Northwest Region
Central Erie County
Presque Isle Bay
Jumbo Yellow Perch are being caught off the end of Dobbin’s Landing and the Holland Street Pier on minnows. Anglers are reporting both small and jumbo perch being caught throughout the bay. A few Steelhead have also been caught in the bay as well. Many boats have started to venture out on the water this spring already.
Please check your registrations to make sure they are valid and wear a PFD due to the cold water. Cold Weather PFD Wear is in until 4/30/16 and boaters must wear a PFD on all boats under 16 feet and all canoes and kayaks.
Northeast Region
Carbon County
Fishing and boating activity on both Mauch Chunk Lake and Beltzville Lake was slow during the weekend. Boaters and boat anglers are reminded that although the regulatory buoys such as Slow No Wake are not in place on Beltzville Lake, Slow No Wake signs are posted indicating those areas and the regulations are still in effect and enforced.
A Basic Boating Education course is being offered at Beltzville State Park on April 25, and April 27, from 6pm – 10pm each night. There is no charge for the course, but all participants must pre-register and attend both sessions. Person interested in attending the course should contact the Park Office at 610-377-0045.
On Saturday, March 26, from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm, is the Regional Mentored Youth Trout Day. Youth under the age of 16 can join a mentor (adult) angler who has a current PA Fishing License and Trout Permit to fish on Stocked Trout Waters within the 18 southeastern regional counties for Regional Trout season. The Lizard Creek and Mahoning Creek in Carbon County are regulated under the Regional Trout Season program.
All of the other Stocked Trout Waters in the County are regulated under the Regular Trout Season program, and the Mentored Youth Trout Day for those waters is April 9, 2016, from 8:00am to 7:30pm. Anglers are encouraged to consult the 2016 PA Fishing Summary for further information on Stocked Trout Waters in the District.
Youth (less than 16 years of age) participating in the Mentored Youth Trout Days must obtain a Mentored Youth Fishing Permit or a Voluntary Youth Fishing License. Youth are permitted to keep two trout, 7 inches or larger on the Mentored Youth Trout Days, while Mentors (adults) must practice catch & release.
Class A trout streams such as the Pohopoco Creek are open to fishing year round, with no harvest of trout beginning the day after Labor Day through the Regular Opening Day of trout season the year following year.
Northern Pike and Southern Wayne Counties
Trout season is rapidly approaching and the ice has left, so it is time to change out the fishing gear and put the tip-ups away for another season. All of the districts could use help in stocking trout. To find stockings to help out at visit: http://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/TroutStockingDetails_GIS.aspx
Some anglers have already been out on Lake Wallenpaupack for panfish and bass with some success but the water temps are still around 40 to 45 degrees in most bodies of water. Just keep in mind that while boating you need to have all of the safety equipment on board and the mandatory wear of PFD’s on all boats less than 16 feet including all canoes and kayaks through April 30th.
Northcentral Region
REMINDER: PA Fish and Boat Commission manages some of PA waterways as “Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing”. Under this regulation, anglers can fish for trout year round at these specified locations. From March 1 to opening day, no trout may be taken or possessed. (Review the full regulation using the link provided below)
A few of the lakes, highlighted in this week’s Northcentral report, fall under this waterway designation. Look for one close to you and have fun fishing for trout today!
Click HERE to find a “Stocked Trout Waterway Open to Year-Round Fishing” near you: http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/yearround.html
McKean County
Marilla Reservoir (a.k.a. Bradford City Number Three Reservoir)
Anglers are catching trout using minnows, spinners and/or worms.
Marilla will be stocked with trout on March 30, 2016. If you would like to help stock the lake, check our stocking list for the meeting time and place! http://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/TroutStockingDetails_GIS.aspx
Tioga County
Hamilton Lake
Hamilton was stocked with trout on March 16, 2016. Anglers are catching trout using various doughbaits, live minnows, waxworms, spinners, and small crankbaits. Bright colors are working best.
Anglers are also catching pickerel and bass using live minnows, jerkbaits, and jigs.
(photo provided by angler)
Hammond Lake
The water is 40 F and off color. Anglers are catching a few Crappie using live minnows, but until the water clears and/or the temperatures increase, fishing will continue to be challenging. The predicted warm weather over the next few days should help.
Beechwood Lake
Anglers are catching trout using small spinners and various live baits. Bright colors are working best. The trout are holding near the surface; therefore, fishing live baits under a bobber is also working.
Tioga spillway
Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass on live minnows, stickbaits and jigs.
(photo provided by angler)
Clinton County
Fishing Creek
Water temperatures are in the 40s. The water level and color are just right for some good fishing!
Anglers are catching trout using olive or light colored streamer patterns and a variety of nymphs (e.g. beadhead pheasant tails; stoneflies; midges and blue wing olive). If you are fishing streamers, be prepared to switch up the colors and your retrieve.
In the afternoon hours, a few Brook Trout are being caught using dry flies (e.g. midges and/or Blue Wing Olive).
Centre County
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake
(photo by Tom Shervinskie)
Anglers are catching Crappie and Bluegill near the old road bed between bald eagle launch and summer/winter launch.
Anglers are also catching Yellow Perch below the spillway using small jigs with fathead minnows on them.
Spring Creek
Anglers are catching trout using a variety of nymph patterns (e.g. blue wing olive, cress bugs, olive scuds, brown zebra midges, pheasant tails). Olive streamer patterns (e.g. slumpbusters) are also working.
During the warm, mid-afternoon hours, blue wing olive mayfly adults are hatching. Make sure you have a few size #18-22 blue wing olive dry flies in your fly box! The broken water areas (e.g. riffles) seem to be the best locations to fish during the hatch.
Penns Creek
Anglers are catching trout on a variety of nymph patterns (e.g. blue wing olive; hares ear; stoneflies; beadhead prince; caddis larvae). Keep a stash of blue wing olive dry flies handy because over the next week the blue wing olive mayfly adult will be hatching.
Anglers are also catching trout using sculpin patterns.
Southeastern Region
Chester County
Fly anglers fishing the White Clay Creek Keystone Select Trout Waters, were having luck on Woolly Buggers and Green Weenie patterns. Lure anglers reported catches on spinners and small jigs with unscented split-tail bodies.
Hibernia County Park’s Children’s pond is a 3/4 acre pond that is well populated with warm water fish, but is also stocked with trout by the Chester County Parks & Recreation Department and by the generous donations of the Friends of Hibernia. The pond makes a great place to take a youngster to get them away from the crowds and to teach them to fish because of the cleared shoreline which makes casting much easier and the fact that the water is not moving makes it easier to fish and to tell if they have a bite. Bass, sunfish & catfish can be found in the pond as well as the trout. If you do not have a fishing rod or tackle, no problem, you can borrow a fishing rod, reel and tackle box through the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commissions rod & tackle loaner program at the park from 08:30 AM to 4:00 PM, April through November. The park is located at 1 Park Road, Coatesville, PA. 19320, or call 610-383-3812 for more information or on borrowing equipment. A fishing license is required of individuals who are 16 years old and over that fish any Chester County Park waters, or any waters of the Commonwealth.
Camping out on the night before the opening of the trout season here in Southeast Pennsylvania used to be a great tradition for both individuals and families. It was a good way for a family or friends to work together to set up camp, share a good meal and then to sit around a warm campfire and tell stories of past opening days, that 35 inch Tiger Trout that got away just as you reached for him, and what you were going to fish with in the morning to catch your next trophy trout. In the last few years however, it has been getting more and more difficult to find property where the landowner is willing to give permission to camp, or to fish at all in some instances. If you are looking for a place to camp, where you will be welcome to do so the night before the opening of the trout season, you might want to consider Hibernia County Park. The West Branch of the Brandywine Creek winds its way through a large portion of the park and is stocked with trout. The campsites have restrooms, but no shower or dish washing facilities. If you do not have a fishing rod or tackle, no problem, you can borrow a fishing rod, reel and tackle box through the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commissions rod & tackle loaner program at the park from 08:30 AM to 4:00 PM, April through November.
The White Clay Creek East Branch, Section 2, which is the East Branch of the White Clay Creek from Woodview Road to the White Clay Creek State Preserve boundary and the White Clay Creek, Section 1, which is from the confluence of the East Branch of the White Clay and the Middle Branch of the White Clay to the Delaware State line will be stocked with trout on Friday April 1. The stocking truck will meet us at the Avondale Post Office at noon. On our last stocking on Buck Run and Beaver Creek we had almost no help. Please help us get these fish in the water for the Regional Opening Day.
The West Branch of the Brandywine Creek, Section 3, that is, from Cedar Knoll Bridge down to Route 340 will be stocked with trout on Thursday March 31st. We will meet across from the Sadsburyville Post Office at 11:30 AM. Please come out and help us make it a great regional opening day, April 2nd at 8 AM.
We stocked Buck Run Section 2 on Wednesday, 3/23. The stream is designated as a Stocked Trout Waters and is closed to fishing until the regional opening. The stocking points are Old Mill Road at 39-58’38.5″ North and 75-54’09.9″ West, just downstream of business 30 at 39-58’51.3″ North and 75-54’33.4″ West, Octoraro Drive at 39-59’08.2″ North and 75-54’37.0″ West, on Quarry Road Bridge we utilized a float at 39-58’11.9″ North and 75-53’37.9″ West, Greenbelt Road Bridge at 39-57’58.7″ North and 75-53’34,7″ West and just upstream of West Bert Reel Park. Thanks to all the help that came out to help.
The White Clay Creek Middle Branch Section 2, from T364 (Good Hope Road Bridge) to SR3009 (Guernsey Road) has been stocked with trout.
The White Clay Creek East Branch Section 3, from the White Clay Creek Preserve Boundary to the mouth has been stocked with trout. Remember that this is a Stocked Trout Waters and so is closed to fishing until the Regional Opening Day.