S8, Ep 39: High Water Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Insights
Episode Overview
In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash reconnects with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early-June conditions check on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. Recent heavy rainfall pushed both systems well above normal — the Susquehanna approaching 12 feet, the Juniata topping 10 — and Brian breaks down how he's fishing the receding flows and what anglers can expect as the post-spawn transition plays out through summer.
Brian walks through his high-water strategy in practical terms: pounding banks where rising water has pushed smallmouth tight to structure, reading fish mood through fly rotation, and knowing when to abandon streamers in favor of crayfish patterns on the bottom when visibility collapses. He explains his color logic for stained water — bigger profiles, darker tones when the water is heavily colored, lighter options as clarity returns — and how he uses river gauge readings in feet rather than CFS to make positioning decisions on the water. The conversation also looks ahead to the summer outlook, contrasting the good-conditions scenario if periodic rains continue with the low, clear, finesse-game reality that sets in by mid-July in a dry year, and confirms that Fourth of July remains the reliable benchmark for prime topwater smallmouth fishing with poppers on the Susquehanna system.
Key Takeaways
- How to keep smallmouth in play during high flows by targeting bank structure where rising water has concentrated fish.
- Why fly color selection should track water clarity — blacks and purples in heavy stain, transitioning to olives and lighter colors as visibility improves.
- When to commit fully to bottom-fished crayfish patterns rather than continuing to work streamers in severely off-color conditions.
- How Brian Shumaker uses river gauge height in feet — not CFS — as his primary decision tool for positioning anglers relative to bank structure and grass beds.
- Why rotating through as many as a dozen and a half fly patterns in a single session is sometimes necessary to crack the post-spawn "June funk."
- When to expect prime topwater action on the Susquehanna system, and how a dry summer shifts the game to long casts, stealth and finesse presentations by mid-July.
Techniques & Gear Covered
Brian Shumaker's approach to high, dirty water on the Susquehanna and Juniata centers on two core tactics: larger-profile streamers fished tight to bank structure and mid-river features, and crayfish patterns worked on the bottom when visibility drops low enough to make streamer fishing inefficient. Fly color selection is deliberately calibrated to water clarity — blacks and purples in the dirtiest conditions, with oranges, olives and lighter tones becoming viable as the water clears. Brian notes he doesn't rely heavily on rattles despite the conditions, keeping his confidence in profile and color adjustments instead. On the topwater front, he and Marvin discuss poppers, Murdich Minnows and Shimmering Minnows as the primary summer surface and near-surface options once fish fully exit the post-spawn doldrums. Across the board, Brian emphasizes a high-volume fly rotation — sometimes six flies on a good day, sometimes eighteen — as the diagnostic tool for reading fish mood under the unpredictable early-summer conditions.
Locations & Species
This report centers on two of Central Pennsylvania's premier smallmouth systems: the Susquehanna River and the Juniata River. Recent rainfall events pushed the Susquehanna to nearly 12 feet and the Juniata past 10 feet; at recording time the Susquehanna had receded into fishable shape with good water from the west bank to mid-river, while the east side remained off-color and the Juniata was still heavily stained but dropping. The target species throughout is smallmouth bass, with fish spread across a spectrum of post-spawn recovery stages in early June — some already fully recovered, others still normalizing. Brian's outlook for late July and early August hinges on whether the eastern seaboard's dry pattern reasserts itself: adequate rainfall means prime conditions, while a dry stretch could produce bony, clear, low-water rivers by mid-July that demand a completely different approach.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
How do you approach streamer fishing when the Susquehanna or Juniata is running high and dirty?
Brian Shumaker focuses on a bigger fly profile and adjusts color based on how much stain is in the water. In the heaviest color, blacks and purples are his go-to; as visibility improves, he moves toward olives and lighter tones. He targets banks where rising water has pushed fish tight to structure, while also covering mid-river features when conditions allow.
When is it time to abandon streamers and go to crayfish on the bottom?
When water is severely off-color and visibility is minimal, Brian moves straight to crayfish patterns fished on the bottom. In those conditions, the streamer game becomes inefficient, and a bottom presentation where fish are holding near structure is the more reliable path to bites.
How does Brian use river gauge readings to make fishing decisions?
Brian tracks both rivers by height in feet — old school, as he puts it, rather than CFS — which tells him where the water sits relative to bank structure. That reading determines whether he needs to fish hard against the bank or can pull off slightly, and on the Susquehanna it factors in whether emerging grass beds are worth targeting as conditions clear.
What should anglers expect from the post-spawn "June funk" on Pennsylvania smallmouth rivers?
The June post-spawn period produces inconsistent fish behavior as smallmouth recover and begin feeding more actively. Brian describes it as a rotation game — he may cycle through six flies on a cooperative day and eighteen on a tough one, simply working through options until something triggers a response. Patience and a deep fly selection are the keys.
When does reliable topwater smallmouth fishing begin on the Susquehanna, and what changes that timeline?
Brian pegs the Fourth of July as the traditional start of prime topwater action with poppers and surface patterns. That holds if periodic rainfall keeps flows reasonable through summer. A dry stretch that leaves the river bony, skinny and clear by mid-July shifts the game entirely — long casts, stealth and finesse presentations replace the aggressive topwater bite.
Related Content
S8, Ep 31 – Chasing Smallmouth: Brian Shumaker's Adaptations for Unpredictable Spring Weather
S8, Ep 27 – The Pre-Spawn Puzzle: Captain Brian Shumaker's Tips for Pennsylvania Smallmouth
S8, Ep 29 – Fishing in Flux: Matt Reilly's Take on Spring Trends and Techniques
S7, Ep 52 – The Summer Shift: Adapting Your Fly Game with Brendan Ruch
S1, Ep 97 – All Things Smallmouth with Mike Schultz
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In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early-June conditions update on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. With recent heavy rains pushing the Susquehanna near 12 feet and the Juniata still off-color, Brian breaks down how smallmouth bass respond to high, dirty water — focusing on bank-hugging presentations, streamer color selection for stained conditions and crayfish patterns as a bottom-grinding fallback. The conversation also looks ahead to the summer season: whether adequate rainfall through June and early July will sustain good flows or force anglers into a finesse, long-cast game by mid-July, and Brian's expectation that the classic Fourth of July topwater bite should arrive on schedule if conditions cooperate. Shumaker also offers his approach to reading river gauges over CFS numbers, rotating through fly selection on tough days and the re-emerging grass beds on the Susquehanna as an additional summer option.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Guest: Captain Brian Shumaker – Owner/Guide, Susquehanna River Guides (Central Pennsylvania)
In this episode: Guide Brian Shumaker delivers a timely early-June conditions report on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, covering high-water smallmouth bass strategies, fly selection for dirty water and the seasonal transition from post-spawn funk into summer topwater opportunities. Topics include reading river gauges, bank-fishing tactics during high water conditions, streamer color theory for stained water and projecting summer conditions based on rainfall patterns.
Key fishing techniques covered:
- Streamer fishing tight to banks in high, dirty water — larger profile flies in dark colors (black, purple) for heavily stained conditions, lighter colors as clarity improves
- Crayfish pattern fishing on the bottom as a fallback when visibility is severely limited
- Topwater popper fishing timed to the post-spawn recovery and Fourth of July arrival
- Rotating through a large fly selection (up to 18 patterns in a single day) to locate the mood and preferred food form
- Finesse/stealthy long-cast approach for low, clear, skinny late-summer conditions
Location focus: Susquehanna River and Juniata River (Central Pennsylvania)
Target species: Smallmouth bass
Equipment discussed: Streamers (white Game Changer, Murdich Minnow, Shimmering Minnow), poppers, crayfish patterns; general color guidance for water clarity (oranges/olives, blacks/purples)
Key questions answered:
- How do you fish for smallmouth in high, dirty river conditions?
- When does the topwater popper bite turn on in Pennsylvania?
- How do you read river gauges to decide where to position on the Susquehanna or Juniata?
Best for: Intermediate to advanced anglers targeting smallmouth bass on large Mid-Atlantic freestone rivers during and after the post-spawn period
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Marvin Cash
Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly. We're back with another Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report with the man himself, Captain Brian Shumaker. Brian, how are you?
Brian Shumaker
I'm doing well, Marvin. How about yourself?
Marvin Cash
Just trying to stay out of trouble. Who are the Yankees playing tonight?
Brian Shumaker
Yankees got the Cleveland Indians.
Marvin Cash
Oh, there you go. And you know, it's funny, I think the last time we were, we were talking, you were frog bite was good and you were wondering how much rain you got.And I think the frog bites kind of over and you got a lot of rain, right?
Brian Shumaker
Yeah, we did get a lot of rain and jacked up my rivers pretty well. Juniata was up over 10 foot. Susquehanna was close to 12 foot. But now they're, they're dropping. Susquehanna's in very fishable state.We got at least half the river from the west side to the Middle east, which is good water. And then once you start heading more to the east side, it's still a little dirty over there.Juniata is still way off color, but it's dropping pretty good.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, and you were telling me too, you know, like it's, I guess, different degrees of dry on the eastern seaboard. But you know, one of the downsides of that is that, you know, you get this rain, but it's not really kind of staying in the system very long.
Brian Shumaker
Right now it's, it's, it's getting out pretty quick. You know, within a week it's, it's back down, you know, dropping pretty good.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. Which the moral of that story, folks, is get out and fish today because there may not be a lot of water tomorrow. Right?
Brian Shumaker
Yeah. I mean, we're not that bad yet, but it's dropping pretty good.
Marvin Cash
Yeah.And so, you know, you find yourself, you know, we are officially in June, so you've got, you know, you know, fish in any, in a variety of gradations from, you know, just off the spawn, already done with post spawn, kind of trying to normalize all that stuff's going on. And you've got high, dirty water. So, you know, what's kind of the strategy, you know, when you get out and get in the boat for a day of fishing?
Brian Shumaker
Well, if we're fishing high water, you're pounding the banks and, and we're also hitting some mid river structure too.But you want to, you're going to have to stay on the banks because when the water rises, the fish push in, water drops, fish drop out, you know, to like the middles part of the river. So, yeah, it's it's kind of a little bit of a mixture of everything. Try a little top water. Definitely. Streamers have been the ticket.Crayfish have been the ticket. So you just gotta. You gotta play with them to see what, what for mood they're in and. And what they want to eat.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And on the streamer front, are you going for, like, more contrast, larger flies, maybe something with a rattle in it?Is that kind of the approach when the water's up and dirty?
Brian Shumaker
Well, yeah, I don't fish a lot of rattles and flies, but, yeah, a little bit bigger profile. And, you know, you can go with your oranges and olives. You can go with blacks and purples, depending on how.How much stain you have in the water or how much clarity you have in the water. So the more muddier the water is, you know, if you go with, like, some blacks and purples, colors like that, darker colors will work.You get a little bit where you have a little bit of visibility, then you can lighten the color of your flies up. So. Yeah, but you want a bigger profile in the dirtier water.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And if it's really dirty, do you just say we're just going to start just grinding it out on the bottom with the crayfish?
Brian Shumaker
Pretty much, yeah. That's what you gotta do.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And in terms of, like, you know, I also know too, that, like, you know, there's like, crazy high water and that definitely pushes fish on structure.But, you know, sometimes I know, at least down here it's been so dry that, you know, some people sort of forget that, yeah, the water's up, but it's not really, like, up to the bank structure.Is there kind of a decision rule you like to use on the Juniata or the Susquehanna about, you know, when you definitely need and kind of elevated water to get to the banks? Yeah.
Brian Shumaker
Well, I go by the river gauges, and that tells me how fast the water's moving, you know, and where it's at on the bank. So I basically go by, you know, what the flow is. I still use feet. I'm old school instead of cfs.So that gives me an idea whether I want where we have to be in real tight on the bank, or we can come off the bank some and, you know, fish a little bit off the bank. And then we're starting to see the grass beds and stuff, at least on the Susquehanna, so we can always.That's always an option, too, to get around the grass beds as well.
Marvin Cash
Got it. And so as we kind of navigate the, the, the June funk, for lack of a better word.I would imagine you probably just kind of try to rotate through everything till you figure out what the, what they're on at any particular moment.
Brian Shumaker
Right, Exactly.I mean I could, I could have one day I could have maybe half a dozen flies and the next day I could have a dozen and a half flies that we've gone through just to get them to eat something and change their attitude a little bit.
Marvin Cash
Yeah.It's interesting too because I remember talking to Matt Reilly last week and he said it had been so warm down there, they were already getting their late June crayfish molts.Are you kind of seeing what's your feel for how, I guess, for lack of a better word, seasonable late July, early August is going to look like in your part of the world?
Brian Shumaker
Well, for late July, early August, I mean, as we talked a little earlier, if we keep getting the rains, you know, maybe once a week or every two weeks we get some rain and get some rain, we're going to have pretty good conditions. But if not, we could be real bony and skinny and clear and know maybe by mid July. And then it's a finesse game there.You gotta make long cast and be real stealthy. If we end up in that again situation like we had last year.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. There won't be any of those like 30 foot dirty water mulligans, will there?
Brian Shumaker
No, no, you gotta be, you gotta be on your game a little bit and be a little stealthy.
Marvin Cash
Yeah.And so assuming you think if the water kind of behaves, which is a big if, do you think that kind of coming out of the June post spawn funk, you're going to kind of be kind of typically where you are. Do you think maybe some of the things kind of down the calendar have kind of gotten monkeyed around with a little bit where you are too?
Brian Shumaker
No, I think we should be, should be right where we are. We should be in prime top water selling poppers and so forth like that Come start beginning of July.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. As I always say, the good old fourth of July, right?
Brian Shumaker
Yep. Good old fourth of July. It's time to throw the poppers and, and, and watch the magic happen. Yeah.
Marvin Cash
I gotta tell you, it's a lot of fun. Although I will tell you, watching a white game changer disappear is pretty fun too.
Brian Shumaker
Oh, absolutely. Or you know, selling a Murdich minnow or shimmering minnow or something like that.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, all good stuff.
Brian Shumaker
It's all real good stuff.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And you know folks, we love questions on the articulate fly.If you have a question for Brian, you know, just shoot it to me on Instagram or email it to me and we'll. We'll probably use it on the show. And if we do, I'll send you some articulate fly swag.When you're drawing for something cool at the end of the season and, you know, before you settle in for the Yankees for the evening, you know, Brian, you want to let folks know kind of generally what your calendar looks like on open dates and how to get in touch and all that kind of good stuff.
Brian Shumaker
Sure. I got a couple in July, um, and a couple in August. I have more availability going into the fall, September and October.So if you want to get on the books, best way to get me is usually send a text. 717-574-5338. You can also go to the website at www.susqriverguides.com.
Marvin Cash
Well, there you go. I'll drop all that stuff in the show notes.Well, listen, folks, we never know if we're going to have enough water in August, you know, heading into September. So you owe it yourself to get out there and catch a few. Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Brian.
Brian Shumaker
Tight lines. Marvin.
Guide | Hosted Travel
Brian Shumaker is the owner of Susquehanna River Guides, specializing in fly-fishing for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River that runs through Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River is a fertile limestone river and home to one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the East. This majestic river is rich in food, with rock ledges and wide shallow riffles laden with nymphs, crayfish and other foods. This environment ensures prolific hatches and rapid growth rates and holds the promise of thrilling smallmouth fishing!
Brian’s love of fishing started at an early age, encouraged by his father. After years of exploring the fascinating island-studded river, Brian started Susquehanna River Guides in 1993 as a way to share his love of the river and fly fishing with others. Today, clients from every reach of the U.S. and as far away as Canada travel to Central Pennsylvania to discover the thrill of fly fishing for smallmouth bass.
Off the river, Brian is active with various organizations, including Smallmouth Alliance and Trout Unlimited, and has been a guest speaker for many local and regional organizations. Publications such as Fly Fish America have covered Susquehanna River Guides, as well as regional newspapers and publications.
