Susquehana above Peach Bottom

[jbrown]

So my good friend just got back from the Suskie and caught 41 smallies (some 3 pounds and above), 3 walleye, one 33" Striper, and two largemouth. - Blue and black jigs/ blue pork trailer- and jigging spoons. Said most guys in boats are afraid to go much above Peach Bottom due to large rocks...leading up to Holtwood Dam. Anyone fish this stretch? Said it was just loaded with fish and not many boats. I know this is PA, but sounds fun. Below Holtwood looks real nice also, but wonder if the flow is too strong. Just interested if anyone knows of good safe kayak fishing in this area..?-

[sparky1423]

A few on the forum fish that stretch and hopefully they will chime in, I've only fished the pond/reservoir for flathead. Peach bottom discharge is in my sites this winter...I've been wanting to catch a walleye for some time. I'm not sure if Holtwood has a release hotline like Conowingo, I would assume that is what controls the flow on that portion of the river. Below the Conowingo, 35,000 cfs is my limit on moving water. I would do a quick search on the forum, someone was up there this summer with some beautiful pictures of scenery and smallies....BTW, that's a good friend to have!

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...light=holtwood

[Memory Maker]

They're catching walleyes at Conowingo right now

[reel-em-in]

A few on the forum fish that stretch and hopefully they will chime in, I've only fished the pond/reservoir for flathead. Peach bottom discharge is in my sites this winter...I've been wanting to catch a walleye for some time. I'm not sure if Holtwood has a release hotline like Conowingo, I would assume that is what controls the flow on that portion of the river. Below the Conowingo, 35,000 cfs is my limit on moving water. I would do a quick search on the forum, someone was up there this summer with some beautiful pictures of scenery and smallies....BTW, that's a good friend to have!

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...light=holtwood

Make sure you post before you head to peach bottom this winter I might be interested in tagging along.

[Jaspratt]

I have fished up there before. I do know above peach bottom the water is atleast 10 degrees colder than anywhere below the discharge. Fishing The reservoir can be frustrating, i think the fish feed depending on the water flow or depending on how much water they release from the dam. 1 minute you cant keep the fish off the hook, the next minute not a fish to be found. I have fished up there last year late november. The water below the discharge was around 55, the rocky shallow water above was low 40's with that water temp the smallmouth become lethergic so it was an extremely slow bite. It would take 50-100 casts per piece of cover i fished to get a smallmouth drifting tubes..

[Shawn L]

I have two questions if anyone can help. First, do I need a PA license to fish near Peach Bottom. I have heard they are reciprocal for some distance above and below the dam. Second, where does one launch to fish this area. Thanks.

[Shady]

I have two questions if anyone can help. First, do I need a PA license to fish near Peach Bottom. I have heard they are reciprocal for some distance above and below the dam. Second, where does one launch to fish this area. Thanks.

MD FW license or PA license covers the entire conwingo reservoir (dont need both).

You used to be able to launch right by the peach bottom plant, been a couple of year since I've been up there. I would not advise attempting in a kayak unless you have a motor, currents are very strong!

[Cowpokey]

MD FW license or PA license covers the entire conwingo reservoir (dont need both).

Did that change in the last decade? I remember going up there with a friend on his boat (about 10 years ago), and the game warden approached us to let us know we crossed the line and needed to move back to MD waters, since we didn't have PA licenses. They were very friendly about it, so that was cool.

[Shawn L]

Thanks Shady. I've got no motor

[HJS]

I have two questions if anyone can help. First, do I need a PA license to fish near Peach Bottom. I have heard they are reciprocal for some distance above and below the dam. Second, where does one launch to fish this area. Thanks.

License reciprocity between MD & PA for the Conowingo Pool is still in effect. I just checked the 2014 MD Fishing Guide you get when buying a license. License reciprocities between surrounding states is located on page 11 of the Fishing Guide. In the Conowingo Pool reciprocity applies only to boat fishermen and NOT to shore fishermen. I guess the fly in the ointment lies in determining the exact upper limits of the Conowingo Pool as lake level varies. Between floods, droughts and generation schedules, I'd imaging the upper limit of the Conowingo Pools may vary by a considerable distance.

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Hmmmm.... I just called someone in MD Fisheries who would know the answer. She said the reciprocity for the Conowingo Pool actually extends all the way up to the base of Holtwood Dam. If you know the area up by Holtwood then you know there ain't no boat that can negotiate the Susky there during summer low flow without taking a severe beating from boulders a solid bedrock. I'm guessing that Holtwood Dam was pick as an upper boundary because fishery agencies really like definitive, unarguable boundaries like bridges and dams to delineate the exact location of boundaries.

Now, I'm guessing PA uses the same wordage.