All rights reserved (About Us). In the area just below Safe Harbor Dam, the largest concentration of petroglyphs in the northeastern United States still survives. Was wondering if you are allowed to fish the Safe Harbor Dam. Fishing for catfish and striped bass from shore. Suite 500, Troy, Michigan 48084 USA. NOTIFICATIONS. According to the commission, in 2002 several small flatheads were reported downriver of Safe Harbor Dam, upriver of Pequea, Lancaster County. Fishing for giant catfish on the Susquehanna River. The fish began showing up in the Susquehanna River around the year 2000. MESSAGES. The flathead caught by the Maryland survey crew also is heavier than the largest record in the books maintained by the commission, which ranks angler record by the weight of the fish. Safe Harbor Dam is a dam located just 5.7 miles from Millersville, in Lancaster County, in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, near Lockport, PA. Join us as we discuss the Pennsylvania Fishing License options, fishing rules and fishing regulations. While the average strength of monofilament line used by anglers on the Susquehanna likely averages 6-12 pound-test, Bates spools his flathead reels with 65 pound-test line, tipped with 80 pound-test leader, because “that’s the thing that’s down in the rocks” being dragged and scuffed along every bit of underwater obstruction. Flathead catfish, which are native in waters from western Pennsylvania south, began showing up in the Susquehanna River around the year 2000. Flathead and channel cats abound at the bottom of this part of the river, which is near Conestoga. The largest this year was 38 pounds 3 ounces. The species was confirmed in the tailwaters of York Haven Dam at York Haven, York County, in 2005. In these waters you will find largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, both in large quantities, plus you will probably come across some walleye, carp, crappie, and catfish too. Monster catfish, bigger than most of us imagine, are cruising the waters of the Susquehanna River. And, since then the species has been caught by anglers upriver as far as Sunbury and into the Juniata River. Page 2 of 3 < Prev 1 2 3 Next > truecrimson JAWS. Thanks. 37 in. Although larger flathead catfish likely live in the river, the largest recorded to date was a 56.5-pound, 44-inch fish pulled from a hoop net by a fisheries survey crew from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on August 30 in the Susquehanna less than a mile downriver of the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line. Flathead catfish are native to southern and western waters, and in Pennsylvania occurs naturally in the Great Lakes and Ohio River drainages. 6 hour trip with Al. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Safe Harbor Dam 1 Powerhouse Rd Conestoga PA 17516. The flowing section of the river upstream of Safe Harbor, between Columbia and the York Haven Dam, is seen as the best hope for the fish to spawn successfully. So you're out on the Susquehanna River fishing near Safe Harbor Dam, and you hook into a monster flathead catfish. As recent as last week the flatheads were actively feeding, as Rod Bates of Carlisle-based Koinonia Guide Service hosted my son Casey, photographer Dan Gleiter and me to a morning of hefty flathead catfish eager for our baits – sunfish large enough that other anglers might consider a fillet off the fish worthy of the frying pan. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, James Shabrach Jr., of Boyertown, certified a 46-pound-6-ounce flathead that he caught in 2006 in the spillway of the dam at Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County. This group is closed to the public. In July 2002, a number of small flathead catfish were caught downstream of Safe Harbor Dam. A flathead caught at the Dock Street Dam at Harrisburg in 2009 was the first confirmed catch of the species that far upriver. A flathead caught at the Dock Street Dam at Harrisburg in 2009 was the first confirmed catch of the species that far upriver. If not where is a good place with easy access to the river to target catfish. Electrofishing catch rates in the Safe Harbor Dam tailrace and on Lake Clark were poor. Anglers have been introducing the species into rivers of the eastern two-thirds of the state, and the species spreads quickly through its new home, where it becomes the top-tier predator. Multiple launches exist on the Lancaster county shore. We have several active members from Pa. on here, maybe now they'll see this and help you out. The park is located 3 miles west of Conestoga on River Road and features a … The long concrete dam has created a wide lake (fishing); below the dam is a watery bog. The fish began showing up in the Susquehanna River around the year 2000. Also, since I now have 2 babies, 18mon and 5mon, I am always looking for good spots for fishing with my boys. JavaScript is disabled. DISCUSSIONS. Please support high-quality local journalism. Safe Harbor Park features opportunities for outdoor fun, like tennis courts, quoit boxes, a ball diamond, children’s playgrounds, fishing in the Conestoga River, and a walking path. Since the early 1950s, a partnership of electric utilities, government agencies and environmental and sporting groups have worked together to restore American shad to the Susquehanna River. Tricks for bank fishing big rivers. FORUMS. An agreement was established in 2018 between the Conowingo Dam’s owner, Exelon, and the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC) to implement voluntary, adaptive best management practices that reduce the spread of northern snakeheads while still allowing migratory fish passage. According to the commission, in 2002 several small flatheads were reported downriver of Safe Harbor Dam, … Use Mr Bruchey as their fishing guide and he’ll show you how to catch smallmouth bass. The electrofishing results near Marietta indicated, however, that potentially good smallmouth bass fishing was available in fall 2006, in particular stretches of the river. Pequea Creek Fishing Reports Recently shared catches and fishing spots. The flathead grows to more than a hundred pounds in some southern and western waters, but 20-30 pounds is more common in Pennsylvania. Pound for pound the strongest freshwater fish I’ve caught and the scenery along the Susquehanna River is amazing . In comparison, a large channel catfish - a species native to the Susquehanna - might come close to 36 inches in length, and the "large class" begins as a fish tops 20 inches. The valley was flooded primarily during the early 1900s by the construction of the Holtwood, Conowingo, and Safe Harbor dams from 1910 to 1931. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. About Fishing Reports for Safe Harbor Dam near Millersville A detailed fishing report for the Safe Harbor Dam will make the difference between a good fishing here and a bad one. During two days of operations, 21 shad passed the Holtwood Dam and one was observed passing the Safe Harbor Dam fish lift. Misenko said he caught a 15-inch flathead July 13, near the Safe Harbor Dam. Flathead catfish, including several young, have been caught below the Safe Harbor Dam on the lower Susquehanna River this summer. Lock 2 features an upper and lower Boat Ramp and Access area and is located along the part of the river known as Lake Clarke, the ten-mile lake formed behind Safe Harbor Dam. He said other men fishing in the area caught similar fish. Subscribe to PennLive. Conowingo, Holtwood and Safe Harbor Dams, the first three moving upriver, have fish lifts or elevators. 7; ... York Haven Dam to Safe Harbor Dam - Lancaster County. The Conejohela Flats are a group of islands in the flooded Conejohela Valley, a large floodplain along the southernmost 30 miles (50 km) of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States. Was wondering if you are allowed to fish the Safe Harbor Dam. Below Safe Harbor for eight miles extends Lake Aldred, formed by the backwater behind the half-mile dam of the Pennsylvania Water & Power Company at Holtwood, Pa. The first few miles of the river downstream of the York Haven dam offers great muskie and walleye fishing, although the fish move a lot and can be a challenge to find at times. The fish are more common in the southern and midwestern portions of the country. If not where is a good place with easy access to the river to target catfish. That was a muskellunge weighing 54 pounds 3 ounces caught in 1924 in Conneaut Lake in Crawford County by Lewis Walker Jr., of Meadville. Since 1997, flatheads have also been caught in the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and in the Blue Marsh Reservoir, all in eastern Pennsylvania. 3 Reviews (800) 692-6328 Website. 4mos ago - Pequea Creek. Has … Continue with: Join Now . Get directions, reviews and information for Safe Harbor Dam in Conestoga, PA. Followers 660 Catches 73 … Catfish and Carp 158,982 views Bates has been chasing the flatheads on the Susquehanna and guiding others to exciting adventures with the monsters about as long as anyone. 1931 Postcard of Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Dam A Brief History of Safe Harbor Area. Confirmed in the area caught similar fish western Pennsylvania south, began showing up in southern... Truecrimson safe harbor dam catfish us imagine, are cruising the waters of the River to target.. 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