Pennsylvania Fishing Report – May 14, 2020

Northwest Region

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Butler County

Glade Run Lake

Trout are the only species that may be taken once the season opened. Other fish species, if caught, must be immediately released unharmed. Dry mooring of boats at the lake is permitted from March 1 to November 1 each year. Dry-moored boats must display a valid Use Permit or registration.
 

Harbar Acres Lake (SGL 95)

This lake is well-stocked with trout. The best bait for trout is minnows. Anglers with a valid fishing license and trout/salmon stamp may take up to a daily limit of five trout. All other inland fishing regulations apply.

Lake Arthur

Anglers are catching Walleye, Striped Bass, and crappie using small jigs and minnows on the submerged railroad beds and other various structures.

The Glades (SGL 95)

Boats accessing The Glades must be non-powered or electric motor only. Valid motorboat registration is required for boats using electric motors. Boats may not enter the waterfowl propagation area after August 31st. The propagation area is marked appropriately with yellow signs.

Clarion County

Kahle Lake

Anglers are catching Largemouth Bass, some Bluegill, and Yellow Perch.

Piney Dam and the Upper Clarion River

Anglers are catching a few Walleye, Yellow Perch, and crappies.

Allegheny River

Anglers are catching a few Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and a few Walleye around the Parker islands.

Redbank Creek

Anglers are catching trout above the dam. Anglers are catching some nice Muskellunge and Northern Pike below the dam in New Bethlehem and near the confluence with the Allegheny River.

Piney Creek Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Area

Anglers are doing well in this section catching trout.

Trout Stockings

All the areas trout streams have been stocked with their preseason and in season allotments of trout. All those streams still contain good numbers of trout.

Northeastern Region

Wyoming County

Anglers have been dealt with higher water over the last week but conditions on area creeks and the Susquehanna River have improved since. Anglers have been catching trout on Bowman’s Creek, South Branch Tunkhannock Creek and Mehoopany Creek. Spinners, jigs, and flies have been effective at catching trout. Anglers have been catching nice sized trout at Lake Winola while trolling spinners and spoons. There are plenty of trout remaining throughout the district’s area stocked trout waters as not many have been harvested as of yet. Some of the best fishing of the year can be in May and we are awaiting the nice weather to stabilize and heat up the water and fishing action.

Southern Wayne, Southern Pike and Northern Monroe County

Anglers continue to have success fishing stocked trout waters using a variety of artificial and natural baits as well as pickerel, in the smaller impoundments, using a variety of natural baits.

Northcentral Region

Tioga County

Tioga River Spillway

The river at the spillway is off color, and flows are slightly above average. Anglers are currently having success targeting an aggressive hybrid striped bass bite using crank baits from the northern shoreline. The walleye bite is currently slow, but many anticipate the bite to improve as the water clears up.

Asaph Run

Flows are perfect a few days after torrential rain falls and high water. Trout are stocked and currently biting well on bead head nymphs, paste baits and spinners.

Hills Creek Lake

Pan fish are staged up offshore about 80 to 100 yards, and water conditions are perfect with temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Be prepared for an excellent pan fish bite once the water temps reach the 60s. Anglers are reporting success using wax worms fishing under a float and plastics of varying colors.

Hamilton Lake

Anglers are catching trout from the boat launch area early in the morning. Wax worms and streamers are currently working well. The lake is currently off color from recent rain falls, however trout are still actively feeding.

Clinton County

Fishing Creek

The creek is flowing slightly above average and the water temperature is currently in the low 50’s. Anglers are having the most success fishing beneath the surface right now. Bead head pheasant tails, stonefly nymphs and caddis larvae imitations are all currently working. The fish are eating on top when the flies are hatching in numbers. Blue-winged olives, march browns and sulphurs are all making an appearance this week. With the flows above average and the water slightly colored it’s a great time to use streamers.

Centre County

Spring Creek

It is a great time to get out and enjoy the perfect conditions on Spring Creek. Anglers are reporting success fishing on top with blue-winged olives and caddis imitations. Sulphurs are also beginning to make a showing as the weather conditions are improving. Nymphing continues to produce the most fish. Pheasant tail nymphs, baetis imitations and sucker spawn are all working well right now. Streamers are also working well right now.

Southeastern Region

Chester County

With this up and down weather, the perch and crappie had started to bite well when the temps warmed, and then temps cooled down and so did the fishing activity. Angler are having success using conventional crappie jigs available everywhere as well as scented baits. Try fathead shiners about 5-8 feet below a pencil bobber while fishing from shoreline or from a boat. Set the minnow up about a foot off the bottom in 10 – 12 feet of water. If you don’t catch a fish change your location, get to better structure or change the depth of the bait. Remember that perch and crappie must be 9 inches to be kept and sunfish 7 inches at Chambers Lake as it is in the Enhanced Panfish program.

Hibernia County Park, Nottingham, & Warwick Parks and Springton Manor Farm all opened on Tuesday, May 12. That means that Chambers Lake, an awesome warm water fishery, and the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek, are open and accessible as well. The bait machine behind the Park Office is stocked with bait but there is nobody in the Park Office to give you change so bring it with you. Facilities within all the open parks will remain and be closed. If you will need a restroom take care of it before you leave home, the playgrounds and pavilions will of course be closed. County Park trails are and will remain open. The common sense Covid 19 guidelines are to bring and wear your mask. Enjoy your park activities with members of your family only. Don’t litter and don’t throw things away at the park, take your garbage home with you to throw away. If you are not feeling well, do no go to the park. Bring hand sanitizer with you and remember social distancing, that is to stay at least 6 feet away from others in the park. Camping will remain closed for now and I will update you when that changes. For more information or to verify that nothing has changed before you go, you can get more information at the website, https://www.chesco.org/178/Parks

Octoraro Reservoir

Octoraro Reservoir and the Octoraro boat launch are now open. The boat launch had been closed due to the pandemic. If you are looking for some great fishing opportunities while trying to get away from the crowds of anglers, then give Octoraro Reservoir in Southern Chester and Lancaster County a try. Octoraro Reservoir is easy to find. Simply get on Route 1 in Southern Chester County and get off on the Route 472 Exit. Turn West on Route 472 West and you will go over the Route 472 Bridge and at the top of the next hill you will turn left on to Spruce Grove Road. You will go about a mile and at the bottom of the hill you will see the lake and the Fishing Headquarters on your left. The physical address for the Fishing Headquarters is 212 Spruce Grove Road, Kirkwood, PA. 17536, phone 717-529-2488.

Sudden storms can cause sudden rapid rises in water depth at the reservoir, so all boats are required to leave the lake in the event of a storm and as always a United States Coast Guard Approved Wearable Personal Flotation Device is required for each person on board. Remember that life jackets must always be worn between November 1 and April 30, children 12 and under must also wear a properly sized life jacket at all times while underway.  Boats cannot be rented from Captain Jim at the Fishing Headquarters at the time of this report because of the pandemic. Boats can be stored at the launch as well, contact Captain Jim for more information. You can catch catfish, (10 pounders not uncommon), (white, channel & brown bullhead), carp, (huge carp and lots of them) large and smallmouth bass, The District WCO has seen smallmouth to 5 pounds, yellow perch, sunfish, crappie, (white & black), The District WCO has measured crappie at the lake up to 15 3/4 inches long. These are usually caught from mid-April to early-June, by fishing with small fathead minnows around the trees and structure that have fallen around the lakes shorelines. Walleye and some nice pike are also being caught. There is a good forage base in the lake of spotfin and spottail shiner, gizzard shad and golden shiners. Most of the fish population is through natural reproduction and has been for years. The PA Fish & Boat Commission has not stocked the lake since the mid 1980’s as the populations in the lake have been able to maintain themselves since that time.

A small portion of the reservoir is restricted and may not be entered. A map is available from the Fishing Headquarters that shows these areas. There are also areas that are Restricted Waterfowl Nesting Areas, also shown on the map. The Fishing Headquarters and Captain Jim are available with lots of friendly free advice on the best bait to use and spot to fish and boating safety information. The Fishing Headquarters is also not open to the public because of the pandemic, however fishing bait and tackle can be purchased remotely and picked up outside at this time. All of Pennsylvania’s fishing and boating laws are in effect at the Reservoir and are enforced. Boat launching is permitted from the Fishing Headquarters only. Drugs, alcohol, camping, campfires, dogs, horses, firearms and littering are prohibited. The Chester Water Authority reserves the right to close access to the Reservoir. Hours for boating on the Reservoir are sunrise to sunset in April, August, September and October, and 6 AM till 8 PM during May, June & July. Call 717-529-2488 for more detailed information.

Remember that fish are a valuable resource and the Chester Water Authority asks you to keep what you need and release the rest. Since all the boats must launch from the Fishing Headquarters and the lake is so large and only allows electric motors, you can easily find a quiet spot if you are willing to paddle a little or power up a bit to get away from the boat launch.

Fishing from shore is equally productive for some species. Access from shore is from the Route 472 Bridge, Chester County Side with parking limited to about 15 cars. Between the Spruce Grove Road Bridges there is parking for about 10 cars, and the Fishing Headquarters parking lot can hold well over 50 cars. A lot of shoreline is available to fish from that parking lot and the first bridge on Spruce Grove Road is within easy walking distance from the parking lot. Good Luck!

Northampton County

Many people throughout Pennsylvania associate the Fish & Boat Commission only with our adult trout stocking program in the spring. Perhaps this is because ‘Fish’ is in our agencies name, but we cover much more than fish in the traditional sense. It is this time of year, when many wetlands and amphibians seem to come to life that I remember how much more we do than just stock trout. Each spring the frogs calling are a nice reminder of how much life there is all around us. Grab a camera and see what frogs or salamanders you can find on your way to your favorite fishing spot.