Fisherman’s Paradise.

If you are a fly angler, there is little doubt you have heard of this section of Spring Creek located between Bellefonte and State College. Anglers from all around the globe are familiar with what is considered a prime fly fishing area. But why is this section of the stream so popular? How did it rise from an isolated area accessible only by trail to become somewhere anglers and nature lovers travel from across the map to visit?

It’s all by design.

Sure, Spring Creek is a spring, making it perfect for trout. It is also located in a relatively remote canyon but within easy reach of those visiting State College. But it is also one of dozens of similar streams crisscrossing Centre and nearby counties. What makes it stand out and allows it to gain the reputation of a primere trout stream is that it was designed to be better. The Spring Creek visitors encounter today is different from the Spring Creek that greeted early settlers or even the Penn State Class of 1930.

In 1930, the Fish Commission, as it was known at the time, acquired 90 acres of property in the canyon, most of which lined a little over 1 mile of Spring Creek. Originally known as The Spring Creek Project, this property was intended to provide water for fish culture operation and demonstrate new stream improvement methods. By 1934, a hatchery had been built along the far shore, and the stream was heavily stocked. It now included numerous stream improvement devices such as deflectors, riparian buffers and log covers. The result was a hit with local anglers; thousands of people visited the site annually.

By 1934, word had spread, and the Spring Creek Project had become a Fisherman’s paradise, with people lining up to fish the stream and a side channel that had been added as a female-only area. The nickname stuck, and Fisherman’s Paradise would eventually be adopted as the project’s official name. The project would also morph into an area so popular with anglers that special regulations were implemented to manage access.

Anglers had to check in and obtain an identification badge before fishing.

All anglers were required to check out and report their catch at the end of the day.

Fishing was restricted to May through July (specific dates fluctuated yearly).

The minimum size for harvest was 10 inches, or 7 inches, on the females-only section.

Anglers were limited to five trips per year.

Despite the increased restrictions, which were almost unheard of at the time, Fisherman’s Paradise continued to grow in popularity. Records indicate approximately 3,000 anglers visited in 1934. By 1941, this number had increased to more than 20,000. In 1952, attendance was a staggering 44,000 anglers; the same year, a second hatchery was built upstream at Benner Spring.

By the 1960s, attendance had dropped significantly, partly due to an expanding stocking program throughout the Commonwealth. Then, in 1961, the project was closed to fishing due to heavy amounts of untreated wastewater entering the stream upstream, most likely from the Rockview Correctional Facility, which bordered the project’s upper reaches. When fishing reopened in 1962, it would be under a different management program that focused on providing anglers a more natural experience while maintaining the area’s ecosystem and diversity.

The new management program abandoned the check-in station and visitation limits and focused on big trout. Anglers could fish the area as often as desired year-round, but were limited to fly fishing only, and harvest was not permitted. With a few minor changes, this management plan remains in place today.

The regulations and name are only some changes the Spring Creek Project has encountered over the years. Shortly after the site was purchased, the Fish Commission constructed a small stone two-story building near what is now the main parking lot of Fisherman’s Paradise. This building would first be used to train new Fish Wardens in the fall of 1934. Since then, every waterways patrolman, waterways conservation officer and deputy officer would be taught at the H.R. Stackhouse School of Fisheries Conservation and Watercraft Safety – or simply “Stackhouse” to those who would have called it home during training.

Over the years, the original 90-acre area has grown to more than 195 acres, stretching from Bellefonte Hatchery to Benner Spring Hatchery and including both the H.R. Stackhouse facility and a firearms range at the upper reaches of the original 1.2-mile project area. The area surrounding the project was also transferred from the Department of Corrections to Benner Township, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. This change of ownership not only ensured the future protection of Spring Creek Canyon, but also opened hundreds of additional acres to the public.

Fisherman’s Paradise remains a destination fishery, with anglers from far and wide traveling to test their skills against weary, hard-to-hook trout. But it also attracts a host of other outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, bikers, dog walkers, hunters on the adjacent game lands, and anyone else who wishes to enjoy Paradise in our backyard.