Seneca Breaks 5/31

[therevolution]

Floated Seneca breaks one time on Saturday morning. Used the canal to get back up. Landed 4 Smallies with the biggest at 17". Also landed 1 fat channel cat. No pictures, left my phone in the car by accident. All fish but 1 were caught on an old silver/black jointed rapala.

My first time hitting this part of the river, and will definitely be heading there a few more times this year. It's convenient for me to get to and seems like it has some big fish potential. Does anyone know if the canal gets too low to paddle back up in the low flow times of the summer?

[DanMarino]

I fish that trip 6 to 8 times a summer and the canal has always had water in it for me. It will develop lots of weeds and it gets a little shallow, but you should be fine. Just check before you launch.

[jet]

where do you launch from violettes lock?

[Runnin]

Yes. Takeout is at the end of the breaks river left. There used to be a piece of flagging tape tied to a tree at the spot. It is pretty easy to spot path to canal.

[jet]

thats cool, ive never fished there, i'd always put in at rileys lock and fish across near the golf course and down where the rocks begin

[therevolution]

The take out spot is easy to find. It is very obvious and there is a tree with a big yellow square painted on it.

[Turtle135]

Once the canal had some type of breach and I did not have my kayak cart with me that day. It was not completely dry but if you have ever seen the movie "The African Queen" with Humphrey Bogart it was a lot like that.



You can tell at Violets if there is enough water in the canal. I just did not look that particular day.

[DanMarino]

HaHa, great photo Dave!

I enjoy fishing Seneca Breaks and typically catch a lot of fish into August and September there.

[Turtle135]

One other note about Seneca Breaks for first timers. Watch the gauge at Point of Rocks. Anything over 2 feet and I start to carefully plan my route in and out of the Breaks. 3 feet or higher and it is time to fish someplace else. White water kayakers love that stretch for a reason and I have had some really hairy situations in there.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/uv?site_no=01638500

[Runnin]

Yes,

Definitely a mid summer flows kind of spot to fish. Not when water is up.

[Big Mike]

Another great float is to put in at Pennyfield in the canal and paddle up to the take out at the end of Seneca Breaks. This lets you fish the deeper water at the end as well as the gas pipeline channel. You can spend a couple hours just exploring the eddys at the bottom of the Break. Take out is to go up the feeder creek that goes under the canal at Pennyfield. I think this is a little over 1 mile in each direction and you can definitely do this in a few hours if you are time limited.

[kayakist]

Thanks Turtle, very good info to know and heed.

[Turtle135]

Another great float is to put in at Pennyfield in the canal and paddle up to the take out at the end of Seneca Breaks. This lets you fish the deeper water at the end as well as the gas pipeline channel. You can spend a couple hours just exploring the eddys at the bottom of the Break. Take out is to go up the feeder creek that goes under the canal at Pennyfield. I think this is a little over 1 mile in each direction and you can definitely do this in a few hours if you are time limited.

I have never tried that. Will have to add that to my summer list. Thanks!