40-875: The Lehigh River is a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania . The river flows in a generally southward pattern from the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania through Allentown and much of the Lehigh Valley before joining the Delaware River in Easton . Part of the Lehigh River and a number of its tributaries are designated Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers by
80-456: A better, more exciting fight than any other black bass . Rods are usually of ultralight to medium-heavy action. They may also be caught with a fly rod using a dry or wet artificial fly , nymphs, streamers, or imitations of larger aquatic creatures, such as hellgrammites , crawfish, or leeches. Floating topwater popper fly patterns and buzz baits are also popular for smallmouth fishing. For river fishing, spinning tackle or fly tackle has been
120-414: A healthy environment, though they are still much more resilient than most trout species. Carnivorous, its diet comprises crayfish , amphibians , insects , and smaller fish, while the larvae feed on various zooplankton and insect larvae. Adults also cannibalize young of other parents. The female can lay up to 21,100 eggs, which are guarded by the male in his nest. When the weather gets colder, and
160-513: A light yellow-brown and are more oval-shaped. There are two recognized subspecies, the Northern smallmouth bass ( M. dolomieui dolomieui ) and the Neosho smallmouth bass ( M. dolomieui velox ). The Northern smallmouth bass is much more widespread than the much smaller subgroup called the Neosho smallmouth bass. The Neosho are native to an ecologically isolated region of the lower Midwest known as
200-560: A loss of river habitat caused by damming many formerly wild rivers to form lakes or reservoirs. In recent years, a renewed emphasis on preserving water quality and riparian habitat in the nation's rivers and lakes, together with stricter management practices, eventually benefited smallmouth populations and has caused a resurgence in their popularity with anglers. Today, smallmouth bass are very popular game fish , frequently sought by anglers using conventional spinning and bait casting gear, as well as fly fishing tackle. The smallmouth bass
240-400: A new river, to be given its own name, perhaps one already known to the people who live upon its banks. Conversely, explorers approaching a new land from the sea encounter its rivers at their mouths, where they name them on their charts, then, following a river upstream, encounter each tributary as a forking of the stream to the right and to the left, which then appear on their charts as such; or
280-503: A slender but muscular fusiform body shape making them powerful swimmers. The coloration of the smallmouth bass' ctenoid scales range from golden-olive to dark brown dorsally which fades to a yellowish white ventrally with dark brown vertical bars or blotches along the body and dark brown horizontal bars on the head. The combination of the muscular fusiform body shape and camouflage like coloring make these fish highly effective ambush predators. The coloration can vary greatly depending on
320-433: A tributary is a distributary , a river or stream that branches off from and flows away from the main stream. Distributaries are most often found in river deltas . Right tributary , or right-bank tributary , and left tributary , or left-bank tributary , describe the orientation of the tributary relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing
360-482: Is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family ( Centrarchidae ) of the order Perciformes . It is the type species of its genus Micropterus ( black basses ), and is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America , and has been spread by stocking —as well as illegal introductions—to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in
400-468: Is a chief tributary of the Ob river and is also the longest tributary river in the world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi). The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m /s (1.1 million cu ft/s). A confluence , where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to
440-575: Is heavily dependent on latitudinal location. Smallmouth require clean stone, rock, or gravel substrate for a successful spawn. In the United States, smallmouth bass were first introduced outside of their native range with the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, extending the fish's range into central New York state. During the mid-to-late 19th century, smallmouth were transplanted via the nation's rail system to lakes and rivers throughout
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#1732765802268480-544: Is potentially the toughest fighting freshwater fish in North America, and is commonly the targeted species in many fresh water fishing tournaments. In addition to wild populations, the smallmouth bass is stocked in cool rivers and lakes throughout Canada and the United States. In shallow streams, it is a wary fish, though usually not to the extent of most trout. The smallmouth is highly regarded for its topwater fighting ability when hooked – old fishing journals referred to
520-672: The Dale Hollow Reservoir , on the Kentucky/Tennessee border, in 1955. In conventional fishing, smallmouth may be successfully caught on a wide range of natural and artificial baits or lures, including crankbaits , hair jigs, plastic jerkbaits, artificial worms, spinnerbaits , and all types of soft plastic lures, including curly tail grubs or tubes with lead head jigs. Spinning reels or baitcasting reels may be used, with line strengths of 6 to 15 pounds typically utilized. According to many, smallmouth typically put up
560-570: The Francis E. Walter Dam and ends in Jim Thorpe . Several white water outfitters operate guided white water rafting trips in various sections of the river. The first rafting outfitter on the Lehigh River was Whitewater Challengers, which was founded in 1975. Water releases from the Francis E. Walter Dam provide enough water to make the river deep enough for boating. Three popular boating trips on
600-685: The northern pike (Esox lucius) being caught in the river. Over the years since 2005 various groups such as the Lehigh Coldwater Fishery Alliance and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to design annual flow plans from the Frances Walter Dam (F.E.W.) to maximize the cold water discharge through the spring and summer. This has helped enhance
640-416: The 11"-14" range are average, while some have been caught in the 20" range. Smallmouth bass are large in numbers but are of smaller size with most between 8"-14" with an occasional fish from the 18"-21" range. There is an increasing number of muskie being reported within the 30"-52" range. There are both pure and tiger muskie, the usually sterile, hybrid offspring of the true muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) and
680-628: The Central Interior Highlands, which weave through southwestern Missouri, northern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma. They eat tadpoles , fish, aquatic insects, and crayfish . The world record size is 11 pounds 15 ounces (5.41 kg) caught in the Dale Hollow reservoir, on the Kentucky — Tennessee border. The smallmouth bass is found in clearer water than the largemouth, especially streams, rivers, and
720-440: The Lehigh River are: Tributary A tributary , or an affluent , is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ( main stem or "parent" ), river, or a lake . A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean . Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater , leading the water out into an ocean. The Irtysh
760-644: The United States. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches (69 cm) and 12 pounds (5.4 kg). The smallmouth bass is native to the upper and middle Mississippi River basin, the Saint Lawrence River – Great Lakes system, the Champlain Valley , and the Hudson Bay basin. Its common names include smallmouth , bronzeback , brown bass , brownie , smallie , bronze bass , and bareback bass . Smallmouth have
800-405: The United States. This private ownership continued until a local representative, Samuel Frank, promoted a bill to return control of the river to the state in 1967. According to an environmental report from a Pennsylvania nonprofit research center, the Lehigh River watershed is ranked second nationally in the volume of toxic substances released into it in 2020. The study mirrored a previous report by
840-421: The direction the water current of the main stem is going. In a navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards
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#1732765802268880-415: The first-order tributary being typically the least in size. For example, a second-order tributary would be the result of two or more first-order tributaries combining to form the second-order tributary. Another method is to list tributaries from mouth to source, in the form of a tree structure , stored as a tree data structure . Smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu )
920-983: The fishes age, habitat, water quality, diet, and the spawning cycle. Generally, the protruding jaw of the smallmouth does not extend back beyond the eyes which are red or brown. They have two dorsal fins which are separated by a shallow interdorsal notch. The front dorsal has 9–11 spiney rays and the back dorsal has 13–15 soft rays. Males are generally smaller than females. The males tend to range around two pounds, while females can range from three to six pounds. Their average sizes and coloration can differ, depending on if they are found in lacustrine or riverine habitats. Smallmouth found in riverine habitats are generally long and slender which allows greater agility in moving water, while those found in lacustrine habitats and shorter and deeper bodied. Riverine smallmouth that live in dark water tend to be rather torpedo-shaped and very dark brown to be more efficient for feeding. Lacustrine smallmouth bass, however, that live in sandy areas, tend to be
960-451: The handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream. For instance, Steer Creek has a left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. These naming conventions are reflective of the circumstances of a particular river's identification and charting: people living along the banks of a river, with a name known to them, may then float down the river in exploration, and each tributary joining it as they pass by appears as
1000-612: The heart of the Lehigh Valley , a historically important anthracite coal and steel -producing region of Pennsylvania. The river rises in the Poconos region of northeastern Pennsylvania in several ponds in Lehigh Township in Wayne County , approximately 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Scranton . The PA Gazetteer of Streams shows that the Lehigh River begins as the outflow of Pocono Peak Lake . Flowing south from
1040-481: The most popular angling tools for smallmouth in North America for many years. When fishing in colder water, it is believed to be more effective to fish with smaller lures like hair jigs or small spinners. During the rest of the year, smallmouth are usually taken using soft plastic tubes or spinnerbaits. The best spots in rivers to fish for smallmouth are behind rocks or in eddies, where water swirls around. Smallmouth can also be taken in cool lakes like Lake Erie or any of
1080-722: The narrow opening at Lehigh Gap . A six-mile stretch of the river between Freemansburg and Easton is known as the "dry-lands" because all of the water from rain drainage flows underground. From the Lehigh Gap, the river flows southeast to Allentown , where it is joined by Little Lehigh Creek , then northeast past Bethlehem , where it joins the Delaware River in Easton at Pennsylvania's border with northwestern New Jersey . The Lehigh River holds many species of fish, including trout , smallmouth bass , largemouth bass , pickerel , panfish , carp , catfish , eel , and muskie . Rainbow trout , brown trout , and brook trout in
1120-541: The nation's eastern trout rivers were polluted or experienced elevated water temperatures, reducing the range of native brook trout . Smallmouth bass were often introduced to northern rivers with increased water temperatures and slowly became a popular gamefish with many anglers. Equally adaptable to large, cool-water impoundments and reservoirs, the smallmouth also spread far beyond its original native range. Later, smallmouth populations also began to decline after years of damage caused by overdevelopment and pollution, as well as
1160-576: The northern and western United States, as far as California. Shippers found that smallmouth bass were a hardy species that could be transported in buckets or barrels by rail, sometimes using the spigots from the railroad water tanks to aerate the fingerlings. They were introduced east of the Appalachians just before the Civil War, and afterwards transplanted to the states of New England. With increased industrialization and land use changes, many of
1200-406: The opposite bank before approaching the confluence. An early tributary is a tributary that joins the main stem river closer to its source than its mouth, that is, before the river's midpoint ; a late tributary joins the main stem further downstream, closer to its mouth than to its source, that is, after the midpoint. In the United States, where tributaries sometimes have the same name as
1240-495: The population of coldwater species like brown trout to gain a growing naturally reproducing population within the river below F.E.W. dam all the way to Northampton . The Lehigh River is a whitewater river with Class I, II, and III rapids. The most popular section of the Lehigh River for whitewater rafting , kayaking, and canoeing is through the Lehigh Gorge State Park . The Lehigh Gorge State Park begins at
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1280-666: The river into which they feed, they are called forks . These are typically designated by compass direction. For example, the American River in California receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago River 's North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork; the South Branch has its South Fork, and used to have a West Fork as well (now filled in). Forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here,
1320-413: The rocky areas and stumps and also sandy bottoms of lakes and reservoirs. It can also survive in a stronger current than other black bass. The smallmouth prefers cooler water temperatures than its cousin the largemouth bass , and as a result will often seek out deeper, faster moving water during the hot summer months. Because it is intolerant of pollution , the smallmouth bass is a good natural indicator of
1360-418: The smaller stream designated the little fork, the larger either retaining its name unmodified, or receives the designation big . Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river and ending with those nearest to the mouth of the river . The Strahler stream order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third and higher orders, with
1400-412: The smallmouth bass as "ounce for ounce and pound for pound the gamest fish that swims". Smallmouth bass are not usually taken for the table, but rather are caught and released by most anglers. However, smaller specimens in cooler water often have higher quality filets of white, firm flesh when cooked. The current all-tackle world record for a smallmouth bass is 11 lb 15 oz, caught by David Hayes in
1440-502: The south end of the lake (a natural but dammed body of water), the river turns west after a mile and receives water from many lakes and ponds as it flows past Gouldsboro . It flows initially southwest through southern Lackawanna County and then through Francis E. Walter Dam . Near White Haven , it turns south, following a zigzag whitewater course through Lehigh Gorge State Park to Jim Thorpe , then southeast, past Lehighton . Southeast of Lehighton, it passes through Blue Mountain in
1480-511: The state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources . The river's name is an anglicisation of the Lenape name for the river, Lechewuekink , which means "where there are forks". Both Lehigh County and Lehigh Valley are named for the river. Between 1821 and 1966, the Lehigh River was owned by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company , making it the only privately owned river in
1520-431: The state's Department of Environmental Protection that found most of the county's waterways unsafe for swimming or aquatic life. The Lehigh River flows in a highly winding course through valleys between ridges of Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains . Its upper course is characterized by numerous whitewater rapids and supports recreational pursuits, including rafting , kayaking , and canoeing . Its lower course forms
1560-432: The streams are seen to diverge by the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west) in which they proceed upstream, sometimes a third stream entering between two others is designated the middle fork; or the streams are distinguished by the relative height of one to the other, as one stream descending over a cataract into another becomes the upper fork, and the one it descends into, the lower ; or by relative volume:
1600-577: The water temperature drops below 15 C (60 F), smallmouth will often migrate in search of deeper pools in which they enter a semi-hibernation state, moving sluggishly and feeding very little until the warm season returns. The migration patterns of smallmouth have been tracked and it is not unusual for a smallmouth to travel 12 miles in a single day in a stream, creek or river. The overall migration can exceed 60 miles. Smallmouth generally begin spawning patterns in spring or early summer when water temperatures are between 15–18 °C (59.0–64.4 °F), which
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