Northwest Region
Crawford County
Conneaut Lake
The lake is still open. Shore ice is starting to form so it shouldn’t be long before hard ice forms over the lake.
Eastern Erie County
Steelhead Tributaries
Most of the mile streams are starting to ice over. With a warmup, the streams could open up again and produce good fishing for Steelhead.
Note: Ice fishing anglers–it is illegal to use VHS susceptible fish species (Emerald Shiners) fish parts or eggs taken from Lake Erie Watershed as bait in the Commonwealth waters outside the Lake Erie Watershed except when the fish are certified as VHS negative. This water includes (Lake Pleasant, Eaton Reservoir, Edinboro Lake, and Lake Leboeuf). See the complete list of VHS species in the 2016 Summary Guide.
Venango County
Allegheny River
NAVIGATION HAZARD- Watercraft operators should be aware that the ice control device spanning the Allegheny River upstream of the State Street (Veteran’s) Bridge in Oil City, IS NOW IN PLACE. Boaters are urged to use caution when operating in this area since the device stretches the entire breadth of the river. Use the provided opening situated nearest the north shore for passage.
Reminder: The PFBC does not monitor ice thickness. Ice thickness and conditions can vary greatly across the lake. Use caution as you head out onto the ice. A life jacket and a set of ice awls can be extremely important if you fall though the ice. Remember SAFETY FIRST: http://fishandboat.com/safety.htm
Northeast Region
Northern Susquehanna & Eastern Bradford Counties
Anglers in Susquehanna County have been having luck catching Chain Pickerel through the ice with live bait. Anglers need to be cautious heading out on the ice as the ice thickness has been fluctuating with warm temperatures and rain.
Northern Wayne County
The ice has finally arrived! Hardwater anglers are doing well at White Oak Pond. Jigs tipped with wax worms are doing the trick for panfish and perch. Largemouth Bass and pickerel seem to prefer shiners on tip ups.
Reminder: The PFBC does not monitor ice thickness. Ice thickness and conditions can vary greatly across the lake. Use caution as you head out onto the ice. A life jacket and a set of ice awls can be extremely important if you fall though the ice. Remember SAFETY FIRST: http://fishandboat.com/safety.htm
Northcentral Region
Tioga County
Tioga County’s ice fishing season is in full swing! Anglers have been fishing Hills Creek, Hamilton, and Beechwood Lakes. Over the past several days, the air temperature has stayed at or below 20F; so ice has continued to build on county lakes!
NOTE: As the ice builds on the lakes, there will be patches of unstable ice. As always, CHECK ice thickness and safety before you head out on the ice.
Cowanesque; Hammond; Tioga Lakes
The Army Corps lakes are frozen over; but are not ready for ice fishing yet. Another week of ice building should bump them up to “fishable” status!
Beechwood Lake
Anglers are catching trout using paste baits and live minnows under tip-ups. Areas near the boat launches seem to be the best location to catch trout.
Panfish are being caught using small jigs, tipped with waxworms, mousies, and/or maggots.
Hills Creek Lake
Fish are being caught in 6-12 feet of water. Anglers are catching Yellow Perch using live minnows under tip-ups and jigging waxworms.
Bluegills are being caught using waxworms or maggots on small jigs and spoons. Successful jig colors are white, chartreuse, silver, and gold.
A few anglers are catching fish after dark using glow jigs tipped with waxworms.
Pickerel are active and are taking live shiners and/or fathead minnows.
Hamilton Lake
Action has been slow; but anglers are catching a few panfish toward the dam using waxworms.
Lycoming County
Rose Valley Lake
There were approximately 30-40 anglers fishing the lake on Monday, January 18, 2016.
Anglers are catching Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, and Yellow Perch using medium shiners under tip-ups in 8-13 feet of water. One angler caught a Largemouth Bass measuring 16”!
With cold temperatures predicted for the rest of this week, ice should continue to build.
Insert photo: Jordan Allison with a nice Largemouth Bass caught recently from Rose Valley Lake (photo provided by Jordan Allison)
Insert photo: Ice anglers on Rose Valley Lake (photo by Jordan Allison)
Centre County
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake
The Hunter Run Cut portion of the lake is iced over. Anglers are catching Yellow Perch and Bluegills.
NOTE: The main lake only has a thin layer of ice covering it. With the temperatures remaining at or below 30F the rest of the week, ice should continue to build. As always, use caution and CHECK the ice prior to going on it.
Spring Creek
The water level and color is perfect for fishing. Streamers, nymphs, and egg patterns are working best. Target the banks and slack water. When possible, try to get your fly, spoon, or bait as close to the stream bottom as you can.
Fly patterns that are working include peach and/or pink egg patterns, walt’s worms, black/brown slumpbusters, and bead head pheasant tails.
USGS Spring Creek water level at Houserville, PA : http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=01546400
Penns Creek
The stream is still running a bit high, is a little off color, and has a temp of about 40F.However, if you are willing to brave the cold it should fish well.
Nymphs and streamers will work best. Fish early to late afternoon, and get your flies as close to the bottom as you can. If you are using streamers, get as close to the banks and structure/woody debris as you can.
Patterns that should work are Hares Ear (14-16); bead head prince nymph (8-12); Olive, brown, or black scuplin patterns (4-10).
USGS Penns Creek at Penns Creek, PA: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=01555000
Clinton County
Fishing Creek
Water levels are good. Anglers that brave the cold temperatures are catching trout using peach/pink egg patterns and pink/red worm patterns.
Southeastern Region
The weather is predicted to drop in coming days with the threat of a Nor’easter moving in Friday into Saturday this weekend, but the forecast for next week looks to rise above freezing again. The ice fishing season may not happen in the Southeast, but there are lakes in the area that still received late 2015 winter trout stockings like Deep Creek Lake (Montgomery County), Antietam Lake and Kaercher Creek Lake (Berks County) and Core Creek County Park’s Lake Luxembourg (Bucks County) that are ready to be caught.