6/15 -- 6/17

[Red Childress]

We had a pretty good 2.5 days of fishing. Friday we netted a limit of 17-22 inch walleye and couple accidental pike and close to 20 smallies with nothing over 2.5 pounds. On Saturday, we launched very early and chased trout (mostly with live bait) until noon with ZERO trout boated. On Sunday, the goal was to get a newly graduated high school student his first musky.......he ended up catching 2 and his dad lost one near the boat with another follow. None of the muskies were over 35 inches which was pretty rare. (Over the last few years, the average musky has been right around the 40-41 inch range.)

The tailwater trout fishery is not what it used to be just 5 years ago. After checking the river trout stocking reports over the past 5 years, the PFBC has decreased the numbers of fish for some reason, especially the past 2 years. The water used to boil with 2-6 inch trout behind every rock or log. Nowadays, we are seeing more suckers rising than trout.

Outflow temps max out at around 68-70 during the day and drop to 59 overnight.



4.5 days of school left in NY.

[ppalko]

I've seen the exact same pattern regarding trout. Used to catch a decent number of quality fish as far down river as star brick. No longer. Never used to catch many smallmouth above the warren bridge. That's changed as well. I don't have temperature records and haven't looked at the usgs data but I think weather has had some impact. Recent summer water temperatures reach the 70s sooner in June. Used to take until August. Stocking has also changed but those were mostly if not all rainbows. Browns came from reproducing fish in tribs.