Northwest Region
Western Erie County
Walnut Creek, Upper Gravel Pit, & Lake Erie
In the lower stretches of Walnut Creek, anglers have had limited success fishing deeper water for Brown Trout in the early morning hours. With recent rains and cooler temperatures shore anglers are having limited success with minnows in the Upper Gravel Pit. Recent reports have been indicating Walleye catches are improving on deeper waters along the Canadian line and Yellow Perch reports have been sporadic at best. Routine boating patrols are still yielding common violations of expired or unserviceable visual distress signals and unserviceable fire extinguishers. Common operational violations continue to be exceeding slow no wake within one hundred feet or fifty feet. Additionally, unserviceable personal flotation devices are being encountered.
Crawford County
Conneaut Lake
Anglers are reporting catching nice-sized Bluegill in deeper water throughout the lake. Anglers are still targeting Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass throughout the edges of the weed beds in the Northern part of the lake. Boating activity is winding down but with this weekend’s warmer temperatures there should be a lot of boats on the water.
French Creek
Anglers are reporting catching Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and an occasional Northern Pike throughout most of French Creek. Tubes and grubs seem to be good Smallmouth Bass bait this time of the year. Walleyes are being caught on stickbaits and grubs through the faster sections of the creek. This weekend should be a great weekend to float French Creek.
Northeast Region
Area streams are at normal flows for this time of the year. The relatively cool and wet summer, at least until the past few weeks, has kept many stocked trout waters cool enough to hold trout and they are still willing to bite for a patient angler. This is the time of the year to try your hand at night fishing, with the cooler nights and warm days most trout will be idle during the day but looking to feed at night as the water cools.
A great tool for any angler is the streamflow map provided by USGS, this map can be found here: http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=real&r=pa . You can check real time stream flows on hundreds of streams across the state and some even provide water temperatures.
Area lakes are in their summer pattern, with successful anglers being the first ones on the water or the last ones off. Anglers observed fishing from 10:00am to 2:00pm have been not finding much success the past week but as weather begins to cool over the next month, expect the fish to start biting throughout the day as well.
Northcentral Region
Potter County
Kettle Creek
Anglers are catching Brown Trout on upper Kettle Creek. The majority of trout were caught using minnows just after the recent rain storms. Several trout measured between 10-13” in length.
Clearfield County
Curwensville Dam
Anglers are catching large Yellow Perch near the boat launch areas. Many nice Channel Catfish in the 8- to 10- pound range are being caught, as well.
Centre County
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake
Anglers are catching Channel Catfish in areas around Upper Greens Run in the evening hours. Most of the Channel Catfish were caught on chicken livers fished on the bottom.
Crappies and Sunfish are also being caught around the causeway. They are hitting on minnows in the early morning and late evening hours.
Anglers are also catching Bass, north of the causeway, using plastic worm jigs. Black and blue plastic worms seem to be working best.
Black Moshannon Lake
Anglers are catching Bass and Chain Pickerel in access areas. Rubber worms and spinners are providing the best results.
Spring Creek
Anglers are catching trout on all sections of Spring Creek. Live bait and spinners are working well on the lower end, and small dry flies and nymphs are catching fish in the Fisherman’s Paradise area.
Clinton County
Fishing Creek
Anglers are catching Brown Trout using minnows, nymphs and wet flies in the lower section of the stream. Wet flies and nymphs are also working in the upper portion of the stream as well. One angler caught several trout between 10 and 14” during the evening.
Reminder: All unpowered boats (canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, rowboats, etc) launching or retrieving at PFBC access areas and DCNR state parks or forests must have a current boat registration (issued by any state), or PFBC Use Permit, or DCNR Launch or Mooring Permit. For more information, visit http://fishandboat.com/registration.htm
Southeastern Region
Bucks County
Delaware River
Anglers have noticed shad and herring starting to move downriver early this year. Smallmouth Bass fishing is great in the Delaware River, and fish can be caught on lures that imitate the herring, such as jerk shad, stickbaits and also try poppers in the evening. Consider trying live minnows as well. Walleyes have been mixed in with the Smallmouth Bass. September and October are usually the peak of the Smallmouth bite. Try spots around Bull’s Island, Stockton NJ, Lambertville and Washington’s Crossing.
Neshaminy Creek
Smaller bass, panfish and Rock Bass are being hooked on spinners, small grubs on jig bodies and minnows. Look for deeper pools where fish are hiding at the bottom of riffles waiting to strike. This is a fun creek to float and fish from a kayak. You might have to get out and pull the kayak through an occasional shallow riffle. The kayak will allow you get in spots not accessible from shore that don’t see as much fishing pressure.
Giving Pond
Anglers are catching smaller bass and crappies on plastic worms and twister tail grubs.
Montgomery County
Schuylkill River
Anglers are pulling out Channel Catfish on nighcrawlers and shrimp. Flathead Catfish have been taken on Bluegills. Cast poppers, twister tails, crankbaits and live minnows for Smallmouth Bass.