Spring Creek is home to possibly the finest wild trout population in the state of Pennsylvania. This high quality limestone stream is a "Class A " fishery throughout its entire length. All 13 miles are managed under All Tackle Catch and Release regulations. The exception to this is the famous "Fisherman's Paradise" section. This one mile section is managed under no harvest, flyfishing only regulations. The "Paradise" has the distinct honor as being the first special regulations water in the country. In the 1930s Spring Creek was heavily stocked and the Paradise was well known for producing large fish on a regular basis. Harvesting limits, special passes and separate fishing areas for women and children were all part of early special regulations. Eventually, no kill regulations were put in place. In these early years, along with an abundance of fish were great insect hatches and a lot of fishing pressure.
During the 1950s, population growth began to have an increasingly negative impact on the health of the stream. Over the coming years, sewage, poor farming practices, industrial pollution and accidental releases of chemicals such as Kepone, Myrex and cyanide took a heavy toll on the trout population and had an even more devastating effect on the insect life. The state, recognizing that it could no longer endorse the consumption of the fish stocked in Spring Creek, ceased stocking the stream in 1981 and imposed Catch and Release policies.
In time, the stream's trout population rebounded, exceeding the 36 lb per acre requirement to qualify as a Class A trout fishery. It has this designation through out its entire length. Sections of Spring Creek meet the criteria many times over. Unfortunately, the insects have not fully recovered. Today Spring Creek's mayfly population no longer includes Green Drakes, Hendricksons and March Browns but Blue Winged Olives, Sulphurs, Cahills, Blue Quills, and Tricos have returned in good numbers. The Sulphur hatch, is the most popular hatch on Spring Creek, and provides great dry fly fishing during the month of May, and well into June. Caddis, craneflies and various midges add to the dry fly fishing prospects. Great terrestrial fishing can be had all summer long. Because of its, strong spring influence, summer water temperatures remain relatively cool and winter water temperatures, relatively warm. This makes Spring Creek a year round fishery. Nymph fishing with cress bugs, scuds and pheasant tails is effective all 12 months of the year.
Most of the fish caught on Spring Creek are wild brown trout, but there is an additional population of rainbow trout that routinely escape from the two Fish Commission hatcheries that are in operation on the stream.
