Northwest Region
Clarion County
Kahle Lake
Anglers are catching Bluegill, crappies, Yellow Perch, and Largemouth Bass. All anglers and boaters are reminded that all boats, including canoes and kayaks, are required to be registered to use this facility.
Piney Dam and the Upper Clarion River
Anglers are catching Yellow Perch, crappies, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye. All anglers and boaters are reminded that all boats, including canoes and kayaks, are required to be registered to use the PFBC’s Mill Creek and Gravel Lick Access Areas.
Lower Clarion River (Piney Dam to Confluence with Allegheny River)
Anglers are catching Walleye and Smallmouth Bass near the confluence with the Allegheny River.
Allegheny River (Emlenton to Lock #9)
Anglers are catching Walleye and Smallmouth Bass in the Parker City area. All anglers and boaters are reminded that all boats, including canoes and kayaks, are required to be registered to use the PFBC’s Parker City and Brady’s Bend Access Areas.
Redbank Creek
Anglers are catching Walleyes near the dam in New Bethlehem. Anglers are catching trout from the damn in New Bethlehem upstream to Mayport.
Stocked Trout Waters
All the trout streams still contain good numbers of trout. Mill Creek, Canoe Creek, Beaver Creek and Turkey Run were stocked on 4/24/18. Bear Creek (Butler Co) and East Sandy Creek were stocked on 5/7/2018.
In-season Trout Stockings
5/11/18 Redbank Creek – Meet the stocking truck at 10:30 am at Plyler’s Buffet & Family Restaurant located on SR 36 in Brookville.
5/15/18 Cathers Run & Mill Creek – Meet the stocking truck at 10:45 am at the Leeper Red & White Store located at the intersections of SR 36 & 66 in Leeper.
5/17/18 Piney Creek, Piney Creek DHALO Area, Leatherwood Creek – Meet the stocking truck at 11:15 am at Exit 64 of I-80 at the Rehobeth Church Road Parking Lot.
5/21/18 Toms Run – Meet the stocking truck at 11:30 am at Cooks Forest State Park Office located on SR 36 in Cooksburg.
Crawford County
Woodcock Creek (Below the dam)
Anglers are catching Walleye, Muskellunge, and trout.
Woodcock Lake
Anglers are catching a few Walleye and Smallmouth Bass. Woodcock Lake is at summer pool water levels.
Tamarack Lake
Tamarack Lake dam construction is in process. It is worth a drive-by to observe.
Erie County
Lake Erie
Docks are in at Northeast Marina. Anglers are catching Lake Trout in 70-80 feet of water trolling plugs and spoons.
Howard Eaton Reservoir
Anglers are catching crappie at Howard Eaton Reservoir. Live minnows are the bait of choice.
Northcentral Region
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Tioga County
Pine Creek
With recent rain and more rain in the forecast, Pine Creek is high and muddy. Smaller streams in the area are a better choice for fishing. Prior to the rain events there were heavy caddis hatches!!
Hamilton, Hills Creek, Hammond and Tioga Lakes
Most lakes are fishing well. Fish are moving close to shore at Hamilton and Hills Creek lakes. On the Corps lakes, they are still holding in deeper water, but they are schooled up and feeding heavily.
Anglers are having most of their luck, fishing near structure with access to spawning areas and rocky drop-offs. Live minnows and a variety of jigs are working well. Anglers are catching fish from shore on Hammond Lake. They are within casting range, but they have not moved into the shoreline yet. Temps for most of the lakes are in the 57-61 temperature range.
Cowanesque Lake
Anglers are catching and releasing bass, using squarebill cranks, jerkbaits, plastics and chatterbaits. The bass are being caught in about 10 feet of water.
Cowanesque and Tioga Spillways
Anglers are catching Walleye using live shiners, night crawlers and white or chartreuse grubs. A few anglers are catching Walleye using 3-4 inch shad colored or white swimbaits.
Centre County
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake Spillway
Anglers are catching Bluegill, Yellow Perch and Crappie using small twister tails, mini,chartreuse streamers. Anglers are also catching and releasing bass using small streamers and/or spinners.
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake
The main marina and all boat launces are now open for the summer boating season! Boating activity is increasing as the weather improves. The Crappie spawn is in full swim with anglers catching large numbers of Crappie along the shorelines of the lakes. Most anglers are catching Crappie at Upper Greens, Lower Greens, Causeway, Marina, Summer/Winter Launch and Hunter Run Cut. Live minnows and twister tails, floating under a bobber are working best.
Bald Eagle, Black Moshannon, Penns, Cold Stream, Six Mile and Marsh Creeks
Angler activity has decreased slightly and there are numerous trout yet to be caught. Anglers are catching trout using waxworms, minnows, paste baits and spinners.
Spring Creek
Water temperatures are in the mid-50s. Water up and off color due to recent rain events.
Sulphurs and tan caddis are hatching and trout are rising to them! Crane flies are also coming off in good numbers. Anglers are catching trout using dry flies (e.g. Suphers #14-16; Tan Caddis #14-16; Blue Wing Olives #18-22; Crane Fly #14-16 and/or midges #22-26).
Anglers are also catching trout using nymphs (e.g. Hot spot sow bug #14-16; Baetis emergers #18-22; olive scud #14-18; walt’s worm #12-16; sulphur patterns #12-14).
With some rain events in the forecast, make sure you bring along some streamers (olive/black #4-8). Target the stream banks and/or structure.
Northeastern Region
Carbon County
The most recent trout stockings within the district occurred on the Mahoning Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek, and the Lehigh Canal, Lock 7. These were the last in-season trout stocking for the district this year. Fishing pressure remains light to moderate on most of the trout stocked waters even during the day of the actual in-season trout stocking. Most anglers are still reporting seeing and catching a good number of trout that were held over from the previous in-season trout stockings.
Most successful anglers are catching trout using spinners, minnows, wax worms and soft baits. Most of the trout stocked waters such as the Aquashicola Creek, Buckwa Creek and the Lizard Creek are becoming warmer and a good number of fly anglers are reporting success catching trout. With the recent rain event occurring some of the trout stocked waters are flowing higher than normal.
Anglers fishing the Lehigh River are reporting good success catching trout from Glen Onko down river to the Bowmanstown area. Spinners and stick baits appear to be working the best.
Mauch Chunk Lake is providing good panfish action off the fishing pier at boat launch A. Catfish action appeared to be good off the area of boat launch B in recent weeks.
Boat anglers fishing Beltzville Lake have reported catching a few Striped Bass and walleyes near the area of the dam breast. Anglers are reminded that during the period from April 14th to June 15th the harvesting of bass is not permitted and is catch & immediate release only. Additionally, anglers are reminded that it is unlawful during the closed season for an angler to repeatedly cast into a visible spawning nest or bed to catch or take bass.
With the warmer weather arriving, the boating activity has been increasing at Beltzville Lake and Mauch Chunk Lake during the weekends. Boaters are reminded to check all the required safety equipment on their boats before venturing out onto the water. In addition, please check to make sure your boat is properly registered. Motorboats and boats powered by an electric motor must display a proper motorboat registration. Unpowered boats such as canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, rowboats, etc. launching at Commission lakes or access areas including PA State Parks launch or access areas must display either a Commission launch use permit or a PA State Parks launch permit or mooring permit.
Remember, alcohol is not permitted at Beltzville Lake and Mauch Chunk Lake on both the water and shore areas. Laws pertaining to the possession and or use of alcoholic beverages are strictly enforced.
Southeastern Region
Bucks County
Delaware River
River levels have been great for fishing this spring again this year. If you haven’t been out for shad yet, you haven’t missed this year’s run completely and shad fishing is still hot. Flutter spoons and shad darts are what most anglers are using. If you strike out on one color, try a different color until you find the one that the shad prefer on that day.
Spring Bass fishing is picking up on Nockamixon Lake! Be sure to avoid bass protecting their fry on the bass beds in the shallows. If you’re not sure, don’t fish areas where bass may be nesting. Anglers are catching muskies on the lake, mostly purebreds. There are some tiger muskies in the lake, but most are catching the pures.
Quite a few anglers are catching trout on the Unami, Tohickon and E. Branch Perkiomen Creek. This is the result of many anglers practicing catching catch and release fishing.
High-Water warning for anglers on the Tohickon Creek below Nockamixon Dam 5/17/2018 (from DCNR Website)
Tohickon Creek Whitewater / Angling Advisory
On Thursday, May 17, water will be released from Lake Nockamixon into the Tohickon Creek. The water release is being done to support a DCNR Swift Water Rescue Training occurring at Ralph Stover State Park that day. Visitors and anglers should be aware that by 8am on May 17, the level of water will rise above normal flow; it will return to normal conditions by the end of the day. For reference, normal flow in the Tohickon Creek is 60-100 cfs, while the flow for this release will increase to 500 cfs (as compared to 700 cfs during our biannual whitewater release events).
As this water release is for training purposes, visitors / anglers / boaters in the area on this day should expect to see staff in the water conducting training exercises. Please avoid walking or boating through these areas to allow the training to continue unimpeded.
Any questions may be directed to the Delaware Canal State Park office at 610-982-5560 or the Nockamixon State Park office at 215-529-7300, option 6.
http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/NockamixonStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
Lancaster County
The month of May in Lancaster County provides many opportunities for adults to introduce youth to fishing. A listing of youth derbies is listed below.
Lancaster Fishing Derbies:
| DATE | ORGANIZATION | PARTICIPANTS | WATER BODY | TIME/ADDRESS |
| 5/19 | Paradise Sportsmen’s Association
|
12 & Under | Londonland Run @ Quarry Road | 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Registration At 7:30 A.M. |
| 5/27 | Manheim Sportsmen’s Association | 5-15 | Chiques Creek | 1:00 – 4:00 @ Manheim Memorial Park |
| 6/2 | Lititz Sportsmen’s Association | Disabled Persons (Of All Ages) | Lititz Run | 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Warwick Twp. Riparian Park |
Organizations planning derbies or rodeos are reminded that a Special Activity Permit (Form PFBC-500) is required for these types of events. The permit and requirements can be found on our website under “Forms”. There are also specific regulations in place for clubs that are temporarily damming a stream for their derbies. A Fishing Derby is defined as an organized event involving 10 or more participants conducted for children under the age of 16, senior citizens, anglers with disabilities, special populations or other group when the principal purpose is education or enjoyment, rather than competition among anglers.
Popular baits include minnows, worms, salmon eggs, corn, cheese, and the typically successful power bait in yellow, chartreuse and white. Verify the usage of any bait restrictions with the sponsoring organization.