Fishing report: Low temps but no ice = little fishing

Lake Erie tributaries (Erie County) Low flow, slush and floating skim ice impeded fishing in the tributaries, but small runs of big trout continued to enter Erie streams late last week.

Fly fishing author John Nagy of Brookline caught and released about a dozen steelhead trout on Elk Creek and Ohio’s Ashtabula River. At the head of a deep run, he released a fat female taken on a tandem rig: floating indicator, Steelie Rock Worm pattern on the bottom and Scrambled Eggs on top. She was filled with eggs that he said she would be dropping in a month or two. “The way the weather is going this winter, it will more likely be sooner. I have already seen steelhead spawning on Elk Creek.”

Another Pittsburgh angler braved the cold to catch and release two 12-pound steelhead caught on salmon eggs. Unsafe skim ice traced parts of the bay, which was choppy due to cold winds.

Allegheny River (Warren County) The state Fish and Boat Commission reported smallmouth bass took grubs near Betts Park and the Tidioute Access Area. Muskellunge were caught off the

Buckaloons Recreation Area.

Shenango Reservoir

(Mercer County) Shore anglers fished for crappies and yellow perch on waters managed for the Panfish Enhancement Program. Crappies must be 9 inches; creel limit is 20.

Lake Arthur (Butler County) No ice and no anglers.

North Park Lake (Allegheny County) Few anglers.

Twin Lakes (Westmoreland County) A few fishermen threw spinners off the dam.

Glendale Lake (Cambria County) Anglers caught Northern pike and pickerel in the shallows and good-size crappies in the evening.

Somerset Lake (Somerset County) With the lake empty during upgrades, Fish and Boat cautioned Somerset County Nature Park patrons that Lake Road access to the boat ramp parking lot will be blocked starting Monday.

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