Fishing Season: Year Round in C&R Area (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)

Yellow Breeches Creek - PA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Temperature 35°

Temp:

35°

Water Temp:

50

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Tip of the Week

> The REGULAR TROUT SEASON is still closed. All fishing in the Breeches is restricted to the C&R Area until the Opening Day, April 6, at 8 a.m. > If you fish the C&R area, think about using a wading staff. There is a lot of water in the Breeches right now. > We are in a shoulder season, a transition period, where the nymphs of early season hatches are putting on a growth spurt in preparation for the next phase of their lives. Fishing with flies that suggest them is key. Gold ribbed hare's ears, small stonefly nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs and flies like that are standards. Warmer days might be best. > A bit of color, bright collars and tails, can be very effective. As in Euro style nymphs. > Streamers (Woolly Buggers, Ed Shenk's White Minnow, Muddlers and variations, are go to flies on those days when trout are not taking nymphs. > If trout chase but won't quite grab when streamer fishing in cold water, try a slow roll technique with a front weighted streamer like a Woolly Bugger, Shenk white minnow, or similar. Attach a split shot of appropriate size to the leader directly in front of the hook eye. Slow rolling is very similar to tightline nymph fishing... > WATCH WHERE YOU PARK along the Breeches! Landowners are very touchy lately with the heavy pressure and a number of parking spots and stream reaches have been posted in the last year or so. > ALLENBERRY is OPEN! Anglers have been parking in the gravel lot at the bottom of the hill behind the Meadow Lodge. Check them out at www.allenberry.com or call (717) 258-3211 to see what the status of dining in and lodging are. Might also consider dropping a buck or two on a sandwich or beverage at some point to thank them for parking and access. > Parking access at the traditional spot, The Run, just downstream of Boiling Springs Lake is OPEN! If you go there, watch for the new traffic patterns. There is very limited parking off of Criswell Drive. Do not get creative with parking down there! There is room for maybe, three cars. Same goes for the rest of the Breeches. Almost all of the Breeches is private property and every year we are losing access to spots that have been open for many years. Fishing is allowed by the grace of the landowners.

Directions open in app

Map of Yellow Breeches Creek

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Tom Baltz

5-Day Outlook as of 3/12/24

Weather Guy says we have some real spring-like weather on tap for the balance of the week, with afternoon highs in the mid to upper sixties, maybe more. Could get a bit damp on Friday and the weekend looks a little cooler. We just had another good rain event and are FINALLY out of any drought protocols. The Breeches is gushing water; it's been quite a while since I've seen this much flow, outside of a flood event! We are going into early spring fishing with the best water conditions in a long time. That said, using a wading staff is something to really consider. If you go down in this water, it will not be fun! Tightline nymphers will be in their glory now. Run some bead heads with maybe a second nymph or a little soft hackle wet fly on the dropper. Put some color in there too. Make sure your flies are getting down in the fast currents! As mentioned in "Tips" and "Techniques" young of the year baitfish, little fallfish, dace, and chubs are numerous now and may be the most available food source in the stream. Streamers such as Ed Shenk's white minnow or any variation of a white maribou in sizes 6-10 suggest these minnows quite well. Midges, maybe bwo's, can all be suggested with Zebra Midges, I.C.S.I. Midges, grey hackle flies like the No Name Midge and grey hackle/peacock. Fine tippets down to 6X, work best with these small flies. Anglers are asked to not be creative with parking along the Breeches! Almost all of the Breeches is private property, so all access is courtesy of the landowners. Contrary to what some anglers believe, the Yellow Breeches has not been adjudicated as being navigable. That means that any areas posted against trespass will mean "NO FISHING" by wading or otherwise, unless you want to be the test case. So, don't be that guy...If there is not obvious parking available perhaps looking for a different spot to fish is a good idea. While there are wild trout throughout the Yellow Breeches, some sections benefit greatly from supplemental stockings. For many years the Yellow Breeches Anglers have done an excellent job of stocking the C&R and other parts of the creek. If you fish the Breeches, you have likely caught some of their fish. Give something back and support them by joining the Club. Memberships are only $20 annually and are good for the calendar year. Send check to YBAC, Box 1, Boiling Springs, PA 17007-0001. Contributions to feed the fish are always welcome too. If you see anyone fishing bait or attempting to snag fish in the C&R area or elsewhere for that matter, take a pic and call Southcentral Region office at (717) 486-7087. For nefarious activity of a non-fishing nature call the Pennsylvania State Police at 717-243-4121. Enjoy the fishing and please be courteous to other anglers. And if you get into some fish show us a picture but please don't put the location on Facebook!! You don't wanna be a spot burner! General information is good! It always feels best when you earn it.

Techniques & Tips as of 3/12/24

> Streamers, jig style or conventional, are money flies right now. See "Tips of the Week". > Tightline nymphing techniques are effective in the right locations. Some of the best water for that is fast and deep. > Standard indicator nymphing is effective too. > Streamers also have their moments now. A basic selection will include a Muddler Minnow, Something white like Ed Shenk's great white minnow pattern, and a dark Woolly Bugger. > Midges, and possibly little blue wing olives, may be encountered at any time of the day. Flat water stretches of the stream are most likely to provide surface fishing opportunities.

Local Species Available Year Round in C&R Area (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)

  • Fish Icon

    Wild brown trout

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    stocked rainbows and browns

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Woolly Bugger black/olive #6-10
Black Nose Dace N/A #6-10
Gold Bead Hare's Ear Nymph N/A #8-18
Elk Wing Caddis Brown #14-18
Baltz's ParaNymph natural #16-20
grey hackle peacock N/A #20-24
Bead Head American Pheasant Tail N/A #12-18
I Can See It Midge Fly black, gray, olive #18-24
Baltz's Iron X-Caddis N/A #14-16
Shenk's white minnow white #6, 8

Woolly Bugger

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Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Gear

Description: About Yellow Breeches Creek

Yellow Breeches Creek is one of the famous limestone trout streams of the Cumberland Valley in south-central Pennsylvania. Winding its way through a mixture of woodlots, farmlands and old residential or summer cottage areas for some 50 miles, its brushy, narrow upper reaches near Huntsdale rapidly gain volume from many limestone spring and freestone brook tributaries. Below the village of Boiling Springs the Breeches becomes a medium to large sized stream coursing eastward, eventually joining the Susquehanna River at New Cumberland. A low gradient stream of gentle riffles and long flat pools, good water quality and varied habitat enables the Breeches to host a broad spectrum of hatches over a virtually year-round season. Notable hatches include early black stoneflies, Hendricksons, Grannom and other caddis, sulphurs, Grey fox, assorted blue winged olives and of course, the White Fly, in August. Other mayflies from tricos to Hexagenia create fishing opportunities in addition to excellent midge and terrestrial action. Heavily stocked almost year round throughout its length, there is an extremely popular “catch and release” fishery on the Breeches between Boiling Springs and Allenberry Resort. Fishing is very good up and downstream from this area too, some stretches holding fair to excellent populations of wild brown trout.

Nearest Airport:

Harrisburg International Airport - 45 minutes

Hatches:

You might see the following... > Midges, sz. 22 to super small...they can show at any time of the day from morning to late afternoon. > Early black/brown stone flies, sz. 14-18 > Assorted tan/dun caddis, sizes, 16 to 20, morning and evening. Very sporadic... > Little blue wing olives, sz. 22 anytime from late a.m., on. NOTE: Chasing hatches is like playing the lottery. Weather conditions are highly variable but very important to timing and intensity of aquatic insect activity. Only time on the water will allow the angler to be there when things get rolling. These reports are from observations/experiences up and down a thirty-mile stretch of stream and DO NOT necessarily apply to any given area. You may or may not see the same things as reported.

Best Time to Fish:

Morning thru late afternoon...

Best Stretch:

There are hold over stocked trout scattered throughout the length of the Yellow Breeches and fair to very good numbers of wild brown trout in the reaches upstream of US Rt. 15 to the headwaters. There are areas holding wild trout downstream of there too. The mile long Special Regulations area beginning downstream of the big pool at the Ege Bridge at Boiling Springs is popular with fly fishers. > The Run parking area at the south end of Boiling Springs Lake is open and the best way to access the catch & release area. > Anglers have also been parking on the big gravel lot at the foot of the hill at Allenberry. Park against the hillside and stop up to Fairfield Hall once in a while to have a burger or a beer. Thank you Allenberry, for letting anglers park on your private properrty!!

Best Access:

There are access points scattered along the stream especially at or near bridges. Several are located in or at local parks. Please use common sense and respect land- owner's yards and property. We are losing access to the Yellow Breeches at a rapid rate! Don't be that guy! Access the Catch & Release area from the parking area on the south side of the stone bridge at the edge of Boiling Springs, or park in the redone lot at the south end of Boiling Springs Lake, near the iron furnace. Allenberry is OPEN for business. Their website is www.allenberry.com and phone # is (717) 258-3211. Anglers have been parking in the gravel lot at the bottom of the hill behind the Meadow Lodge. If you access the Yellow Breeches through the Allenberry property, you might consider checking out the restaurant for a sandwich and a beer afterwards.