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

Yellow Breeches Creek - PA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

52

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Tip of the Week

> The Extended Trout Season is closed and all fishing on the Yellow Breeches is restricted to the Catch & Release area until the regular Trout Season opens at 8 a.m. on April 1. > Spring has arrived and so have some bugs. Dry fly fishing could still be pretty spotty but the nymphs of Hendrickson mayflies, Grannom caddis, and other early season mayflies and caddis are in the stream. Try imitations of them. > Water is cold. Fish patiently and get your offering in front of the trout. Don't give up after one or two drifts. > One might also try fishing a variety of attractor style nymphs. Many of the Euro style designs are perfect and that little bit of hot color in the tail or collar of the fly really shows in the tea -colored water we have right now. > Anglers might also consider drop shot nymphing, particularly in deeper, faster reaches of the Breeches. See George Daniel's article in a recent issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine. > Due to construction on the dam of the lake, the parking area at the Iron Furnace at the south end of Boiling Springs Lake is closed until further notice. It likely will not re-open until next spring, but that is only my guess. Anglers wishing to access the upper catch & and release area should park across the Ege Bridge in Boiling Springs and to the left. This is Allenberry property so treat it as if it were your own and pick up trash, etc. or it could be posted. > The Extended Trout Season is still open until February 20th. After that, the only fishing area on the Breeches that remains open is the Catch & Release area from Boiling Springs to Allenberry. The regular Trout Season opens April 1st. > A stream thermometer should still be a regular piece of equipment in your vest or pack. Rather than high water temperatures, we now are dealing with chilly ones. > Watch where you park along the Breeches and pick up any litter you see when you leave. Landowners are VERY touchy right now due to the heavy fishing pressure over the last several years. The last guy in the lot gets the blame! > On flat, slow water stretches, midges are a major factor. Watch closely to determine what trout are taking. Tiny little CdC and parachute patterns are worth a try. Flies like the F-fly, #22,24 (see "Seven Day Outlook") and the I.C.S.I. Midge in #20-24. Try sight fishing with very small nymphs, Zebras and so forth. > Meeting the hatches is a very tricky thing...best strategy is to go early and stay late! > ALLENBERRY is OPEN! Anglers may drive in, park in the PLAYHOUSE PARKING area to the left of the new gatehouse and walk down to the stream to fish. 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. Currently, there is no parking or access available at the Run parking area due to construction. 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

Tidal Conditions

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Tom Baltz

5-Day Outlook as of 3/20/23

Well, our non-winter has finally withered on the vine and spring has arrived! Today is a very sunny, pleasant day but CHILLY! It's still pretty breezy out there and anyone fishing had better be prepared for it or it will be a short trip. If you fish, dress in layers and use good quality rain gear. Even if it doesn't rain, a good wading jacket helps break breezes and keep in some body heat. That stuff is worth the price! Weather Guy says daytime temps should be pushing into the sixties by Thursday but that by Friday you might need that rain gear for more than just blocking wind! Expect cold, clear water. I would think that careful nymphing (hint; Hendricksons and Grannom caddis have been reported hatching in very small numbers) would be a best bet for action. It is possible that midges could bring a few fish to the surface in slow stretches or that a riffle brownie might go for a nice ParaNymph! Otherwise, slow and deep presentations are most likely to produce a bite or two. Concentrate on your drifts, 'cause strikes will likely be subtle and spaced well apart. Don't miss any opportunities! Late morning through mid-afternoon are prime times for any insect activity. The stream project in the C&R area both above and below Allenberry is complete and is shaping up nicely. It does look different though! The water is generally faster and deeper. There will be bankside plantings done at a later date. Anglers wishing to try fishing anywhere in the C&R area should get down there early enough to scout the area in daylight. It is quite different than it was. Fishing pressure remains steady in some stretches of the creek so if there's several cars parked in the area you are hoping to fish, perhaps further exploration is in order. 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. For a minimal commitment, try fishing the Run below Boiling Springs Lake. There are a few trout scattered along its length. Stay out of the stream as much as possible and watch the construction in the upper end. In the few spots that must be waded, try to fish from the very edge. If you do fish, try using tiny BWO nymphs, midge larva/pupa patterns, terrestrials, and midge dries. Concentrate fishing the Run in the riffles. Might get a few in there on the I.C.S.I. Midge or a tiny F fly. Swear at if you like but the F stands for Fratnik, as in the late Marjan Fratnik, who invented this simple fly (which he called a Fluff Fly) in Slovenia in the early 1980's. Griffith's Gnats in #18-24 are killer too. Think of them as a terrestrial. Try clipping them flat on the bottom. 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 3/20/23

All of the different fly-fishing techniques are effective at various times on the Breeches. Dry fly fishers should pay attention to the bugs they observe in and on the stream and choose flies accordingly. A good caddis pattern and my ParaNymph cover most of the caddis and mayflies one might see. Midges comprise the main hatches now and are usually abundant on warm, sunny days. Choose sizes to match bugs. Nymph fishing by one or another of the popular techniques is the most productive way to catch some Yellow Breeches trout. Tight-line Euro-nymphing, floats, and dry/dropper all have their places. Try BH Hare's Ear's or Bronzebacks with smaller Frenchies or Zebra Midges dropped below the heavier nymph and suspended by your favorite strike indicator. Reaches of medium depth are perfect for the New Zealand Strike Indicator system. Tight-liners might want a soft hackle or similar dropper off a ring with a small nymph off the back of the anchor fly. Water is pretty clear with a light tea color to it so now is a good time to refine your technique and tackle set up with some smaller floats, flies and finer tippets. Baitfish may well comprise the bulk of available food items during early to mid-winter. Water is cold so trout may not be in a real chase mood but slow rolling a streamer to suggest a dead or injured minnow can be quite effective. favorites for this style of fishing are Shenk's White Minnnow and woolly buggers.

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

  • Fish Icon

    Wild brown trout

  • Fish Icon

    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 olive, gray, black #18-24
Henryville Special N/A #2-16
Woolly Bugger olive/black #6-8
Blue Winged Olive N/A #16-22
Baltz's ParaNymph natural #12-20
Baltz's Bronzeback natural #12-14
Bead Head American Pheasant Tail N/A #12-18
T.H. Soft Hackle Caddis Pupa green, brown #12-16
Baltz's Iron X-Caddis N/A #14-16
Shenk's White Minnow N/A #8

I Can See It Midge Fly

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

2.99

Item #02RP

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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 virtually a 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... > Grannom caddis, sizes 14. late morning or later... > Hendrickson mayflies, size 12. afternoon. > midges, olive, brown, black in sizes 20-22 (late morning to late afternoon) > Blue wing olives, sz. 22 (sporadic, mid-day or so) 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:

mid-morning to 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 Boiling Springs Lake is popular with fly fishers.

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. Access the Catch & Release area from the parking area on the south side of the stone bridge at the edge of Boiling Springs, or by parking off Criswell Road. Just across the tracks on the right side of the road there is room to park 3-4 cars between the tracks and the first POSTED sign or cone. Please don't park anywhere else in that area! Access the creek from the South Middleton Township Municipal Authority right of way on the west side of the road. Do not drive onto the right-of-way or block access to it. It is suggested that anglers be on their best behavior when accessing the creek from this area so that the parking isn't closed completely by the present owners. It has been reported that some anglers are walking down Criswell Road and cutting through the properties along the creek. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS! Allenberry is OPEN for business. Their website is www.allenberry.com and phone # is (717) 258-3211. Anglers can park in the UPPER THEATER PARKING AREA and walk down to the stream. If you access the Yellow Breeches through the Allenberry property, you might consider checking out the restaurant for a sandwich and a beer afterwards.