The Susquehanna and Juniata will never be the same since the flathead catfish has established itself. For years they have been trying to blame the Smallmouth decline on man made reasons, and it turned out to be the Flathead catfish. The upper Juniata has not been effected until recently when the Flathead catfish finally made their way up here. Still bass to be caught but not like the old days
A fishing question about the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers.
- Thread starter SEPATOPTEN
- Start date
I fish the Juniata more specifically tge area in which the Aughwich empties into tge Juniata. Small mouth numbers are healthy...size seems to ge a bit to small though. Also I have caught an unusual amount of chain pickerel this year for some reason.
Would that be near Huntingdon? I am not that familiar with the Juniata.
Yes, the Juniata flows by Huntingdon. You can see parts of the Juniata from the Turnpike West of Bedford. My dad is from Huntingdon. Always enjoyed visiting there and Altoona. My grandfather lived in Altoona and he had a john boat that he would put in the river down at Newton Hamilton. We would go out the day before and catch an endless supply of crayfish. Good memories.
I think that is the Raystown branch of the Juniata above Raystown that feeds the dam, I have never fished there.It leaves Raystown dam and meets the Juniata that I am familiar with.
Someone mentioned fisherman disrupting the bass spawn areas. This is true, with the emergence of jet driven boats allowing fisherman to go places they couldn't do 20+ years ago. I am sure this has had an impact along with the Flatheads, ospreys, Eagles, and Otters which have all increased in population.
Just so nobody strains themselves looking for it where it isn't but you can see the Juniata from the Turnpike and even better from US 30 EAST of Bedford. Just saying.
That's the Raystown Branch. It flows into the Juniata a few miles southeast of Huntingdon.Just so nobody strains themselves looking for it where it isn't but you can see the Juniata from the Turnpike and even better from US 30 EAST of Bedford. Just saying.
I saw a picture of a guy with a flathead in Wilkes Barre on Pennsylvania Outdoor Life this morning. I guess they've made their way up here too.
In summary of what has more or less been conveyed here, the Juniata flows like this...
In general terms there are three branches of the Juniata. The Frankstown, the Little Juniata and the Raystown.
Frankstown comes down around Hollidaysburg and meets up with the Little J at Petersburg which is just west of Huntingdon. At this point it is the Juniata River.
The southern branch is the Raystown branch and it flows out of Bedford County and is the branch you can see when you drive the PA Turnpike. It flows NE to Saxton where it fills Raystown Dam. From the dam it flows another 5 mile or so where it meets up with Juniata just east of Huntingdon, just outside of Mill Creek.
The Little J is one of the best trout rivers in the state and has wild trout and fingerling stocking.
Frankstown Branch is pathway of the PA Canal (boats came up the Susquehanna the the Juniata at Clark’s Ferry). In the 1830’s before they figured out how to get a train over the Allegheny Plateau, Hundred ton canal boats were taken up the Juniata and then up the Frankstown Branch to Hollidaysburg. They were then loaded on a rail and winched over the mountains with huge ropes and 10 inclines - the Portage RR. An engineering marvel of the day and a National Historic site worth checking out if you ever head west on rt 22 past Altoona. The canal boats were then floated the remaining trip to the Ohio River watershed.
In general terms there are three branches of the Juniata. The Frankstown, the Little Juniata and the Raystown.
Frankstown comes down around Hollidaysburg and meets up with the Little J at Petersburg which is just west of Huntingdon. At this point it is the Juniata River.
The southern branch is the Raystown branch and it flows out of Bedford County and is the branch you can see when you drive the PA Turnpike. It flows NE to Saxton where it fills Raystown Dam. From the dam it flows another 5 mile or so where it meets up with Juniata just east of Huntingdon, just outside of Mill Creek.
The Little J is one of the best trout rivers in the state and has wild trout and fingerling stocking.
Frankstown Branch is pathway of the PA Canal (boats came up the Susquehanna the the Juniata at Clark’s Ferry). In the 1830’s before they figured out how to get a train over the Allegheny Plateau, Hundred ton canal boats were taken up the Juniata and then up the Frankstown Branch to Hollidaysburg. They were then loaded on a rail and winched over the mountains with huge ropes and 10 inclines - the Portage RR. An engineering marvel of the day and a National Historic site worth checking out if you ever head west on rt 22 past Altoona. The canal boats were then floated the remaining trip to the Ohio River watershed.
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