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

Yellow Breeches Creek - PA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

51

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Tip of the Week

> With the regular season still almost two weeks away, I have observed anglers on the lower Catch & Release area at Allenberry parking on the lawn! PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS! Ground is soft and ruts are beginning to show. There is plenty of parking on the BIG gravel lot that Allenberry has been very generous in letting anglers use. WE DON'T WANT THIS AREA TO GET POSTED! > Pennsylvania's regular trout season opens on Saturday, April 5th at 8 a.m. Until then, anglers are restricted to the special Catch & Release area below Boiling Springs. > Dry fly fishing is now a thing! There are a number of different flies hatching on the c&r stretch. > Of course, nymph fishing is hot too. All methods (float, Euro, dry/dropper) are worth trying. When trout do not appear very active, Euro may be best approach. When flies are hatching, float and dropper methods can be very productive. > Try nymph patterns that suggest the nymphal stages of little bwo's (#16-20), Hendricksons (#12-14), and Grannom caddis pupa. > Vary nymph presentations and try to read trouts' reactions to get the most effective presentation for that day, or even that moment. Sometimes a deep presentation will be best, while at other times, especially when flies are emerging, flies fished higher in the water column might work better. > The streamer bite has been so-so at best but seems to heat up on overcast days. > 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 3/24/25

It's definitely spring out there! That said the qualifier is that it's EARLY spring and still on the chilly side. Weather Guy says to look for daytime high temps in the low 50's for most of the rest of the week and to expect the chances of showers daily. Rain we received over the weekend didn't hurt but it didn't seem to do much for the creek either. The area is very dry, and all streams are low and clear. The cool and overcast days ahead should make for ideal fishing conditions for the time being. Expect blue wing olives to show up. They have been the main hatches so far. Hendrickson mayflies and Grannom caddis have also been sighted just in the last day or so. Expect the caddis hatches in the late morning, say, 10-10:30 with Hendricksons maybe in early afternoon. Hope there's still some when the regular season opens! Anglers should remember that extended TROUT SEASON CLOSED on Sunday, February 16. For now, all fishing on the Breeches is limited to the C&R area. Fish & Boat Commission tells us that we have gained two weeks of fishing time, based on former opening dates around mid-April. By my estimate we have lost up to two weeks, based on the former extended closing date around the beginning of March. All so PF&BC can stock trout! I don't see why the season needs to be closed to stock trout! Call or write the Pennsylvania Fish &b Boat Commission and call for NO CLOSED SEASON! When fishing along the Yellow Breeches, Please! DON'T LITTER! You might even consider policing the area when you are done fishing and pick up any trash left by others; the last guy in the lot gets the blame. Littering and illegal parking are the two biggest causes of landowners' posting their properties! So, 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, 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 3/24/25

> Nymph fishing is odds on favorite method of most anglers. Precise presentations of tightline nymphing are favored to detect the light strikes you'll likely get but, be versatile and don't hesitate to try other techniques. Be certain to cover the water efficiently and very thoroughly. Trout aren't likely to move too far for a less than precise presentation. > Use nymphs that suggest the various flies that are about to hatch. > Don't overlook possibilities of a bit of dry fly fishing. Mayfly and caddis fly hatches are happening now. Midge hatches may show at any time, but early morning is a good bet. Try small "F" flies, I.C.S.I. Midges, No Name midges, and similar bugs. > Dry/dropper combos. Trail a small wet fly, caddis pupa, or mayfly type nymph 12 to 20 inches behind your favorite searching dry fly pattern. ParaNymphs and caddis patterns work well for this tactic... > It's always smart to carry a few streamers in the fly boxes. A basic selection will include a Muddler Minnow, something white like Ed Shenk's great white minnow pattern, and a dark Woolly Bugger. Fish them with an appropriately sized split shot clinched onto the leader directly above the hook eye. This is the way these flies were intended to be fished by their inventors and is a more versatile way of weighting them than a bead or conehead. Fish them like tightline nymphs.

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):
I Can See It Midge Fly grey, olive, black #20, 22
TH Zebra Midge black, olive #18-22
Tunghead Hot Spot Pheasant Tail Jig N/A #12-18
Flashback Baetis Nymph N/A #18, 20
Baltz's ParaNymph natural #12-20
soft hackle wet flies dark brown #12-16
Tunghead Pheasant Tail Jig N/A #12-18
Woolly Bugger olive #6,8
Baltz's Iron X-Caddis N/A #14-16
Ed Shenk's White Minnow white #6-8

I Can See It Midge Fly

These midge flies are just what the optician ordered when it matters most.

2.99

Item #02RP

Buy Now

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... > Blue wing olives, sz. 18-22. If you see trout rising, look closely for these flies. They are small, mostly very dark, and very difficult to see on the water. Use the glare on the stream surface to try to spot them. > Assorted cinnamon, tan and dark colored small caddis flies, #14-20, sporadic, at just about any time of the day. > Hendricksons are starting to come off and their nymphs should be abundant. Same for Grammon and other caddis pupa. > Midges may show at just about any time of day. Most om them have been very small (#24-28), and black. 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, through 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 Rt. 15 too. The mile long Special Regulations area beginning just 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.