FISHING REPORT
Lake Erie and tributaries
(Erie County): Stream-spawning smallmouth bass continued their run on select tributaries. Ethical anglers used spinners and fished at or near the creek mouths, avoiding throwing into spawning beds. Stocked trout were caught in unseasonably cool tributary waters where steelhead remained. In the bay, lake-spawning smallmouths entered off the South Pier, yellow perch were harder to find and Northern pike continued to be caught in the lagoons.
Wind and rough waters kept most boaters off the lake, but on calmer days lake trout continued to be taken in about 60 feet of water off North East. Rain and north-northeast winds of 10-20 mph were expected Friday and Saturday, with partly cloudy skies Sunday.
Raccoon, Brady’s Run lakes (Beaver County): When the weather permitted, good numbers of trout were caught on paste baits.
Ohio River (Beaver County): At Pittsburgh’s latitude, it’s still early in the year for flathead catfish to spawn. But as waters warmed to about 60 degrees and the big fish grew more active, veteran flathead hunter Joe Granata of Monaca pulled the year’s first monster from local waters. The 43-pound, 2ounce cat went for cut shad in the 18-mile-long Montgomery Pool and was released. A 57pounder was recently caught in the river’s West Virginia waters.
Beaver River ( Beaver County): Anglers reported taking hand-size crappies above the dam at New Brighton. A sublegal muskellunge was caught and released from shore in the tailrace below the dam.
North Park Lake (Allegheny County): Shoreline anglers took trout and panfish on worms or paste baits under bobbers. A kayaker reported four trout released and many hits within a few hours last week while casting jigs with Twister tails into the channel off the island. In April, he said, he did better using spinners and jigs while anchored and casting into the froth below the upper dam.
Allegheny River (Allegheny County): Before growing high and muddy Wednesday, the river was giving up muskellunge, channel cats and freshwater drum.
Monongahela River (Allegheny County): Walleye were caught at the tailrace below
Lock and Dam No. 3 at Elizabeth.
Pine Creek (Allegheny County) Before recent rains, the stream outfished Deer and Bull creeks. One angler took a 10inch rainbow trout and two 10to 13-inch browns on live minnows.
Twin Lakes (Westmoreland County): Fish and Boat reported unusually large rainbow and brook trout were stocked in the lower lake Tuesday, and many were caught before inclement weather later in the week. The trucks didn’t stop at the upper lake, but early morning anglers took advantage of a good crappie bite.
Indian Lake (Westmoreland County): Many trout were pulled from the 5-acre lake in North Huntingdon.
Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland County): Before this week’s blowout, browns and rainbows were scheduled for stocking from Two Mile Run Road to Monastery Run. Last week, one brown and one rainbow trout in the 20-inch range were caught within an hour on Trout Worms and released in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area. The 1.67-mile special regulations stretch from Route 711 to Two Mile Run Road is part of Fish and Boat’s Keystone Select program, which stocks high numbers of retired hatchery breeders.
Canonsburg Lake (Washington County): One angler said the shorelines were crowded and many trout were caught on a recent warm afternoon.
Cross Creek Lake (Washington County): Crappies continued to take tipped jigs.
Dutch Fork Lake (Washington County): Barbara Waitch, 5, of Washington, Pa., caught her first fish, a 14-inch rainbow trout.
Monongahela River ( Washington County) Walleye were caught in the tailrace below the dam at Monessen.
Little Chartiers Creek, Millers Run (Washington County): Browns and rainbows were scheduled to be stocked in the region’s final in-season trout stockings Friday.
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