Schuylkill River Guidance needed

[vanmc]

Hello,

I have never fished the Schuylkill River. I mainly fish the lakes around Chester County. I have very interested to get out there and give it a try. I read on the internet that it can be productive around Phoenixville in the winter because of a power plant there. My main questions are where can I launch my boat? Where should I first try to get some smallies? And is the river deep enough to run my boat in it. I have regular outboard engine (not a jet) and a 16 foot flat bottom aluminum boat. Also are there any areas I should avoid for safety reasons? Any information?fishing tips would be very much appreciated. Thanks everybody

[tomm]

You can launch your boat at the ramp right where Rt 113 goes over the river. You can run about a half mile downstream before you come to the dam, and a half mile or so upstream before the water gets too shallow. The power plant is upstream and that's as far as you should go with the big motor. Even though it's a relatively small place, there's all kinds of cover. Trees, rock piles, streams, ledges, boulders...

The place is loaded with smallies. You're not going to catch much over 8 or 10", so adjust your gear for that, but there are bigger ones in there. My biggest is a hair over 16" and I have a friend who caught one over 3 pounds.

My preferred lures are, and in this order, small spider jigs in any color as longs as it's black, small inline spinners like Mepps in bright colors, small crankbaits in crawfish, bright colored jerkbaits.

Good luck
Tom

[smallie]

you can also try up in the spring city area using tube jigs my best in there is a nice 16 incher real chunky but i have seen some a lot bigger that i spooked by accident

also try the shoal across from the boat launch on 113 there was a few nice ones that were chasing my zooms there last year

[vanmc]

Thanks for the info. I am going to give it a try in a week or two. I was afraid off destroying my new motor. Now i know where some deaper water is located. Much appreciated.

[smallie]

whe you run upstream to the power plant there is a warm water discharge on the left hand side, the water is fairly deep there also a good sized shoal that the smallie congregate to just below it

when you get to the plant it goes to about 2 to 3 feet deep in front of the plant upstream it gets shallower

[NeedTaFish]

Smallie, Can you launch a boat near Spring City? I have heard this area is productive and I am looking to check it out in a few weeks. Where can I launch a boat in the sckuky near spring city? Thanks

[guest smalli]

yes there is a small ramp in spring city off of gay street in spring city when you come down main street in spring city head towards crombie power plant on the left is gay street take it to the river you will se the ram its a tight one but it works

be careful i do run a tracker in there but its shallow mainly trolling motor depth

[vanmc]

I fished the river from the 113 Boat ramp on Sunday. Lot's of good cover on the sides of the river to fish. I caught one smallie a hair under 2 pounds. I saw a big daddy swimming around some fallen logs but i couldn't get it to bite. Thanks again for the info and I am looking forward to hitting up the area when it gets warmer.

[guest smallie]

let me know when you hit it again maybe i can meet ya

Bob