6 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2012 www.fishandboat.com

Slip your kayak into the water off a country road in rural Pennsylvania, and your cares soon fade away. The forest glides by you on either side as you slip over riffles and float under bridges. Eight or ten miles pass in an afternoon as you explore a watershed far off the beaten path. A day like this spent kayaking on a small Pennsylvania stream is a day to be savored. Here are some tips, tricks and highlighted sections where you may find your own small-stream idyll.

Paddling on a small streamWhat is small stream kayaking? For our use, a small

stream in Pennsylvania is one that is less likely to receive motorboat traffic and is best navigated by paddling. There are many streams that fit these criteria throughout the Commonwealth from short, steep, rapid filled creeks to placid, winding pastoral streams. While all paddlers should be prepared when they hit the water, paddlers on small streams need to take extra care, because they are often alone on the water. A dry change of clothes and a cell phone in a waterproof, sealed container can be priceless on a cold day. If possible, always paddle with at least one partner to help you in an emergency. A sharp eye looking downriver is important on many small streams since changes often occur just around the bend. If you see a section or stream that you are unsure about, take the time to land your kayak, get out and scout ahead on foot. Anglers may wish to take note that small streams in Pennsylvania often offer great fishing opportunities in

out of the way locations. Throw a fishing rod and a small pack of lures or flies in your boat, and you may find a new top-notch fishing hole. Look for large pools on small streams to produce well. These are often found just below rapids or bridges. Railroad bridges can offer particularly good fishing opportunities since they can be harder for car-bound anglers to find and access. Among the many top-notch kayak fishing options that anglers will be interested in are large trout streams including Pine Creek, Penns Creek and the Little Juniata River. Many streams also offer excellent smallmouth bass fishing.

The Yellow Breeches Creek, Cumberland County, is a great location to start your small stream kayak experience. It offers miles of easy paddling along with a water trail that highlights the paddling opportunities on this stream and provides maps that point out easy access.

by Carl Haensel photos by the author

Kayaking Small Streams

Mixing fishing with kayaking is a great option while paddling small Pennsylvania streams. Often, there are top-notch opportunities for fishing for smallmouth bass, trout and other species. Target deep-water areas with good cover for fish such as large logs or other submerged debris in the water.

7 www.fishandboat.com Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2012

What’s the best boat?If you’ve got limited options, the best kayak to take down

your local stream or river is the one that you can access. If you’re choosing a kayak, test paddle some to see which are comfortable. Both sit-inside and sit-on-top kayaks can work in small stream situations. Smaller, shorter sit-inside boats have greater maneuverability and can keep you dryer with spray skirts. Mid-length recreational sit-inside kayaks are a great option for most reaches. Very short whitewater kayaks can be useful on more technical small stream routes best suited to experienced paddlers.

Small stream kayaking safetyWhile kayaking can be a blast on small streams in

Pennsylvania, safety should always be your number one concern. On small streams, capsizing your kayak is a very real possibility. Always wear your life jacket while kayaking, and be ready to take the plunge when it happens. Wear a helmet and a paddling jacket to protect you from injury and hypothermia on the water as well. Prepare for your trip by checking the water level on the stream that you’re going to paddle. If you can, consult a local paddling shop to ask what the best water levels are for your destination area. A knowledgeable shop may also be able to give you pointers on the best sections to paddle and safe put in and take out points. While some streams can be paddled most of the time, some are only floatable after some rain. These streams, usually smaller ones, should be attempted only by more advanced paddlers. Flooding streams can be dangerous, bring in debris, alter channels and create strainers. Strainers are one of the biggest safety concerns on small streams. A strainer is any obstruction like a tree that allows water to pass through it but not objects such as a kayaker or boat. If you see a strainer blocking a stream that you are paddling, bring your boat to shore, get out and assess the best way to navigate around it. Often, this may involve portaging your boat around the strainer. Rapids, narrow chutes, bridges and low-head dams are among other dangerous impediments on small streams. All should be given a wide berth or portaged around as appropriate. For information on hazards on the water and recommendations on dealing with these dangerous situations, refer to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s website at www.fishandboat.com.

While old bridges and logjams may be scenic in the sunset, like this spot on Swatara Creek near Hershey, they can also be hazardous to paddlers. Steer a wide path around strainers and avoid paddling next to bridge pilings.

Kayaking Small Streams in Pennsylvania

Kayakers paddle the Lackawaxen River, an excellent eastern Pennsylvania paddling option in Wayne and Pike counties.

8 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2012 www.fishandboat.com

Where to paddleThere are literally hundreds of small streams in Pennsylvania

that are great paddling options. Start by exploring familiar streams that are close to home. Choose your route by looking at the length of the stream that you would like to paddle. Then, find appropriate, safe locations to launch and retrieve your craft. If you cross private lands to boat, remember to ask for permission. The average length of a paddling route on a small stream in Pennsylvania is about ten miles. This should take about five hours to boat, depending on how often you pause, fish or relax. Some streams may be faster since they flow quickly due to their higher gradient, like Pine Creek in Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon, Tioga County. Find the best ones near you by consulting your atlas, paddling shop or “Keystone Canoeing” by Edward Gertler. This book details hundreds of paddling routes in Pennsylvania and gives realistic estimates of the skill needed to navigate many small streams. Another option to explore to find paddling streams near you are Pennsylvania’s Water Trails. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission along with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has created and maintains a list of designated water trails in the Commonwealth. Most of these trails have maps and informational brochures that detail locations of accesses, hazards, local amenities and more. While Pennsylvania’s 21 water trails cover many large waters, small and medium sized streams like the Yellow Breeches Creek Water Trail, Swatara Creek Water Trail, Upper Juniata River Water Trail and others are listed. These small streams are good streams to start your kayaking experience. Check them out on the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s website at www.fishandboat.com.

Within a four-minute drive of millions of Pennsylvania residents, the Tulpehocken Creek in Lebanon County is just one of many southeastern Pennsylvania streams that offer good kayaking. Like many smaller Pennsylvania streams, there are dams to be portaged. Be prepared to exit the water to safely bypass these dangerous obstacles.

1. Middle Allegheny River Water Trail2. Three Rivers Water Trail3. Youghiogheny River Water Trail4. Upper Monongahela Water Trail5. Clarion River Water Trail6. Kiski-Conemaugh River Water Trail7. West Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail8. Middle Susquehanna River Water Trail9. Lower Susquehanna River Water Trail10. Raystown Branch Juniata River Water Trail11. Conodoguinet Creek Water Trail

12. Swatara Creek Water Trail13. Conestoga River Water Trail14. North Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail15. Lehigh River Water Trail16. Schuylkill River Water Trail17. Delaware River Water Trail17a. Tidal Delaware Water Trail18. Pine Creek Water Trail19. Juniata River Water Trail20. Yellow Breeches Creek Water Trail21. Conewango Creek Water Trail

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21Pennsylvania Water Trails

Water trails are recreational waterways on a lake, river or ocean between specific points, containing access points and day-use and/or camping sites for the boating public. Water trails emphasize low-impact use and promote resource steward-ship. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) and its water trail partners invite you to explore these unique Pennsylvania water trails. For more information on water trails or a Southcentral Region Guide, visit www.fishandboat.com.