May 2026 Spring Creek
When: May 15-17, 2026
Where: State College/Bellefonte, PA
Participants: Allan Rutzen, Karan Singh, Lou Reichel
I arrived at Fisherman’s Paradise on Friday by early afternoon. The parking lot was closed for Law Enforcement training. There is a few parking spaces in front of the gate and I was lucky to get the remaining parking spot. I was able to walk up the creek and fish. The weather was great, the stream flow looked good, just slightly low, with clear water. Very few people were on the creek fishing. I found a good spot and started fishing. There were BWO, caddis and sulfurs. Did see some sulfurs flying around and landing on the water, but few rising trout. Then, all of a sudden, the fish were rising in this shallow run. They were not rising to sulfurs floating on the water, I couldn’t tell what they were rising for. Emergers? BWO? I tried lots of different flies with no hits. I decided to try this awful looking #14 sulfur parachute I tied, the body was bulky, not slim nor tapered, with hackle that didn’t look like the picture. On second cast the trout hit the fly. I had it for 3 seconds and then came off. That made me happy. Two more hits but no trout to net. I think they were just moving my fly with their nose just to get it out of the way. After that – nothing.
I did go downstream, following Spring Creek rd towards Rt 550, and noted good looking water. Again, saw fair amount of BWO. It looks like the State made some additional parking areas and stream improvement projects.
Since the Fisherman’s Paradise parking lot was closed, I messaged the others to meet at Benner Springs parking lot at 5:00 pm. The parking lot was not crowded, which should have told us something. We were on the creek waiting for the hatch and spinner fall. Very few people on the creek. After multiple casts in this nice looking water, I allowed Allen to try. On second cast he caught a nice brown trout. Further down stream Karan also got one. I got nothing. By 8:30 pm, got dark, and there was no hatch nor spinner fall. We left to go to Hofbrau Pizza in Bellefonte. Got there just at closing (9:30 pm) but they allowed us to order and eat there.
Next morning had breakfast at Waffle Shop in Bellefonte. We went to Spring Creek near the confluence to Bald Eagle Creek in Milesburg. Karan found a small run and caught couple brown trout and a rainbow on nymphs. I showed him my puppy eyes and he let me fish the run. I did catch a 10-11” brown on a small nymph. By early afternoon, we eat lunch and moved to Fisherman’s Paradise. The parking lot was open, was still half full with State Wildlife and Law Enforcement trucks. Walked upstream, well before the gun firing range. Few sulfurs, BWO and caddis were flying around. Very few fish were rising, One was rising near this log on side of the creek. Allan was casting to it and finally caught the log. He decided the fly was more important and walked to the log. I heard him say he saw the fish swim away. That was the most activity we got. At about 5 pm Allan and Karan decided to go back and fish Bald Eagle Creek since Allan was camping near there and fished it earlier..
By this time my back was hurting and decided to stay at Fisherman’s Paradise. I stayed till dark, 8:30-8:45pm. No sulfur hatch nor spinner fall. At the parking lot, these young guys (in their early 20’s) arrived back to the cars and reported only few sulfurs and did get a few small trout just as it got dark around 8-8:15 pm.
Did turn over some Spring Creek rocks and saw lots of cress bugs. Karan noted just one mayfly nymph. So there are a lot of bugs in the creek.
I thought the weather and water flow was good, but there was a poor sulfur hatch. It can’t be due to PPTU fishing abilities.
Did see impressive wildlife with sightings of birds including colorful indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles, blue birds, gold finches, kingfishers and a black mink. Alan reported seeing a majestic eagle. We had discussions on what plant was poison ivy or not, maybe box elder, I guess we will find out later.
Until the next outing.
Louis Reichel
PPTU Outings