Penns Creek

Penn's Creek, which is named after the founder of the state, William Penn, is a tributary of the Susquehanna River. It is located in central PA which is the mecca of fly fishing. The creek itself is 67 miles long, making it Pennsylvania's longest limestone stream. Unfortunately, only the upper half stays cool enough thru the summer months to hold a sustainable population of trout. Bubbling up from a cave just outside of State College, this creek flows 13 miles down to the town of Coburn, where two other limestone creeks, Elk and Pine join it. From this point downstream, nearly every species of caddis, mayfly, and stonefly that exists in the northeast can be found here, creating a hatch matching paradise. When most fly fisherman think of Penns Creek, the first hatch to come to mind is the Green Drake. The Green Drake hatch on this Creek is legendary. Literally! Anglers flock here around Memorial Day every year to try and time this hatch correctly. But this is just one of the many prolific hatches on this water. Penns Creek is a bug factory with some of the hatches consisting of: Grannoms, Stoneflies, Midges, Sulphurs, Hendricksons, and Blue Quills to just name a few. Often the problem a fly fisherman may face on Penns Creek is what bug to fish and at what time. Wild brown trout here average 12-14 inches, and fish in the 16-inch range are common. Trophy sized fish of over 20 inches also dwell here, and have been known to eat large streamers at night. This creek is truly magical, and should be on every anglers bucket list of places to fish.