Boating the Allegheny River's Pool 9 by Jeff Knapp

by Jeff Knapp

photo-Jeff Knapp www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater 55 Transition. It’s a word that often crops up when dis- The Allegheny serves as the Armstrong/Clarion County cussing outdoor activities. The bass angler is concerned boundary above the mouth of Redbank Creek, with about transitions that relate to fish location, influenced by Armstrong to the west and Clarion to the east. Below such factors as food sources and spawning. But what about Redbank, both banks of Pool 9 are in Armstrong County. the recreational boater? Is transition a consideration? Like much of the Allegheny, areas of Pool 9 are steeped in Pool 9 of the Allegheny River provides a type of transition history. Bradys Bend is located here. It is named for Revolu- that is important to boaters. It marks the most upriver pool tionary War-era Captain Samuel Brady–and his battle with of the Allegheny, an area that provides boating opportunity Indians in the late 1770s. At Bradys Bend, the river turns for traditional prop-driven craft, as well as access to waters about three-quarters of a circle in a matter of a few miles. negotiable only by jet-driven or non-powered boats. And it Fish & Boat Commission Clarion County Waterways Con- does so in the steep-sided, wooded surroundings of the servation Officer Bob McClellan has patrolled this section beautiful Allegheny River valley. of the Allegheny for the past four years. He sees Pool 9 as Lock & Dam 9 forms some nine miles of navigable back- having plenty to offer local boaters and travelers. waters. L&D 9 is located just upriver of the tiny hamlet of “With the good access at East Brady, Pool 9 is ideal for the Rimer, on the eastern shore of the river. Like all eight navi- boater coming from out of the area,” McClellan says. “And gational dams found on the Allegheny, L&D 9 is a unlike some areas of the Allegheny, there’s pretty good fixed-crest design. This means the river spills over the con- drive-to access to the many areas of the river’s shoreline.” crete dam that spans the width of the river. There are no During his Clarion County stint, McClellan has had the movable gates to allow for regulation of the upriver pool. opportunity to see how the pool provides recreation for a The lock chamber is on the eastern side of the dam. A hy- wide variety of boating types. droelectric station has been incorporated in the western “The pool is open to bass tournaments, so we see a lot of portion of the structure. Because it draws water that would traffic of that type,” says McClellan. “The Butler area otherwise flow over the dam, the hydroelectric plant influ- doesn’t have any waters close by with unlimited horsepower. ences the pool elevation, though this effect is minor. Lake Arthur, at Moraine State Park, has a 10hp limit. So we A glance at the navigation charts produced by the U.S. get plenty of boaters who travel up Route 68 from Butler.” Army Corps of Engineers shows that Lock & Dam 9 is lo- The Pool 9 shoreline includes many riverside cottages, of cated just upriver of mile marker 62. This means it’s 62 which most have docks and boats. During a typical summer miles upriver of “The Point” in Pittsburgh, where the Al- day, anglers, boaters and skiers use the waterway. legheny joins the Monongahela to form the Ohio River. The From a safety aspect, McClellan sees Pool 9 as relatively same charts indicate navigable water up to mile marker 72, hazard-free. though the water gets quite thin above mile 71. “The channel’s depth is maintained from bank to bank in The Clarion County town of East Brady serves as the cen- much of the pool,” says McClellan, “but boating traffic can ter of activity for Pool 9. A “Riverfest,” a festival that be heavy on weekends. And you have to watch out for shal- revolves around the recreation provided by the Allegheny, low bars located near the mouths of feeder creeks.” has taken place in recent summers. The Fish & Boat Com- One such spot is located directly below Brady’s Bend mission maintains a fine access area, Brady’s Bend Access, Access, where Sugar Creek comes in. A large bar washes just up from the Route 68 bridge in East Brady on the west out into the river in front of this stream. Boaters should side of the river (Armstrong County). During the recre- use caution–swing toward the East Brady side of the river ational boating season, a large dock is located at the access, when passing Sugar Creek and navigating under the Route and the ramp has two lanes. Unlike many river ramps, the 68 bridge. Brady’s Bend Access is located at mile 70. Navi- one at Brady is quite level. Plenty of parking is available, gable water is found only a short distance above this access though the access can be crowded during busy summer point. When boating above the access, keep an eye on your weekends. sonar unit.

56 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater www.fish.state.pa.us A trip to Pool 9 can be part of a boating-oriented vacation. Contact the following agencies for more information: ● The Armstrong County Tourist Bureau, 402 East Market Street, Kittanning, PA 16201. Phone: 888-265-9954; web site: www.armstrongcounty.com; e-mail: [email protected]. ● Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Visitors Bureau, 175 Main Street, Brookville, PA 15825. Phone: 800-348-9393; web site: www.magicforests.org; e-mail: [email protected].

photo-Jeff Knapp

McClellan notes that even though boating traffic can during October, when the combination of flaming hill- be heavy at times, for the most part boater behavior is sides and catching bass has proven ideal. good. He says folks are good about following the “rules One of the more popular spots for boaters is the lower of the road.” end of Redbank Creek. Redbank enters the Allegheny at Personal watercraft and jet-driven flatbottoms aren’t lim- mile 64, nearly two miles above Lock & Dam 9. The dam- ited to the confines of the stillwater pool. McClellan says ming effect of Lock & Dam 9 can be felt nearly such craft commonly run up the river from East Brady to three-quarters of a mile up Redbank Creek, making it the West Monterey area. The excellent smallmouth bass navigable for prop-driven boats. The channel is narrow fishing is one of the draws that pulls folks to the free-flow- (less than 200 feet wide), so Redbank Creek is a no-wake ing waters. zone. This provides a quiet contrast to the more hectic The scenery is perhaps the most pleasant aspect of Pool 9. playground found on the river proper, making it ideal for According to McClellan, the big river bends and bluff banks onboard lunches and just plain lounging around. add to the boating experience, especially in the spring and Why not take a trip to Pool 9 of the Allegheny next sea- fall. Much of my own experience on Pool 9 has taken place son? It can offer you a great time.

● Pool 9 provides not only excellent recreational boating opportunities. You’ll find excellent fishing there, too. The pool is most noted for producing numbers of smallmouth ● “Locking through” can provide you with bass. I concentrate my efforts along three distinct habitat many more miles of boating adventure. Es- types: Creek mouths, boulder shorelines and weedy flats. sentially, lock chambers are boxes built into the dams. The same rocky bars that pose navigation hazards at the Gates lead into the chamber from both the upriver and mouths of streams provide good cover for smallmouth bass. downriver side. When a boat locks through from the The fish near these rocky bars respond well to grubs, tube jigs downriver side (heading upriver), the water level in the lock and topwater lures. chamber is lowered to that of the pool below, via underwater Shoreline areas that are lined with rocks and boulders also gates. Once at that level, the downriver gate is opened and hold smallmouth bass. Try grubs and tube jigs. the boat is allowed to enter the lock chamber. After the gate During springs and summers of stable flows, growth of aquatic is closed, the water level in the chamber is raised to that of vegetation can be significant along shallow flats. Bass make the upriver pool. Then the upriver gate is opened and the craft good use of these areas. Seek out aggressive fish by running a can proceed upriver. When heading downriver, the operation buzzbait above this cover. takes place in reverse. ● A small library of maps and charts can prove valuable To lock through, a boater must have a 150-foot rope, and when making a trip to Pool 9. The Fish & Boat the boat should have bumpers to protect the hull from scraping Commission’s book Guide to Public Fishing Waters and Boat- the lock wall. Pull ropes located along the approach walls of ing Access costs $2.83 and can be purchased with the the lock must be pulled to notify the lockmaster that you wish publications order form in this issue. You can also order to lock through. Blinking lights similar to traffic lights indi- the Fishing & Boating Map. Contact the Commission at the cate, via a green light, when it’s okay to proceed into the lock. address listed on the order form or at its web site: Lock & Dam 9 has limited hours of operation. Check these www.fish.state.pa.us. hours and pay attention to your watch to ensure you don’t For on-the-water guidance, purchase a book of Allegheny River become stranded in a pool other than the one from which you navigation charts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Phone launched. 412-644-6872 for the current price and availability, and ordering instructions.–JK.