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Middle Creek Reservoir Fishing Report

|Middle Creek Reservoir, PA
77% confidence 70°F Clear Solunar 4/5

If still dead, switch to a slow Carolina rig on the bottom in 6–10 ft near the dam face for post-front bass.

comprehensive plan Analyze Weather Conditions Analyze Past Water Temperature Analyze Species Behavior

THE CALL: Largemouth and bluegill are biting best right now on a warming trend and full moon — hit the northwest shoreline riprap and docks at first light with a spinnerbait for bass, then switch to a wacky rig or small popper for bedding bluegill once the sun tops the trees.

WHY IT WINS

  • Water temp hit 70°F and has risen 8.3° recently — that warming trend pulls bass shallow to feed and bluegill into spawning pockets.
  • Full moon (solunar 4/5) with clear skies and light wind means a short, aggressive early window, especially for shore access where fish hold tight to cover.
  • Rising pressure will lock fish down after 9–10 AM, so the first two hours are your best shot at active feeders.

START HERE Park along the northwest shoreline (Cocalico Creek inflow side) — fish the riprap points and the two dock rows between the boat ramp and the dam. This bank gets the first sun and has hard cover, which bass and bluegill both use post-spawn. For shore casting, you can work the entire stretch without heavy weeds.

THROW THIS

  • Bass (first hour): 3/8 oz white/chartreuse spinnerbait with double willow blades. Burn it along the riprap edges and pause at the docks. Cloud cover is zero, so the flash gets attention.
  • Bass backup: 5" green pumpkin Senko, wacky rigged, pitched to dock posts and rock corners once the spinnerbait slows.
  • Bluegill (after 7:30 AM): Small white popper or a 1/32 oz jighead with a 2" chartreuse curly tail under a bobber. Cast to slow water behind the docks and visible beds on the gravel flats near the creek mouth.

BEST WINDOW 5:45 AM – 8:00 AM. The sun hits the water around 6:15 — that’s when the warming triggers the first move. The full moon likely had fish feeding all night, so the first two hours after sunrise produce the best strikes before the high sun and rising pressure shut them down.

NEXT MOVE If the sunny northwest bank fails after 45 minutes, walk south to the shaded south cove — toss the wacky rig or a 1/8 oz shaky head with a trick worm into the deeper dock shadows and laydowns. Those fish will hold tight to cover under the bright sky and pressure rise. If still dead, switch to a slow Carolina rig on the bottom in 6–10 ft near the dam face for post-front bass.