This is an older article from ESPN.com, but I thought I would repost it...
From ESPN.com:
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?page=f_map_05_PA_Middle_Susquehanna
The Skinny on Middle Susky's Bass, Launch
By Vic Attardo
Fishing and Hunting News
July 21, 2005
SELINSGROVE, Pa. — After two years of mostly un-fishable conditions, the middle Susquehanna River is back, and really, really, really hot.
High waters brought on by the droppings of hurricanes and some unnamed torrential storms made the Susquehanna and its stepsister, the "Rio Wanita," too high to work.
Unfortunately the amount of time you could spend on these flows over the last two bass seasons was negligible. Heck, the last story I wrote for this magazine about middle Susquehanna smallmouth — one of my favorite subjects — was back in 2003. And that's a long time between takes for this world-class smallmouth fishery.
You'll find good access to great smallmouth bass fishing on the middle Susquehanna River.But this year, things are entirely different. Already we've had weeks and weeks of excellent fishing on the central Pennsylvania duo and unless another hurricane comes along and puts egg — or heavy rain — on my face, at least we should get the remainder of July and August.
What happens in Pennsylvania in September, only the Atlantic and the Caribbean know.
As for the bass, well they've apparently sustained two years without being pestered by anglers in perfect order.
This season the bass are big and plentiful, and plenty sassy. It's the kind of fishing I loved on the rivers before Ivan and Isabel and all the other nasty storms came our way.
At a glance
Fishing and Hunting News
What: Great bass fishing on a river hit hard by heavy rains.
Where: The middle Susquehanna River, from Sunbury downstream to Duncannon.
Improved access
There is another factor to consider.
About two years ago, road contractors finally finished rebuilding and paving the portion of Route 11/15 that runs approximately from the Duncannon bridge north to Sunbury, on the west side of the middle Susquehanna. In doing so, some of the old boat ramps and access points got upgraded, at least at the driveway entrance, and some got changed a bit.
Unless my eyes have been wide shut, I haven't seen a new publication or a listing of the complete access points that are in the 60-mile stretch between Sunbury and Duncannon.
So you know what I did? I drove the whole darn thing and visited all the access points and graded them. Please send contributions to the Vic Needs Gas Money Fund, care of F&H News.
Anyway, here's what I found. Keep this for your reference because there isn't another listing like it that I know. And don't talk to me about the state publication that doesn't give directions and goes so far to as to list an "unnamed access" in Snyder County with an "unknown" owner. That's really helpful.
Haldeman Island: Above the bridge the first public access is the Pennsylvania Game Commission ramp at Haldeman Island.
The access is on a little sliver of Dauphin County that stretches across the river — it should have been joined to Perry County — so even many old access listings forgot about Haldeman Island, part of SGL 290.
Clemson Island: About 10 miles north of Haldeman is another access that is not on every map, Clemson Island in Perry County.
Again, this is a PGC-owned access as it's meant to connect the western shore with Clemson Island, SGL 294.
The thing about the Haldeman and Clemson Island ramps is that they're built on very flat pieces of land, with flat water beyond, so when the river is low, you need to drag your boat out across rocks and gravel.
It isn't easy trailering a boat here when the river is so exposed, but, oh the bassin'.
Half Falls: A few miles up the line is a spot with no official name, at least at the access.
Some locals call it Half Falls, because of the way the ledges stretch across the river, while other folks in a local bar, who really didn't seem like dedicated anglers, called it the Point.
In any case, the Point at Half Falls does not have a launch ramp, but there is a parking area and the parking area leads to some very popular shore fishing.
Those folks out in a boat at Half Falls came down from the next ramp at Montgomery Ferry.
Montgomery Ferry: Montgomery Ferry Access is an excellent facility operated by the PFBC with both good parking and ramp.
The access is located near the village of Montgomery Ferry that has a lot of history and is worth a walkabout. Like most of this 60-mile stretch, this access leads to some excellent water in a very wide stretch of the river.
You'll be able to work ledges, rocky runs, pocket pools, tiny islands and main currents here. In fact all sorts of wonderful structure await the angler in this region.
And it's also got nice pools to take on the white fly hatch later this summer.
Millersburg Ferry: Upstream it seems like they've turned the old Millersburg Ferry landing site into a public/private ramp.
I checked it out, but because no one was there, I wasn't sure what was going on. Still, I think this site is now open and you can shoot me if I'm wrong.
Liverpool: A few miles above this site is the Liverpool access. This is a newish PFBC access in Perry County and a good one.
Liverpool is a nice thick piece of the river with islands all over the place. You'll find a lot of good pockets below the ledges in this region and it is definitely a spot where the big smallmouth like to hang.
Every bit of the river north of Liverpool is about the same — great, so let me just give directions.
Sweigert Island: About 3 miles north is the Sweigert Island access, another PGC ramp. This is near Route 104 and 11/15. The island game land is SGL 258.
Port Trevorton: An access at Port Trevorton in Snyder County did not look for good launching, but did entertain wading anglers.
Mahantango: Jump the little distance through Juniata County to Snyder County and the next major access is the PFBC Mahantango site. This is also fine facility with ample parking located downstream of McKees Half Falls.
Hoover Island: Upstream is the Hoover Island Access at the mouth Penns Creek. This spot also goes in the category of small but nice.
Parking is limited and the ramp can be problematic, but once you get past the shallow tongue that extends down from Penns Creek you have nice water.
The PFBC was scheduled to reopen the ramp June 30 after wrapping up rock and tree work.
Isle of Que: The Selinsgrove Isle of Que access is located above the town, off Route 11/15. Be sure to head to the railroad trestle to fish.
Shady Nook: Shady Nook is part of the old utility company access with an upstream boundary of the good dam. This spot is located east of Route 11/15 at Hummel's Wharf off the shopping center highway.
And that, I believe, is it for the west side river in this great smallmouth region.
Material from Fishing & Hunting News
published 24 times a year.
Visit them at www.fishingandhuntingnews.com.
