On July 14 , we did the Trout Fishing in Pennsylvania blog and we have been blogging about tailwater trout streams. In line with that information, we have just learned about a very important tailwater stream in Pennsylvania called Codorus Creek. The West Branch of the Codorus Creek is a small, tailwater trout stream located in the southwestern part of York County, in south-central Pennsylvania. It is fed by a dam constructed in the 1970's to serve the cold water needs of a local paper mill.
The stream was reclassified as a Class 'A' Wild Trout Stream by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and a High Quality Cold Water Fishery by the Pennsylvania DEP. The PF&BC also chose to place a substantial portion of the stream in their Trophy Trout Program. Nowadays, no stocking takes place, and the stream by far exceeds the requirements to maintain it's classifications.
There are several significant mayfly and caddis fly hatches through the season. Terrestrial fishing remains excellent throughout the hot summer months due to the cold tailwater flows. Abundant midges, scuds and some sculpins and crayfish round out the fish's diet and fill in the gaps between hatches.
The stream features a nice mix of pools and riffles, all of which hold fish. The trout are almost exclusively browns, but don't be surprised if you latch on to a nice chunky holdover rainbow from a stocked tributary in the upper watershed.