Pennsylvania Fishing Reports Region, 5-19-10

[Saltwater Fishing]

NW Regional Reports

Fishing and Boating Report – May 19, 2010
Clarion County
Allegheny River – With the warmer temperatures anglers have been catching some nice bass in the island areas above the Parker Bridge. Some anglers have been reporting catching a few nice walleyes and muskellunge.

Kahle Lake – Catches of nice bluegills, crappies and perch were reported. The preferred bait has been small jigs tipped with maggots, wax worms or minnows. Bass anglers have been doing very well with small crank baits.

CAUTION: Even after construction and maintenance crews placed gravel at both ramps, it’s still very muddy. If you plan to launch a boat from a trailer, a 4-wheel drive vehicle is necessary. Carry-in launching of canoes, kayaks, or other small boats is still possible however.



The north boat launch


Piney Creek DHALO – Anglers continue to do very well in the delayed harvest area. There are good numbers of very nice fish still being caught there. Remember that fishing may only be conducted with artificial lures in delayed harvest areas. Use or possession of bait in these areas is prohibited.

Piney Dam – Anglers have been reporting catches of perch, crappies and walleyes. Try drifting with bait or small jigs. Some anglers have been reporting good results on the walleyes by trolling.

Anglers and boaters using Piney Dam are advised the PFBC’s Mill Creek Access Area will be closed for approximately 3 weeks starting the week of May 3, 2010. The PFBC will be upgrading the access area. Plans include a new boat ramp, realignment of the dock with the ramp and expansion of the parking area.

Western Erie County

We have seen the turnover of steelhead in the western tributaries to suckers, smallmouth bass and catfish. Good catches of smallmouth bass can be found close to the lake at Elk Creek and Walnut Creek. Additionally, catfish are being caught on the eastern side of the mouth of Elk Creek at the PFBC Elk Creek access. Shoreline walleye success has been sporadic, but poor weather and water conditions have plagued the nighttime anglers. Anglers are targeting all of the western tributary mouths for walleye. Walnut Creek seems to be the most productive so far. As the lake temperature continues to rise so should the walleye and perch catches.

Boating activity is also increasing with the rise in lake temperature. At Walnut Creek Marina, all docks are in place, the creek channel dredging is complete, and the channel markers are working.

Fish for Free Days 2010
Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, June 6

Fish for Free Days allow anyone (resident or non-resident) to legally fish for Pennsylvania’s most popular fish without a fishing license. Each year the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Executive Director designates two Fish for Free Days. No fishing license is required to fish on Pennsylvania's waterways on these days. All other fishing regulations still apply.

Fish for Free Days are the perfect opportunity to introduce a friend or relative to the lifelong sport of fishing. There is no better way to enjoy Pennsylvania’s great outdoors than a day of fishing with the entire family.

New to fishing? Find Family Fishing Programs on our calendar


http://www.fish.state.pa.us/splashes.htm

[Saltwater Fishing]

NE Regional Reports

Fishing and Boating Report – May 19, 2010
Bradford County
Carp have been spawning in the Chemung River and Susquehanna River. Now is a great time for bow-anglers to try their luck as the carp are easily visible along the shore line. Water levels are about one foot above normal levels.

Carbon County

Mahoning Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek, the Lehigh Canal and Aquashicola Creek received an in-season trout stocking last week. Fishing pressure has been moderate to light on these streams although they have been recently stocked. Anglers are still catching and seeing trout on most streams. Live bait and paste baits appeared to be working the best. The Lizard Creek and Mauch Chunk Creek were stocked by local clubs last Saturday for annual fishing contests. These streams still contain a good number of fish from the stockings.

Anglers fishing the Lehigh River from Jim Thorpe to Palmerton did well catching trout. Fly anglers did well on the Bowmanstown Pool at the River View Park access area.

Anglers were doing well catching crappie at Mauch Chunk Lake at the fishing pier located off boat launch A. Minnow and tube baits appeared to work the best.

Striped bass were active at Beltzville Lake near the breast of the dam. Walleye action appears to be good during the evening. Worm rigs, jigs tipped with worms and stick baits appear to be good choices.



Marie Rehrig of Palmerton proudly displaying a 25 inch walleye she caught at Beltzville Lake during the evening


Anglers are reminded that Saturday, May 22, 2010 and Sunday, June 6, 2010 are designated as Fish for Free days. It's a great way to introduce someone to fishing or take someone out who has not fished in a long time. No license is required to fish on either of these days. All other regulations still apply.

Boaters are reminded to check that the boat is properly registered and that they have all of the required safety equipment, PFDs, fire extinguishers and similar items before venturing out on the water. Boaters are also reminded that the regulations concerning the operation of watercraft within the Slow No Wake and Water Ski zones are being enforced although the buoys are not in place at Beltzville Lake. Maps are located at both Pine Run and Preachers Camp boat access areas indicating the designated Slow No Wake and Water Ski zones. Persons are reminded that alcoholic beverages are not allowed at either Mauch Chunk Lake or Beltzville State Park including while out on the water.

Lackawanna County

Rainbow and brown trout were stocked at Lackawanna Lake this past weekend. The fish took a few hours before they started to bite but anglers were catching their limits when they did. Spinners and flies were the best choices.

The Lackawanna River is still loaded with trout from Forest City to Simpson. Take advantage of the rails to trails gates being open until the end of the month. Plenty of great fishing exists in the Lackawanna River.

The bluegill fishing is just starting to pick up. As the water temperature rises to around 60 the bluegills will really turn on.

Northern Luzerne County

Some anglers have been picking up perch in Harveys Lake working the area off the grass flats by the access area. Sunfish are still not in the shallows en force but a few nice sized males are showing up and giving a good fight when hooked.

Southern Luzerne County

Fish & Boat Commission employees presented a free Family Fishing Program on May 15th at the PPL Susquehanna Riverlands. Participants were introduced to the SMART concept of fishing and learned about knot tying and tackle, regulations, fish identification, boating safety and casting. People then had the opportunity to test out their new skills on Lake Took-A-While. Several lucky anglers caught crappie and bluegill. A cook out lunch was provided courtesy of the Berwick Borough Community Policing Program and refreshments and event assistance were provided by the Columbia County Bassmasters. A good time was enjoyed by all and we’re looking forward to presenting the program again next year.



Northeast Education Specialist Andy Fedor offers a young angler fishing advice



Northcentral Environmental Interpretive Technician Clayton Desmond teaches participants about knot tying and tackle rigs



Northeast Outreach & Education Coordinator Walt Dietz provides casting instruction


Monroe County

Pickerel were extremely active on most of the private community lakes over the weekend of the 15th and 16th. They have been hitting mostly on minnows. Trout were also very active in the stocked lakes and were hitting green paste bait.

Buckwa Creek and Princess Run received an in-season trout stocking last week.

The trout fishing last weekend on both the Broadheads and Bushkill Creeks was good. Some very nice brown trout were caught and released.



Marty Bair caught and released this 21 inch brown trout last weekend at Broadheads Creek


Northern Pike County

Anglers have had good success catching pickerel as well as perch and crappie with small minnows and lures on smaller impoundments.

Southern Pike County

Most anglers fishing for shad on the Delaware River in the Delaware National Recreational Area are catching between five and ten a day on darts and spoons. The anglers having better success are launching from either the Eshback or Dingmans Ferry boat launches. Pink darts seem to be working the best.

Anglers fishing Lake Minisink are doing well catching trout on mealworms and paste baits. The crappies are also biting near the shoreline. Anglers are reporting catching between ten and twenty nice sized fish on jigs.

The Bushkill Creek is producing lots of action for trout anglers using everything from flies to worms. Many anglers have said that there are still plenty of trout left in the creek.

Susquehanna County

Anglers fishing at Comfort Pond have been catching nice 11-12 inch perch on minnows fished off of the bottom near the 171 parking lot.


http://www.fish.state.pa.us/splashes.htm

[Saltwater Fishing]

SW Regional Reports

Fishing and Boating Report – May 19, 2010
Armstrong County
Anglers are catching large numbers of crappies in Mahoning Creek Lake but most of them are very small.

Larger crappies are being caught in Keystone Lake but not in the huge numbers at Mahoning Lake.

Anglers have reported catching over a dozen muskies this past weekend in Keystone and Mahoning using many different baits and lures. Some were caught while trolling while others were caught using live bait and large jerk baits.

High water conditions in the Allegheny River have limited fishing and boating activity over the past week.

The crappies being caught at Crooked Creek Lake are still running small. A few bass are being caught.

Trout are biting on minnows in Cowanshannock Creek.

Anglers are also catching trout on Buffalo Creek.

Beaver County
Anglers were observed catching trout over the weekend at Raccoon Lake. The lake and Traverse Creek were stocked on May 13.

Anglers at Hereford Manor Lakes were observed catching good numbers of trout. One lucky angler landed a 23-inch rainbow trout over the weekend and stated he also landed a 21-inch rainbow earlier in the week. Anglers were also catching bass and releasing them, however, they are still not in season yet.

Anglers are catching a variety of fish on the Beaver River and Ohio River with large numbers of sauger being caught. One angler landed a hybrid striped bass in the 8-pound to 10-pound range.

Bradys Run Lake is now classified as Unlimited Harvest, which started on May 15th. More information can be located at the following link. http://www.fishandboat.com/newsrelea...s_drawdown.htm

Fayette and Westmoreland Counties
Trout fishing season over? Don’t count on it. The weather has been a major factor when the fish haven’t been biting and it's just as big of a factor when they do!



Just ask Aaron McManamy of Latrobe who caught this 9 pound, 27 inch trophy golden rainbow trout in Loyalhanna Creek. The fish was a hold over from the pre-season stocking in Loyalhanna Creek back in March.


With the possible exception of the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only (DHALO) area, there has been surprisingly little pressure on the trout stocked last week in Loyalhanna Creek. A few anglers have either reported decent success or been checked with respectable creels. The Mill Creek, Hendricks Creek and Tubmill Creek stockings seemed much the same.

Mammoth Lake and Donegal Lake are still on fire and there are plenty of fish to be caught. DWCO Tuccarello reported that anglers fishing with orange or green scented artificial bait can't keep their lines in the water at Donegal Lake. Meanwhile, DWCO Zuzik stated that the trout were extremely aggressive right out of the stocking truck at Mammoth Lake when it was stocked last Wednesday.

There are great reports of numerous trout being caught in both Four Mile Run and Linn Run. Both creeks have decent water in them and anglers are catching fish consistently on spinners. This past weekend had anglers out in droves.

A few crappies in the 13-inch range were checked at Loyalhanna Lake on Friday, May 14th. Two anglers also reported having caught very nice largemouth bass during that outing. One "tiger musky story" was fielded. That fish went about 32 inches. Boaters to this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake are reminded they must wear their PFDs at all times if they are out on boats under 16 feet in length or any size kayak or canoe.



Sarah Wood of North Huntingdon caught this nice channel catfish on a worm in Crabapple Pond in Herminie on a worm. It was one of four nice cats caught at the lake within an hour that day.



Kevin Struthers and his two fishing buddies, Jerry and Josh, were also at Crabapple Pond having fun catching these bluegills


Green Lick Dam has had its share of anglers lately. On Sunday, there were 50-plus anglers fishing from the shore, boats, canoes, and float tubes. Many anglers were also taking advantage of the shoreline improvements on the east side of the lake. The rock jetties not only provide structure for fish habitat, but also a nice place to fish from. The improvement project was a joint effort by the Jacob's Creek Watershed Association and our PFBC Lake Habitat section.



Philip and Kimberly Weinman of Bridgeport had a great time fishing on Jacob's Creek near the falls this weekend. The dynamic fishing duo caught several largemouth bass, trout, crappies, and rock bass on Sunday and even scored a couple trophy fish. Philip caught a 12.5-inch, 1-pound black crappie, while Kimberly caught a 9.25-inch, .6-pound rock bass. They will both receive Angler Awards for their catches. Congratulations!


Somerset County

Crappies are being caught all around the lake at Lake Somerset. A few walleyes have been landed. One angler had two channel catfish weighing about 5 pounds.

A few 24-inch brown trout have been caught at the Quemahoning Reservoir Green Bridge. One 21-inch walleye was caught there as well. A local angler landed a 30-pound carp from the lake.

The trout fishing at Laurel Hill Lake has been great. The lake has also produced a few nice crappies.

The trout fishing remains steady on the local streams. A lot of trout are available to catch.


http://www.fish.state.pa.us/splashes.htm

[Saltwater Fishing]

SC Regional Reports

Fishing and Boating Report – May 19, 2010
Blair County
Anglers are catching black crappie near the shoreline of Canoe Lake. As trout stocking ends in the County I would like to extend my appreciation to the men and women of the Blair County "Stocking Crew."



These volunteers helped stock over 40,000 trout in local waterways. Green safety T-shirts with the Blair Stocking Crew Logo on them were purchased to keep the helpers safe while stocking along the busy roadways. The photo shows most but not all of the helpers. Thanks again to all!!


Cumberland County

On Sat May 8th the Big Spring Watershed Association sponsored a Wounded Warrior Fly Fishing trip to Big Spring Creek.



Participants: Lyle Spurgeon, Dale Cherney, Dallas Ervin, Brian Madigan & Fiona Madigan


Dauphin County

Water levels on the Susquehanna River are near perfect levels for boating.

Anglers can expand their fishing opportunities by floating the Mahantango Creek in a canoe or kayak. This creek provides good fishing for trout, pan fish and bass. This stream was recently stocked with trout on Mother’s Day weekend by Fiddlers Run Sportmen’s Club and by the Fish and Boat Commission the second week in May. Take this trip before mid-summer makes this creek's water levels too low for this type of fishing. The suggested section to float, on the Mahantango Creek, is from Pillow to the mouth. Anglers are reminded they are required to have a trout stamp to fish approved trout waters, such as the Mahantango Creek, through May 31 or anytime they keep, kill or possess trout.

Saturday, May 22 is the first Fish for Free Day of the year. Take a friend on a float trip, remember your Life jackets, and share your sport.

Franklin County

Falling Spring Delayed Harvest Artificial Lure Only Area was stocked on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Daily creel limit of three trout per day measuring nine inches does not go into effect until one hour before sunrise on June 15, 2010. Catch and release shall be practiced until this time and date. Anglers choosing to fish this water are reminded that the use and possession of any natural bait, baitfish, paste bait, fish eggs or any other edible substance is prohibited.

Letterkenny Reservoir received an in season trout stocking on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Boat based anglers are reminded that a wearable PFD is required for each person on board.

Fulton County

Cove Creek Delayed Harvest Artificial Lure Only Area was stocked on Monday, May 10, 2010. Consult page 10 of 2010 Fishing Summary.

Cowans Gap Lake was stocked on Monday, May 17, 2010.

Juniata County

Anglers continue to catch trout on the entire length of East Licking Creek and Tuscarora creek due to recent stockings.



Gunner with a nice 19 inch Brook Trout caught on East Licking Creek. Gunner has informed his dad that he is getting this fish mounted.



Trent and Brennan Paden with Linda on East Licking Creek, Both Trent and Brennan caught limits of nice brook trout.


Baits of choice continue to be small spinners, minnows, wax worms, and paste baits.

Perry County

Anglers continue to catch trout in the western part of Perry County due to recent state stockings and local cooperative nursery stockings. Anglers on Sherman’s Creek and Shultz Creek are catching some nice brown and brook trout. Baits of choice continue to be small spinners, minnows, wax worms, and paste baits.

York County

Fishing for trout continues to be good in the stocked streams that flow into the Susquehanna River. A favorite lure that works well is the small panther martin both silver and brass in color. Still the most productive bait is live minnows.

Lake Redman is the hot spot for largemouth bass. Both shore fishing on the east side of the lake and fishing from a boat along the Interstate 83 shoreline has been good. Plugs, spinner baits, and green rubber worms work best.

Lake Williams is still in drawdown due to work being done on the dam. Fishing the southeast shoreline with rubber worms produces results.


http://www.fish.state.pa.us/splashes.htm