Heres a nice brookie i picked up there on wed.

 
anyone fish it this weekend?  How is the water after all that rain?

I been fishing Mahoning since I can remember I probably fish it on average 20-30 times a year depending on the water conditions and I can tell you how much it has changed over the years.  I beleive this used to be probably one of the top areas to fly fish for quite some time.  The creek has nice holes and holds fish over the summer months.  The fly project is pretty large and has some nice remote areas in it.  TU has done a nice job in taking floats to cover the stream over the years too. I have gone there before and caught large numbers of trout, even an occisional fish that was in the 25 inch range and it was not uncommon to see fish all through out the creek even in the summer months.  However, this has all changed within the last 10 years.  I can honestly say that I still advidly fish the stream but it is not nearly what it once was.  When the state claimed to put larger but fewer fish in, instead of brining three trucks to the creek only two would come and stock it. On average 8 buckets would go into a float with 3 being dumped off to the side at each hole.  In the March 2009 stocking 3 trucks came to the creek however, only 5 1/2  to 6 bucks went directly into the floats a cut back of nearly 5 bucks per stop.  I can honestly say that I havent seen a fish near 24 inches in the project area in over 9 years.  Sure its nice to catch them in the 17-19 range but it seems like this is even hard to come by anymore.  I have fished the stream several times this year, once being low I walked from the top of the project very far down not seeing a single fish.  Yes I know that some were probably hiding in different areas but truthfully in my years of fishing there I would always be able to find pockets of fish at least 2 or three together.  I have also fished other areas of the stream this year with out seeing fish or reciving strikes.  I dont mean to sound like a complainer, just someone who is very concerned right now.  If anyone has fished there long enough, you are probably starting to see the changes too...

superfly
you r dead on with your report
FC

This is just my 3rd year flyfishing and I have fished Little Mahoning quite a bit since I live in the area.  It seems like there is only a fraction of the fish that were in the stream at this time last year.  You can usually spot quite a few fish from the road upstream and downstream from the TU sign, but I am just not seeing (or catching) any decent numbers of fish like I have the past few years.  I have run into several anglers on the stream who are disappointed and notice fewer and smaller fish as well.  This has been such a disappointing spring on the Little Mahoning, hopefully things turn around after the May stocking. 

Thank you FC, and jstrats, your post also appears to be very accurate too. I am also hopeful that it turns around. Last year, when stocked in May, the water was to low to float stock it so only buckets were put in. Im sure not everyone will agree with me but I know Mahoning is stocked 3 times per year, once in March, May, and October (I think, please correct if wrong). The fly project could easily be stocked 3 times alone in the spring time. I think this creek deserves the fish and larger ones at that. A few years ago anglers were allowed 3 fish per day in the summer months, which has since changed. Technically the fish should be protected now in the fly project (being that poachers don’t take them) and being the way that Mahoning holds fish from year to year I believe there is a lot of potential in this creek if the state can turn things around for it. Right now though, it seems it is headed in a different direction. Fly fishermen could have a lot of success there and by stocking larger ones; they would be there year round for anglers to catch. Just my thoughts on things but again I know not everyone agrees which is ok too... Im just not satisfied with what it is now compared to what it used to be. So much potential though. Please keep me posted on any of the fish you are catching or unfortunately...not catching. Good luck to you all.

I have had good luck so far this year fishing the project water.  Every fish caught so far as been 11 inches or bigger except for one small brookie about 7 inches.  Yeah it is true that the stream was better a few years ago but the state stocked more fish then.  Just a question, how many fish landed or missed makes a good day?  Two weeks ago was my last time there, so maybe the fish are all poached out, but I highly doubt it.

I personally dont think poaching has anything to do with the problems that are occurring at Little Mahoning for numerous reasons. First of all, how many poachers would it take to remove 600 to 1000 fish from a stream in a matter of just a few weeks?? thats not possible. It all has to do with mine drainage and acidity. These fish are headed directly down stream as soon a they hit the water. Has anyone seen the sign at the Millstone Hole about the study that the IUP students did at Cessna Run?? If not i would be happy to explain, if so, you understand. For some reason those who should be dealing with this problem have pushed it aside and it has worsened over the last few years. I spoke with a gentleman in his later years last time i was there, he is at the stream 3 times a week and has been going there since they made it a project in the 60's.. he checks temperature and acidity and tells me that acidity has changed drastically over the last few yrs. He also told me that he read the water at 70 DEGREES! last summer. Put those two factors together, and voila, you've got your problem..its a shame.

not to sure beef..Ive been going there solid for about 12 years + now.. water temp and acidity are def a factor in water but the state isnt aware of this? and if so why isnt anything taking place..last time I checked the open waters were just a few miles south of cessna run below where the project ends so tech people could be eating fish out of there and they probably are...not that Im a fan of keeping fish but.. sounds dangerous to me.. I dunno though. Id love to see his readings back in the early 2000s because the water quailty had to still be good, even in the summer because I know that creek holds the fish pretty well. Another huge factor has been the state cutting back on the fish being put in the project up there and throughout the entire stream as I keep track of the general number of fish being stocked each year... I can tell you this year has been the lowest by far.

Wow, great information!  Hopefully people will still provide some more! I did real good on trout this year near the rt 119 bridge (i don't fly fish...yet) so i can't speak on the ffo section.  A bunch of bows, browns and a 17" golden, I have caught native trout in the section upstream of the "fishing hole," some tributaries upstream and hold overs in the winter and in august this year(and it has been low low low.)  People definitely keep fish from that hole, it is legal I think so restrictions on that could potentially help the ffo section.  Acid mine is definitely present throughout the watershed and I do believe alot of the fish go downstream maybe all the way to big mahoning or the tributaries through out the creek.  Water quality and pollution improvement plus moving the ffo section more upstream could help the trout population i believe.  I have caught bass near the rt 119 bridge and have had good fishing where little mahoning pours into big mahoning as well.  I hope to float fish alot of it next year to find out more about the fishing and overall quality of the watershed.

Wow, great information!  Hopefully people will still provide some more! I did real good on trout this year near the rt 119 bridge (i don't fly fish...yet) so i can't speak on the ffo section.  A bunch of bows, browns and a 17" golden, I have caught native trout in the section upstream of the "fishing hole," some tributaries upstream and hold overs in the winter and in august this year(and it has been low low low.)  People definitely keep fish from that hole, it is legal I think so restrictions on that could potentially help the ffo section.  Acid mine is definitely present throughout the watershed and I do believe alot of the fish go downstream maybe all the way to big mahoning or the tributaries through out the creek.  Water quality and pollution improvement plus moving the ffo section more upstream could help the trout population i believe.  I have caught bass near the rt 119 bridge and have had good fishing where little mahoning pours into big mahoning as well.  I hope to float fish alot of it next year to find out more about the fishing and overall quality of the watershed.