Trout Unlimited describes Spruce Creek as the place to go if you want to “wrestle with hogs … truly gargantuan browns and bows.” Much of their excessive girth is apparently due to the ample feeding they receive from resident landowners who routinely feed them pails full of fish pellets. The landowner’s generosity however is fed by their desire to lure fishermen willing to pay to fish. Because the creek is almost entirely owned by individuals or private clubs, public access is quite limited.

Thankfully, there is a half-mile stretch just above Spruce Creek Village that is owned by Penn State and open to everyone. This section is named after George M. Harvey, the Penn State professor who pioneered fly fishing as a college level subject and spent much of his life studying the waters in this area. It was during his studies around Falling Spring Run that he discovered the importance of tricos, which prior to this time, were not considered important to hatches.


Near the Village this limestone stream divides into two separate braids; the western channel is narrow, rarely more than 10 feet across. Shaded by a heavy canopy of trees, the shore is lined with overgrown shrubs that provide perfect shelter for big browns. The eastern braid has large pools, chutes and rapids, where the browns are smaller but easier to catch.

Perhaps Spruce Creek is best known as the place where former Presidents have gone to fish. A favorite of President Eisenhower, he is said to have spent many relaxing hours here while President Carter continues to visit.