild trout as a beginner. That's when you tie on a small black or olive woolly bugger and go explore. Hickory Run is nearby and offers a mix of stocked and wild trout fishing. I haven't fished it but it looks like a little more beginner friendly water than say Black Creek.

When fishing the Lehigh, my advice is to add more weight than really think you need and start fishing from the bottom up. Putting on heavy stonefly nymph, conehead muddler, or woolly bugger is a better way to get started just catching fish in the Lehigh. I think many beginners on that river fail to realize how much weight they need to keep the fly on the bottom where most of the trout are. I sure did the same thing and it was frustrating, but when I started adding weight to my beadhead buggers and muddlers and ticked them across the bottom things really changed. Just be careful, the Lehigh is a notoriously hard river to wade, especially in the gorge. If you're in there without studded boots and a wading staff you're pretty crazy. But definitely fish it over the next season, it's great water. The river is chock full of stoneflies.