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Has anyone fished Payson Canyon Creek (Peteetneet Creek, I think it's called) in the last few years?
I just moved to Payson and I know I've seen people fishing the creek way up the canyon many years ago, but I'm wondering about down in the lower part of the canyon if there are fish in it and is it any good. I don't need anyone to give away any secret spots, just general information would be great or more specific in a PM or something.
Thanks!
Kevin
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Ahh a topic near and dear to my heart!!! I grew up in Payson and spent many the hour fishing from Peteentneet Creek and other Payson Canyon spots.
It gets planted by DWR several times throughout the summer, usually before a holiday. The fish that get planted are small, but if you want to find some bigger ones you have to go below the narrows (the sections where the creek is contained by a rock wall just past the Maple Bench turn off). The narrows usually get hammered by fishermen but I never see many people fish below them. For a week or teo the acton in the narrows is fast and furious. The best bait to use is a worm.
In the past I have ventured off the beaten path from the road to lower sections of the creek. I have found some pools with sizeable fish in them.
I have never tried to fish the creek inside the city and I'm not sure if it would be productive or not. I have had plans to go try a few spots I remember from my youth this spring/summer and you are welcome to come along if you want.
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Gary, I thought you might be a fellow Lion. Another place to fish is to park by the Maple Bench Campground (I think this is what it is called, it is on the road to Maple Lake) and hike down the old road that used to go to Red Lake (until the land slid down the mountain and wiped out the road). As best as I can recall, it is about 1/2 mile down the road and you will reach the stream that comes out of Maple and Red Lakes. I met a guy who was fishing this area during the deer hunt one year. He said he caught fish every year out of that small stream.
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Now that's interesting. I never would have thought that stream had fish in it. On te other hand I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't. I guess that shows how much I know! [pirate] I guess I'm going to have to add it to my places to try list.
GO LIONS!!!!! [cool]
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As and old Spanish Farker I've spent a fair amount of time wandering the creeks in Payson canyon in my younger days. There was a heathly population of small Brookie just down stream from Payson lake but whether they still exist I couldnt say.. But a bit of crawler was always deadly and my bait of choice.
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I get sick every time I drive up Payson Canyon anymore. The flood from when the McClellan Resrvoir dam broke destroyed a beautiful canyon and washed away most of the topsoil. Where there used to be many nice pools of water has been replaced with an open river bed and a bunch of large boulders.
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I was 6 or 7 when the 82-83 floods came through. That did a number on the canyon too. My dad was a cop so we were able to get through the road blocks and see the sights mid flood. In fact there was a very very small stream running against the curb of the road in the narrows. I remember there was a cutthroat trout having a heck of a time in this trickle so my dad caught it in a empty drink cup andreleased it at the scout camp lake.
I don't remember the canyon before the damn burst in the 70's. But there are still a lot of good fishing holes up there.
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I kinda grew up in Payson also (wife thinks I still need to grow up some). I've caught fish in the creek at the lower end of the canyon but never fished in town either. I remember taking off after lunch and heading up to McClelland hoping Smiley didn't catch us.[sly]
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Thanks everyone for all the great tips. I've been wanting to go check out Santaquin Canyon too -- I've never been up it before but it's only like 5 miles away now. When I finally get a chance to go exploring, I'll be sure to post my results.
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So where is this road to Maple Lake? Is it above or below the Maple Dell Scout camp? I drove up there just looking around this morning, as far as the scout camp, but didn't see any turnoff, but I thought that Maple and Red Lakes were above to the West of the scout camp.
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It is past the scout camp a couple miles. There is a sign and you drive across a bridge over the river to your right (west). It is before you reach the narrows.
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Thanks Kent. I must have turned around less than a mile from it then. I'll have to go check it out again another day.
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When you get there send me a PM. I am interested to see if Maple Lake is asscesible or not yet.
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y lol lived near payson all my life that canyon was good for going to 4bay and doing some tubing, the creek is pretty good just under the narrows just after the big holidays. also u might want to try santaquin canyon fishing can be good to at times just hit the creek above the cook spots just use a marshmellow or a samon egg fly works well.