Limestone trout settle into fall pattern on Spring Creek

What's biting

What's next

The spread in temperatures tells you where to start. The 53°F reading is in the sweet spot for feeding trout, while the 60°F reading is on the warm side for a fall morning. Fish the cooler, spring-fed stretches first and save the warmer reaches for the coolest part of the day.

With a New Moon, nights are dark and trout often feed well in low light at dawn and dusk. Plan around those windows if midday is bright.

Gink and Gasoline stresses that many anglers under-weight tandem nymph rigs, and that split-shot placement is often the difference between getting bites and not. Trout Unlimited's weight tip makes the same point. In 318 cfs or more, add weight until the flies tick the bottom. In the low, clear flows at 73.8 cfs, go lighter and approach with care. Gink and Gasoline also advises scanning for dark shapes and subtle movement before wading in, which pays off in clear spring water.

Caddis Fly (OR) calls the Perdigon a hot fly this fall and also points to terrestrial ants as still on the menu for trout. Both are reasonable additions to a box for this week.

Context

Mid-October is typically the heart of fall on central Pennsylvania limestone water. Cooling nights pull temperatures down, terrestrials fade, and small mayflies and midges take over the diet. Brown Trout move toward spawning behavior in the weeks ahead, so check state regs and give redds a wide berth. Low, clear water this time of year rewards lighter tippet and a stealthy approach.