Northwest Region
Central Erie County
Rain has blown the mouths open on the streams. There are fish in 12 Mile, 16 Mile and 20 Mile streams. 20 Mile has fish to the New York line. 16 Mile and 12 Mile have fish as far as they can go. Skein has been working well as well as sucker spawn for fly anglers.
Inland, Lake LeBoeuf has been good for panfish from the dock. Anglers are catching Muskellunge and Northern Pike from boat.
Northeast Marina is closed for the year and all the docks have been removed. To get lake conditions, please call Walnut Creek.
Don’t forget, the mandatory cold weather life jacket regulation is in effect for all canoes, kayaks, and boats under 16 feet in length. This regulation applies to all persons in the boat whether they are fishing or hunting.
Butler County
Lake Arthur: With winter approaching, now is the time for catfish and Muskellunge. Anglers should try chicken livers, minnows or shrimp off the bottom.
Harbor Acres Lake: Trout anglers are reminded that this lake was stocked in the last week of October. The season remains open until the end of February and the limit is three trout. Most of the stocked trout are quality size Rainbow Trout.
Boating reminder: November 1st began the Cold Water PFD requirement. Operators and passengers on motorboats under 16 feet in length and on all canoes and kayaks must wear a lifejackets from November 1st to April 30th.
Forest County
Allegheny River: Walleye and Northern Pike fishing should be productive in the Tionesta pool of the Allegheny River. Anglers generally catch Walleye and Northern Pike from boats and along the shore near the boat ramp and at the point of the island.
Tionesta Lake: Anglers are catching Muskellunge throughout the fall and that will continue until the lake freezes. Trolling along the shoreline seems to be the most productive method.
Tionesta Outflow: Musky, Walleye and Northern Pike fishing is productive near the wall and the campground side. Downstream of the wall there is a fishing trail that provides access to the creek. Anglers are reminded that they must have a trout/salmon permit to fish in Tionesta Creek, from the outflow to the confluence with the Allegheny River. The permit is required at all times, regardless of fishing for, or keeping trout.
Spring Creek: The Marienville Rod and Gun Club stocked Spring Creek with adult trout in early September. Anglers are reminded that the daily limit is now three trout per day and a trout permit is required to keep trout.
Venango County
Allegheny River: Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass and Walleye on tubes, crankbaits, jigs, and jerkbaits.
French Creek: Anglers are catching Walleye primarily on jigs and minnows.
Oil Creek: Anglers are catching trout in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Area stretching from Petroleum Center to Columbia Farm.
Kahle Lake: Anglers are catching Largemouth Bass on worms and minnows.
Justus Lake : Anglers are catching Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass on minnows. The late fall trout stocking occurred on 11/08/2017 at 10:30 AM. Boaters are reminded that only manual, wind powered, and/or electric motor driven watercraft are permitted on Justus Lake. The use of internal combustion engines is PROHIBITED.
Northeastern Region
Boaters are reminded that that beginning November 1 and lasting through April 30, they are required to wear a life jacket while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or on any canoe or kayak.
Fall trout stockings are in full swing throughout the region but some dates have recently changed. Please check the online stocking schedule for updates and changes to the stocking list HERE.
The rain over the past week throughout the whole region has given many streams a much-needed recharge of water flow. The trout streams have good flow for this time of year and can provide very good fishing for those who are willing to walk. This is the time of year in stocked streams that the trout are spread evenly throughout and that means you probably won’t limit out in one place. A short walk up and downstream can provide plenty of bites from the normal holes and you may find a new favorite fishing spot in the process.
Wild trout anglers need to remember that spawning season has started and will be occurring throughout the fall and early winter. Make sure to be careful and watch your step for Brook and Brown Trout redds. Disturbing their spawning by targeting fish over redds or stepping in them can have a negative effect on your favorite stream.
Northcentral Region
REMINDER – Mandatory Cold Weather Life Jacket Wear began on November 1, 2017 and runs through April 30, 2018.
Beginning in 2012, the following regulation was established:
A person shall wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket) during the cold weather months from November 1st through April 30th while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak.
Learn more at fishandboat.com
Get your license ONLINE – gonefishingpa.com/
FIRST FISH!
Terri Bennett of New York City, recently went fly fishing for the first time with her friend Julie Szur. While fly fishing on Pine Creek, Lycoming County, she caught her first trout! Congratulations Terri! Hope to see you back on PA waters soon! (photo by Juie Szur)
Snyder/Union/Montour/Northumberland Counties
Susquehanna River – The water level is returning to normal and anglers are catching lots of Walleye, using crankbaits in the main channel. The Sunbury side of the fabridam seems to be the best location.
Boating REMINDER – As the water comes down, the PPL dam is functioning as a low head dam again. Make sure you stay out of the exclusion zone. There have been two fatalities there in the last year both within the exclusion zone.
Clinton County
Fishing Creek: The water level is on it’s way back down. Trout are beginning to spawn. Be sure to watch where you are stepping, so you don’t step on a trout nest/redd.
Anglers are catching trout using small streamer patterns (size #6-10). Fish the banks and structure and see what happens!
Anglers are also catching trout using nymphs (e.g. #14-16 frenchie; #12-16 bead head prince nymph; #6-10 black stone; #12-18 gold bead pheasant tail)
Centre County
Spring Creek: Water temperature is in the 50s. The water has good color and is fishing well. Trout are preparing to spawn, please watch your step and avoid their nests/redds.
Anglers are catching trout throughout the day, using nymphs (e.g. green weenie, hot spot sow bug, olive scuds, small mayfly patterns, midge larvae patterns).
Make sure you have a few olive and/or black streamer patterns (#6-10) to throw during or just after the rain events!
Trout are also rising sporadically to tan caddis and blue wing olives.
Southeastern Region
Anglers fishing the Delaware River (in upper Bucks and Northampton Counties) have have been catching Smallmouth Bass with a bunch of smaller Striped Bass. Try minnows, grubs, tubes, spinners and weighted rubber worms.
Bucks County
Levittown Lake
Levittown Lake was restocked and anglers are catching on paste baits, wax worms, mealworms and spoons.
Southern Chester County
White Clay Middle Branch
The Middle Branch White Clay Creek Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Keystone Select Waters section was stocked with trout on Tuesday, October 31. Thank you to all the individuals who came out to help and special thanks to the White Clay Fly Fishers for the very nice and plentiful Brown Trout that they provided. The stocked section is a 1.7 mile stretch that runs from Good Hope Road at 39 45′ 43.7″ North, 75 47′ 03.9″ West to the confluence with the East Branch White Clay in the White Clay Creek Preserve at 39 44′ 57.7″ North, 75 46′ 10.4″ West. The fish were float stocked by the White Clay Fly Fishers at two points, with about half the fish at each location. The points that were stocked are Good Hope Road at 39 45′ 43.7″ North, 75 47′ 03.9″ West, and the Iron Bridge on London Tract in the center of the section at 39 45′ 16.2″ North, 75 46′ 51.6″ West, The Bridge on Sharpless Road at 39 45′ 01.9″ North, 75 46′ 16.3″ is the lower limit of the stocked area.
From November 1 until April 30 of the following year, all boaters in boats less than 16 feet and all canoes and kayaks must wear a life jacket while boating. The fine for not wearing a life jacket as required during this time and or for not having the required life jackets on board starts at $120.50 and goes up depending on how many people are not wearing or how many pieces of equipment or life jackets you are missing. As a rule, we do not give warnings for safety violations. Also, do not forget a whistle, it is hard to yell for help in cold water. Yes, it can happen to you! The district Waterways Conservation Officer just recently transported a kayaker on Marsh Creek Reservoir that had capsized his boat into cold water and was too cold to paddle back to the launch. This gentleman was 36 years old and stated he had been kayaking for over 10 years.
The Next meeting of the White Clay Fly-Tying Club will be at 6PM on Thursday November 9 at the London Tract Meeting House in the White Clay Creek Preserve, located at the intersection of Sharpless & London Tract roads, Landenberg PA 19350,