Spring Creek (Bald Eagle Creek tributary)

Spring Creek (Bald Eagle Creek tributary)

Spring Creek flowing through Spring Creek Canyon near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Spring Creek is a 25.2-mile-long (40.6 km)^[1] tributary of Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States.^[2][3]

Formed by springs near the base of Tussey Mountain, Spring Creek flows through Nittany Valley past State College.^[4] It then flows through Spring Creek Canyon and through the town of Bellefonte, before eventually passing through a water gap in Bald Eagle Mountain. The stream joins Bald Eagle Creek in the town of Milesburg.

Recreation

Spring Creek is a popular outdoor recreation destination for kayaking, hiking, and fly fishing.^[5][6][7] Throughout most of Spring Creek Canyon, the stream is paralleled by the Spring Creek Canyon Trail, offering public access.

Fly Fishing

View of Spring Creek in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Spring Creek is renowned as a popular fly fishing destination in the Northeast.^[8][9][4] The stream is well-known for Fisherman's Paradise, a 1.12 mile section owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.^[10] The majority of Spring Creek is managed under Catch and Release, All-Tackle fishing regulations, however Fisherman's Paradise is specially managed under Catch and Release, Fly Fishing Only regulations.^[11]

Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery, a 40 acre trout hatchery operated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, is situated on Spring Creek. The stream, as well as nearby Benner Spring, provide water to the facility.^[12]

Kayaking

Spring Creek is the site of a kayak and canoe slalom training center, located in Bellefonte.^[13] Additionally, a class I whitewater run of roughly 2 miles exists from Bellefonte to the stream's mouth in Milesburg.^[14]

Tributaries

• Cedar Run
• Slab Cabin Run
• Logan Branch
• Buffalo Run

See also

• List of rivers of Pennsylvania

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed August 8, 2011
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Spring Creek (Bald Eagle Creek tributary)
3. Gertler, Edward. Keystone Canoeing, Seneca Press, 2004. ISBN 0-9749692-0-6
4. "Spring Creek Overview". TCO Fly Shop. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
5. President, David Kurtz (2020-05-13). "Spring Creek. Favorite Local Waters for Kayak and Canoe Boating". ATLAS. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
6. "Spring Creek Canyon Trail". Centred Outdoors. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
7. Sperry, Ken (2019-08-01). "DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Spring Creek in Pennsylvania". DIY Fly Fishing. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
8. "Centre County's Spring Creek is in a class by itself". lewistownsentinel.com. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
9. "Spring Creek". www.flyfishersparadise.com. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
10. Carline, Robert (2021-06-09). "Fisherman's Paradise – An Historic Reach of Spring Creek". ATLAS. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
11. "Summary Book - Catch and Release All Tackle". pfbc.pa.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
12. "Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery". Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
13. "Bellefonte Intervalley Chamber of Commerce • Kayaking Spring Creek". bellefontechamber.org. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
14. "Spring Creek: Bellefonte to Milesburg". American Whitewater.

External links

• U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations

40°56′35″N 77°47′14″W