Northwest Region
Get your fishing license ONLINE!
2019 PA Fishing Licenses went on sale December 1st.
The 2019 Trout Stocking Schedule is online. If you are interested in helping with trout stocking, search for your county from the drop-down list on the schedule. Pick your favorite stream to meet the stocking trout on the date and time of stocking.
Crawford County
Mentored Youth Fishing Panfish Days June 1 and 2
The Mentored Youth Fishing Panfish Days will be held at the Linesville State Fish Hatchery on Saturday June 1st and Sunday June 2nd. Mentored youth will be able to fish for panfish in the Pymatuning Sanctuary directly behind the Hatchery. There will be 2 sessions each day. The first session will begin promptly at 8am and last until 11am. The second session will begin promptly at 12pm and last until 3pm. When registering your mentored youth, please select only one session to participate in. Only those youth possessing a 2019-mentored youth permit or youth voluntary license and be accompanied by an adult licensed angler may fish in these waters. Remember the PFBC provides ALL fishing equipment, tackle, and bait for this event as no outside lures, baits, or fishing equipment will be permitted. Click here to register and chose your session!
Erie County
Presque Isle Bay
Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass on a variety of soft plastic presentations such as drop shot, small swimbaits, and ned rigs. If you are not catching any bass, try to switch up your bait color until you find one that works. Smallmouth Bass have moved up into the shallow waters and can be caught from anywhere in the bay. Looking to try kayak fishing Presque Isle Bay? Click here for information on two upcoming courses!
NW Region’s Family Fishing Festival at East Basin Pond
Join PFBC Staff from Education, Fisheries, and Hatcheries on Saturday June 22nd from 9am – 1pm at East Basin Pond on Presque Isle State Park. Learn basic fishing skills like knot tying, casting, baiting the hook, and taking a fish off the hook. You and your family will have the opportunity to fish – no fishing license required. All equipment provided. Adults must bring a child and children must bring an adult. You will be learning and fishing together. You can register here!
Warren County
Allegheny River
Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass under the bridge and before the boat launch in Betts Park. Anglers are catching Northern Pike, Walleye, and Smallmouth Bass by the Route 59 bridge.
Chapman Reservoir
Construction reports have the reservoir at 91% complete. The lake has been dredged, the face of the dam has been armored with roller-compacted concrete, spillway has been extended and stilling basin added. They also replaced the control tower, gate valves, and stop-logs which is used to raise and lower lake level.
Chapman Reservoir is closed for swimming, boating, and fishing, however, the trout stocking continued above the reservoir and below the dam right at the bridge. The only place not stocked was the reservoir itself.
Trout stocking of Chapman Reservoir will continue to be placed on hold throughout the summer of 2019. Chapman Reservoir will be a “Special Regulation Area” while fish populations are established. This means catch and release on all fish species except stocked trout.
Northcentral Region
Tioga County
More rain events are predicted for the rest of the week. Anglers are encouraged to check the USGS Stream gauges or give the local Tackle Shack a call to get updated information on water levels and clarity prior to making the trip up.
Most small streams across the County are high, but clear and fishable! Asaph Run, Stony Fork and Crooked Creek are fishing well. Anglers are catching fish using pink salmon eggs, butterworms, wax worms and live minnows.
Tioga, Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes
Anglers are catching Crappie using live minnows, crappie magnets, slider grubs and a variety of hardbaits. The Eurotaackle Z-viber is a popular bait this week. Colors that are working are chartreuse or chrome/blue.
NOTE – Fish are in various stages of spawning. A few are done and others are just now beginning. Good fishing is predicted for the next several weeks.
A few anglers are catching striped bass on Hammond Lake, using Crappie magnets and similar Crappie jigs.
Anglers are also catching a few musky in Cowanesque Lake and the spillway, using swimbaits in the colors – Green, white, or perch patterns. Large, live shiners or suckers are also working well.
Tioga Spillway and River
Anglers are catching Walleye. They are also catching and releasing Smallmouth Bass. The lucky bait(s) of choice are medium shiners, fatheads and nightcrawlers. Anglers are also using firetiger or white swimbaits or similar colored grubs. Rapala shadow raps and husky jerks are catching fish too!
Snyder, Union, Montour, Northumberland Counties
Susquehanna River
Anglers are catching Walley using tubes and minnows. A few anglers are catching and releasing bass, using similar techniques.
REMINDER – If you catch a bass it MUST BE RELEASED immediately. This is their spawning season and it is important to let them alone during this time for future bass populations to flourish.
Clinton and Western Lycoming County
Fishing Creek
The stream is high, off color and rising due to current rain events. More rain is predicted over the next few days. Stay alert and be ready to change your approach according to fluctuating water levels. Water temperature is in the mid-upper 50s.
Anglers are catching trout, using nymphs. Nymph patterns that are working include (Iron lotus #16-18; hares ear #12-16; flashback pheasant tail #14-18; pats rubberlegs #8-12).
When trout are active on the surface of the water, anglers are catching them using Midges #20-26; Elk hair caddis tan #12-14.
During or after rain events, fish olive or black streamer patterns (Headbanger sculpin #4-8) work well.
Centre County
Spring Creek
Spring Creek high and off-color. Water temperature is in the 50s. More rain is predicted over the next few days, keeping water levels up and off-color.
The Sulphur hatch is in full swing! Anglers are catching trout using dry flies (Sulphur Dun #14-16; Sulphur emergers #14-16; Elk hair caddis- tan or black #14-16; Midges #22-26).
Anglers are also catching trout using nymphs (e.g. Sulphur and baetis nymphs are working best). Nymph patterns that are working include iron lotus (#16-18); hot spot sow bug (#14-16); walt’s worm (#12-16); black zebra midge (#18-22).
During or after rain events, fish olive or black streamer patterns (slumpbusters #6-10).
Northeastern Region
On Saturday, June 8, 2019, Lackawanna State Park will be hosting a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Family Fishing Festival from 9 am to 1 pm. There is no charge for the class, but all participants MUST pre-register at this link: https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/135027?fbclid=IwAR3J5FrkpD_fkEbqo0MM28dD01F51D72pJKUFYkq3pUoFgU7SF1s1BQJuBUOpens In A New Window
Heavy, widespread rain has been creating high flows in local streams and rivers. The conditions, especially with the already heavy flows, plus more precipitation can create water conditions too dangerous to fish. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) does monitor stream flows across the state and this is a great resource to use when timing flows to make sure you don’t show up to your favorite river to find it unfishable. To look at real-time flows from USGS visit: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/rt
Southeastern Region
S. Chester County
Are you interested in catching a fish that explodes on your lure and then puts up an intense fight? Something that is great tasting and you catch and release guys don’t have to feel guilty about killing and taking home with you? Snakeheads are increasing in number in the Octoraro Creek below the Pine Grove Dam spillway located just upstream of the Red Covered Bridge on Ashville Road on the border between Chester and Lancaster Counties. Snakeheads are an invasive species and you should not hesitate to dispatch them if you catch them. The Northern Snakehead has an impressive amount of very sharp teeth and can reach lengths of from1 to 3 feet long, although nothing that big has been caught below the Pine Grove Dam Spillway, they are getting larger with each passing year. Try a medium weight and action spinning rod. Many anglers have been using steel leaders and have been having luck catching them are using braided line in the 15 to 20-pound weight and that does not seem to spook these toothy predators. Braided line is thinner and not nearly as likely to be cut by all those very sharp teeth, have you ever tried to cut braided fishing line with anything besides a pair of braid scissors? Any noisy, flashy lure will work, but the baits that seem to produce most of the fish are natural baits. Minnows, fatheads, small sunfish are the top producers. Leave the worms at home. Keep in mind if you catch a fish and want to use it as bait that the fish must be of legal size and season to be used. Snakeheads prefer heavy vegetative cover if it is available. If not, then whatever cover is available will draw them in. Everything I have read and had anglers tell me is that they are very good to eat. I have contact information for an angler who has a large one that was given to him and he has cleaned it and put it in the freezer. He will cook it soon and I will post the recipe if it turns out well. Good Luck!
The King Of Prussia L.L. Bean Store will offer a “Stand-Up Paddleboarding Discovery Course” at Marsh Creek Reservoir on Saturday, June 1st from 9 to 10:30 AM. You must be at least 8 to attend the class. You will learn how to stay safe and how to paddle a stand up paddleboard. Expert staff will fit you with all the necessary safety gear and equipment that you will need which of course includes a paddleboard for you to use. Once you have mastered the basics you will get to tour Marsh Creek Lake and its scenic shorelines. For more information on the course you can go to the website.
Looking for some keeper size and bigger Walleye? Chester County has them. Walleye are present in numbers and size at Struble Reservoir, I had two reports of both undersize and legal-size Walleye. Larger Walleye reported being caught in the Octoraro Creek below the Pine Grove Dam spillway just above the Red Covered Bridge on the border of Chester and Lancaster County. Large shiners are the bait that is producing most of these larger fish using a slip sinker and fished on the bottom.
The Next meeting of the White Clay Fly-Tying Club will be at 6PM on Thursday May 30 at the London Tract Meeting House in the White Clay Creek Preserve, located at the intersection of Sharpless & London Tract roads, Landenberg PA 19350, next to White Clay State Park Office. With the cold weather that has been hanging on, many of us are looking for a place to go or some activity to hold us over until we can wet a line again and this is the perfect thing. Fly tying materials are provided for those who do not yet have their own. Several flies are usually demonstrated, and club members are happy to show you how it’s done, as well as spin a few stories about the last huge one that got away. Club mailing address is P.O. Box 762, Landenberg, PA 19350 for more information. Parking for club is behind the White Clay State Park Office.
Delaware County
over. Many groups have had trout derbies in streams and complimented the state stockings with stockings of their own which makes for an enhanced fishing experience. Kent Park on Darby Creek, across from the Brookhaven Swim Club on Chester Creek, and Mount Road along Chester Creek in Aston are just a few places where there are many fish left over.
Striped Bass fishing has been hit or miss in the Delaware River this year. The biologists from Pennsylvania and Delaware have found decent numbers of fish in the river, although they have been mostly limited to pods. We have seen some decent catches, and the fish are still in the river if you haven’t had the chance to get out. Fish are still being caught in the usual spots; off of Tinicum Island, Chester Island, the rock wall by the UPS, and near the cove across from Ft. Mifflin.
River conditions on the Delaware River: There has been limited amounts of floating debris in the river so far this season. The buoys are in the water, and there is a No Wake Zone behind Tinicum Island and for the entire length of Darby Creek from the mouth on upstream. Launch ramps at Chester is open, but the docks are still not installed. Ridley Marina is an excellent option to launch your boat. Please be honest and pay the nominal boat ramp fee. Personal Watercraft Operator should be reminded that you are REQUIRED to carry your certification card with you while operating your watercraft. Photos of this card are not acceptable, and you will be sent off the water and possibly cited for this infraction.
W. Berks/N. Schuylkill Counties
The traditional opening of boating season has just passed with the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. The generally good weather and the first of the two Fish for Free days provided plenty of opportunities for people to get out and enjoy the weekend.
Following are some reminders for those heading out on their first boating trip of the season:
Make sure your registration or launch permit is up to date. Registrations can be renewed online at The Outdoor Shop and you can likewise purchase a launch permit for your unpowered boat at the same place.
If you are going to operate a boat, whether it be powered or unpowered, familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations. All boats, including unpowered boats, canoes and kayaks, are required to have a wearable personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket) on board for each person and a mechanical sound producing device (bell, whistle, or horn). If you are planning to be out after sunset do not wait until sunset to find out whether your navigation lights are working. If you were born on or after January 1, 1982, you are required to have a boating safety certificate to operate any boat greater than 25 horsepower. All operators of personal watercraft (PWCs, commonly referred to as jet skis) are required to have a boating safety education certificate regardless of when they were born. No person operating a pwc is exempt from the requirement to obtain and have on board the pwc their boating safety education certificate while operating.
Regarding PWCs and boating safety certificates; a word of caution to owners and/or persons borrowing other individuals PWCs. As an owner or other person responsible for operation of a PWC you can (and likely will) receive a citation for allowing someone who does not possess a boating safety education certificate to operate the PWC. If you let someone operate the PWC, you need to ensure that they are legally qualified to do so. Over the past weekend, all but one of the PWCs that were stopped were being operated by unqualified persons. It is surprising that so many owners are willing to accept the liability of allowing an unqualified person to operate their PWC. Should that unqualified operator be involved in an accident it could have severe consequences for the owner or other person who authorized the operation as well as the person involved in the accident.
A little preparation and common sense will go a long way towards ensuring a safe and enjoyable boating season.
Philadelphia County
Recent reports from our fisheries biologist have confirmed that the Striped Bass in the Delaware River are still spawning. Although it is late this year, the rain has kept water temps down and allowed the spawn to continue over a longer period. The water temp is hovering around 58 degrees and the fishing over the next two weeks should be good. Please remember all safety equipment if fishing from a boat, including a sound producing device.