Youghiogheny River Pennsylvania Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout (Wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Rainbows (Stocked)
Size
Large
Location
Southwestern Pennsylvania
Nearest Town
Confluence
Season
Middle of April through February
Access:
Good
Special Regulations
Yes
Non-Resident License
State of Pennsylvania
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The season is the general Pennsylvania trout season.
Spring:
Provided the water levels are okay, springtime is a good time for fly fishing the Youghiogheny River tailwater.
Summer:
The fishing can be great during the Summer thanks to the cold water discharge.
Fall:
Fall is probably the best time for fly fishing the Youghlogheny River and certainly a good time to catch
the larger brown trout
Winter:
Wintertime can be tough but midges can produce even on the coldest days.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.
2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need
3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.
All orders are shipped free in the
U. S. Orders over $100 are shipped via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Youghiogheny River
Pennsylvania
The Youghiogheny River is a tailwater below Youghiogheny Reservoir Dam in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The water remains cold throughout the year and helps maintain a good population of trout.
This stream has had its problems, mainly a spill that injected mine acid into its water. It hasn’t taken long for the aquatic insects to recover and for the river to again become a very good tailwater trout fishery. The state stocks rainbow and brown trout as fingerlings. The trout holdover well and there’s large fish to be caught as a result of the stream’s cold water and plentiful aquatic insect population.
The fairly large tailwater has two major tributaries that enter not far below the dam just below Confluence – Cassleman River and Laurel Hill Creek. Although the Cassleman River has also had problems with mine acid, it too has rebounded and is currently doing well.
The Youghiogheny River is accessible from the bank by a bike trail that follows along the west side of the stream. Most anglers prefer to fish the section from the dam downstream to Ohiopyle.
The best way to fish the Youghiogheny River is from a drift boat. You can wade but you should use caution. The water is deep in areas and can be swift. Below Ohiopyle, the river is very swift and requires a lot of caution to fish from a drift boat and to wade near the falls. Boats put in just below a forty-foot high waterfall and take out at Bruner Run, a distance of seven miles. It is accessible from a small trial but the river is difficult to get to in many areas and difficult to wade in most areas.
There’s another section of rough water below the Bruner Run takeout. You can fish the Youghlogheny River below the rapids downstream of the takeout but the area is very remote. It can be accessed from a road to Camp Carmel. Further downstream, the water begins to warm during the Summer and trout are gradually replaced by warm water species.
The Youghiogheny River has a very good aquatic insect population and unlike many tailwaters, it offers some very good dry fly fishing at times.