Pennsylvania Fishing Report – May 9, 2019

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.

Butler County

Lake Arthur

Anglers are catching crappie along the shoreline ledges by vertical jigging with a white jig tipped with a maggot. The crappie are suspended between 7 and 11 feet.

Clarion County

Piney Dam

Anglers are catching some crappies and Yellow Perch.

Allegheny River (From Emlenton downstream to Lock #9)

Anglers are catching nice Walleye and Smallmouth Bass on the entire length of the river. Anglers are catching a few Northern Pike and Muskies near the confluences of the Clarion River & Redbank Creek.

Piney Creek Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Area

Anglers are catching good numbers of nice trout there. Anglers are reminded that keeping or possessing trout and the use or possession of bait in the project waters is prohibited.

Erie County

Lake Erie

The docks are in at Northeast Marina and Shades Beach. Anglers are catching Lake Trout in 70-80 feet of water on plugs. Walleye are everywhere and hitting anything.

Stocked Trout Waters

All stocked trout waters have had their second stocking and are full of trout. Anglers are catching trout using spinners and dough baits.

Presque Isle Bay

Anglers are catching big Smallmouth Bass throughout the Bay. Anglers are using tubes, jerkbaits, drop shots, and grubs. Now, is the time to be fishing the bay for Smallies!

Venango County

Allegheny River

Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass by using jerkbaits, grubs, assorted soft plastics, and tubes.

French Creek

Anglers are catching Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye from Utica through Franklin through Utica.

Oil Creek

Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass and Walleye, between Oil City and Rynd Farm.
The area from Rynd Farm upstream through Drake Well, including the Keystone Select and Delayed Harvest Artificial Lure Only section, received their in-season trout stocking on 4/25/2019.

Kahle Lake

With the warmer temperature’s anglers are catching some crappies, Bluegill and Yellow Perch. Anglers are catching Largemouth Bass by using crankbaits, jigs, or a spinner.

Justus Lake

Two mile Run reservoir (Justus Lake) received a scheduled in-season trout stocking on 04/23/2019 AND is scheduled to receive a second in-season stocking on 5/09/2019.

REGISTRATION OF NON-POWERED WATERCRAFT REQUIRED AT PFBC LAKES/ACCESS AREAS:

With the 2019 boating season beginning, boaters are reminded that non-powered watercraft, which otherwise would not require registration, are required to display either a current registration or a launch permit when launching or retrieving at all PFBC lakes and/or access areas. For a complete listing of regulations pertaining to PFBC properties, please refer to the following link: http://fishinpa.com/pfbcproperty.html.

Northcentral Region

In-Season Trout stocking season continues!
Want something fun to do with your family, friends, church group, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and/or classroom? Join us by meeting our hatchery trucks and Waterway Conservation Officers at our designated “trout stocking meeting locations”!

FIND A TROUT STOCKING date and location that suits you!

Tioga County

Hills Creek Lake and Beechwood Lake

Anglers are catching Crappie and Yellow Perch using fathead minnows, waxworms and a variety of small jigs. Afternoons and evenings are the best times to be on the water.

Fly anglers are catching a variety of panfish, bass and pickerel using flies (e.g. fluorescent green mop fly pattern; small streamer patterns; beetle patterns and small poppers)

Clinton and Western Lycoming County

Trout season is in full swing with anglers taking to their favorite streams and lakes around the district. There are many great places to choose from with success stories from everyone. The stocked trout waters in the district include Baker Run, Hyner Run, Left Branch Young Woman’s Creek, Young Woman’s Creek, Fishing Creek, Little Pine Creek, Pine Creek, and Little Pine Lake.

Not only are there great stocked trout waters within these two Counties, but there are also an abundance of native and wild trout streams throughout the entire North Central Region. Every trout angler has their own tactics, specialized gear and tackle, all of which are working this season. The water temperatures remain in the 40’s to 50’s with water levels staying above normal due to consistent rain and storm events.

Boaters are on the water fishing the river, paddling Pine Creek, or targeting trout on Little Pine Lake. Currently, water levels are optimal for kayaking and canoeing.

Remember your safety equipment (e.g. life jacket that fits, waterproof whistle, throw bag etc) and match your skill level with water conditions.

Fishing Creek

Water level is high, but currently fishable. Water temperature is in the low 50s. More rain is predicted for this coming weekend, be prepared for the water conditions to change.

With high water, be sure to spend time in the slow pockets and back water areas. Focus on areas with structure. Anglers are catching trout using nymphs when there is no action on the surface. Nymph patterns that are working include (Iron lotus #16-18; flashback pheasant tail #14-18; pats rubberlegs #8-12; caddis larvae patterns). Don’t be afraid to swing some caddis pupa during hatches.

When trout are active on the surface of the water, anglers are catching them using Midges #20-26; Hendrickson light and dark #14-16; Elk hair caddis black #12-14; Tan caddis #14-15; March Brown #10-12; Blue Wing Olives #18-22.

During or after rain events, fish olive or black streamer patterns (Headbanger sculpin #4-8) work well.

Center County

Spring Creek

Spring Creek is up and off color. Water temperatures are in the 50s. Rain events are predicted for this coming weekend, so be prepared to switch up your game plan while fishing.

Sulphurs are on! Anglers are also catching trout using dry flies (Sulphur Dun #14-16; Sulphur #14-16; Blue wing olives #18-22; Tan Caddis #14-16; Elk hair caddis #14-16; Midges #22-26).

Anglers are also catching trout using nymphs and emergers. Nymph patterns that are working include blue wing olive nymphs and emergers; hot spot sow bug; walt’s worm; black zebra midge; and mop flies.

During or after rain events, fish olive or black streamer patterns (slumpbusters #6-10).

Foster Joseph Sayers Lake

Anglers are catching a variety of panfish (e.g. Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed) in the shallows at Hunter Run Cut. Anglers are catching panfish using worms, wax worms, minnows and a selection of flies (e.g. squirmy wormy – pink and red; mop flies – fluorescent green; small streamers – black, white, chartreuse). Evening hours are best!

Northeastern Region

Carbon County

Although some of the district’s stocked trout waters have been flowing higher than normal due to recent storm events, several anglers have been reporting catching trout on most waters.  One angler was observed catching a twenty-two inch rainbow trout in the Lehigh Canal, Long Run Level.  Mauch Chunk Creek, Mahoning Creek, Princess Run (Monroe County), Buckwa Creek (Monroe County) have been producing good trout fishing opportunities in recent weeks.  Paste baits, spinners, and live bait have been producing good results catching trout on most of the stocked trout waters.

The Aquashicola Creek, Buckwa Creek (Carbon County) is scheduled to receive an in-season trout stocking on Wednesday, May 8th. Sand Spring Run located in Hickory Run State Park will receive an in-season trout stocking on Friday, May 10th.   The Mahoning Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek and the Lehigh Canal, Long Run Level will receive and in-season trout stocking on Friday, May 17th.  These trout stockings will complete the in-season trout stockings for the district.

The Lehigh River has been flowing higher than normal in recent weeks with little pressure occurring.  However, a few anglers fishing in the Glen Onoko section and the Jim Thorpe section of the river have been reporting catching trout.

With the boating season arriving, the boating activity has been increasing at Beltzville Lake and Mauch Chunk Lake during the weekends.  Boaters are reminded to check all of 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

Chester County

Chester County Elementary Level 2, 2019 Envirothon was held May 3rd in Hibernia County Park. The cold weather and wind throughout the event did nothing to dampen the spirit of the participating students who were broken down into over 30 teams of 3rd to 5th graders from schools in all of Chester County. The event tests the students on environmental knowledge and issues at six different stations including Forestry, Wildlife, Aquatics, Crafts, Outdoor Safety and Current Environmental Issues. On the Aquatics Station and we had live specimens of Carp, Bluegill Sunfish, Crayfish, Bullfrog Tadpoles, Salamanders, Painted Turtles, Aquatic Insects, etc. I then scored and judged the students’ knowledge of Aquatics. Chester County Soil Conservation and the Chester County Parks & Recreation Staff were knowledgeable and worked hard to make this year’s Envirothon a success and they need to be acknowledged for all their hard work in making the event such a successful learning opportunity for the students.

Chester County 2019 Senior Level Envirothon was held May 3rd in Hibernia County Park. Participating students were broken down into 10 teams of 9th to 12th graders from schools in all of Chester County. The event tests the students on environmental knowledge and issues at five different stations including Forestry, Wildlife, Aquatics, Soils and Current Environmental Issues. I was responsible for the Aquatics Station and we had live specimens of Carp, Bluegill Sunfish, Crayfish, Rams Head Trapdoor Snails, Freshwater Mussels, Bullfrog, American Eel, Fathead Minnows, Large-mouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Bullhead and Channel Catfish. I scored and judged the students’ knowledge of the Aquatics. The winning team will now move on to the state wide competitions. Chester County Soil Conservation and the Chester County Parks & Recreation Staff were knowledgeable and worked hard to make this year’s Envirothon a success and they need to be acknowledged for all their hard work in making the event such a successful learning opportunity for the students.

The White Perch are starting to bite at Octoraro Reservoir. Some of the white perch in the lake are rather large. Octoraro Reservoir gets little fishing pressure when you consider how large it is. Boat anglers doing better as they can get to the warm shallows and anchor up when they find a bunch of these schooled together. The best baits are pieces of crawler and small minnows fished on the bottom.

Soon the kids will be out of school and you will be looking for something fun to do with them. Why not take them fishing at Hibernia County Park? If you do not have any fishing equipment, you can borrow everything that you need from the Park. In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and the park, the park has been selected as a designated fishing equipment loaner site. The park has a number of Pennsylvania Fish & Boat trained fishing instructors as well to help you decide where to go and what to use to help you. The Park has two bodies of water, one is the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek, a “Stocked Trout Waters”, a heavily stocked metro designation waters, which winds its way through rapids and boulders in the upper part of the park into wider, deeper and slower pools in the center of the park. The second is Chambers Lake, a roughly 90 acre warm water impoundment that holds, catfish, sunfish, crappie, muskie, pickerel, and bass, both large and smallmouth. You can call 610-383-3812 for more information on the fishing equipment loaner program.

Berks County

Walleye is back in season and anglers are having luck at the Blue Marsh Stilling Basin in the evening hours. You may also want to try your luck on the river near the confluence of the Schuylkill and Tulpehocken Creek.

The last trout stocking (until fall) will be on May 15. We will be meeting at the Blue Marsh Lake Park Visitors Center parking lot at noon. We will be stocking the Tulpehocken Creek Section 6 (Keystone Select) and Spring Creek. If you would like to help float stock, please arrive at least 15 minutes early and bring along chest waders and a suitable net.

With the warm days, boating season is picking up steam. Remember to register your powered watercrafts before you head out, as the registrations expire on March 31^st. All people utilizing PFBC or DCNR properties are reminded their watercraft will need a registration or use permit (for unpowered boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards etc.…).

An upcoming PA Basic Boating Course will be taking place at Blue Marsh Conference Center on June 22, 2019 from 9am-5pm. Prior registration will be required. reservations will be accepted via phone upon the announcement on PFBC’s website and Facebook page.

S. Montgomery County

With trout season, stockings, and the nicer weather, April was a busy month in the district. Lots of anglers of all ages and skill levels have been out catching lots of trout and having lots of fun. Boaters have been hitting the water as well, and with the end of April the cold-water mandatory life-vest wear period has ended as well. All boaters are reminded however that a USCG approved, wearable life vest is still required to be carried on board for every person present on any boat, and still required to be worn by all persons on board or operating any PWC or sailboard.