The Susquehanna River. If you live anywhere in central Pennsylvania, you have a connection, probably more than one, to the river. It stretches over 444 miles from Cooperstown, New York to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

The majority of the river runs right through the heart of Pennsylvania, draining the state’s largest watershed, providing fresh water, electricity and recreational opportunities to tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians.

The first European to explore the Susquehanna River, named for the Susquehannock people that inhabited its lower regions, was Etienne Brule in 1615. From that moment, the river would play a vital part in Pennsylvania’s history and grow, first as a colony and then as a Commonwealth. It provided the colonial militia with strategic means of traveling, traders access to their markets and was even used to transport coal south.

In time, settlements turned into cities, and industry lined the shores, using it as a water source to make everything from steel to dog food.

Unfortunately, not everything was sunshine and rainbows.

As more and more people depended on the Susquehanna, it was increasingly taken advantage of and often abused. Dams restricted flow and fish passage. The same industries that relied on it as a water source also used it to dispose of harmful waste. By the 1970s, many locals viewed the river as a lifeless wasteland unfit for recreation.

The early 1980s was a turning point for the Commonwealth, especially the Susquehanna River. The Fish and Boat Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, along with many local partners, pushed for changes in pollution regulations and increased activities to restore the river’s health.

It was soon a destination fishery for smallmouth bass, and species such as walleye and musky were being caught in abundance. In 1997, the Susquehanna was designated an American Heritage River, allowing the federal government to further assist state and local officials in protecting the watershed.

As the new century approached, there were high hopes for the Susquehanna. Recreational fishing and boating had returned to many sections. Many obsolete dams had been removed, and those remaining were required to install fish passage devices.

The earlier recession even had a silver lining: many large industrial plants, the source of much of the pollution, had shut their doors. But, as is often the case, a new threat would arise.

In 2005, the Susquehanna River was named “America’s Most Endangered River.” Despite all the success in returning it to its former glory, the river still received excessive pollution.

The primary sources of this pollution were runoff from agriculture, stormwater and undertreated municipal waste. Smallmouth bass levels began to decline, the young of the year were succumbing to a previously unknown disease, and in 2015, a rare, cancerous tumor was discovered on a fish caught north of Harrisburg. Despite this and intense pressure from the Fish and Boat Commission executive director John Arway, DEP claimed insufficient data to declare the Susquehanna impaired — a designation proponents argued was necessary to combat the latest threats.

So where does the Susquehanna stand today?

Despite the problems faced less than 10 years ago, the Susquehanna has experienced a rebound. In a recent conversation with Geoff Smith, a Fish and Boat Commission biologist assigned to monitoring the Susquehanna River Basin, he stated the following.

“It’s not hard to put the Susquehanna in a positive light because the fishery is very good right now,” he said.

Smith went on to explain that large rivers have a series of issues that need to be continually addressed, but efforts on the Susquehanna have shown good results. Work on the river and its tributaries has improved water quality, increased fish migration, and provided a positive outlook for the river.

When asked what anglers should expect from the river in the coming year, Smith was very optimistic. Recent surveys indicate a strong presence of channel catfish throughout the river, especially in the lower sections. The year 2022 was a strong year for walleye breeding and surveys have shown good survival and growth since then, so anglers should expect to see more catchable walleye as those fish reach adulthood.

Musky stocking resumed two years ago and those fish will soon reach a catchable size. Of course, you can only talk about Susquehanna River fishing if you mention smallmouth bass. Smith reminds anglers that three of the last four-year classes have been higher than usual, meaning an abundance of small fish is available.

While anglers in some areas may need help getting a lure or bait past the smaller fish, the bigger bass remain. If the river continues to improve, these younger fish could provide excellent fishing opportunities during future seasons.