FISHING REPORT
Open season for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass runs statewide Saturday through Sept. 30 on most inland waters, with a minimum size of 12 inches and daily harvest of six combined species. On Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and tributaries, harvest season closes Dec. 31 (15-inch minimum, four daily). At Pymatuning Reservoir, co-managed by Pennsylvania and Ohio, bass harvest is legal year-round (12-inch minimum, five daily). Check the Fish and Boat Summary Book for special regulations.
Lake Erie (Erie County): As bass season opens, creekspawning fish have laid their eggs and bay bass are on redds. The fish took baits inconsistently in lingering cool water. The temperature was favorable for walleye, and resident ’eyes went for crawler harnesses in 30-40 feet of water. In the first weeks of operation, drift fishing on the Perch Pirate headboat produced walleye, bass and yellow perch. Large smallmouth bass were caught on Upper Elk Creek.
Lake Pleasant, Lake LeBouef (Erie County): Anglers found a good largemouth bite, and panfish were active.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County): Good-size largemouth bass were pulled from floating weeds and cabbage near dusk. Shore anglers took panfish on minnow-tipped jigs.
Conneaut Lake (Crawford County): Muskie hunters reported hookups, and one called in a near-boat encounter with a monster muskellunge. Steven Abott of Allegheny County said a muskie “about as long as my rod” followed his bucktail to the boat without striking. Bowfin were taken throughout the lake.
Canadohta Lake (Crawford County): Muskellunge, walleye and panfish were taken.
Sugar Lake (Crawford
County): Anglers reported solid subsurface strikes attributed to largemouth bass on soft plastics and crankbaits near wood in the hours before dusk.
Ohio, Beaver rivers (Beaver County): Late-spring water temperatures were ideal for big fish. Flatheads took cut bait at night from Monaca to the Montgomery Dam, and Northern pike and muskies were caught upstream from the New Brighton Dam.
Ohio River (Allegheny County): Anglers relied on crawlers and jerkbaits to lure good-size walleye in waters below the Dashields Dam at Edgeworth.
Deer Lakes (Allegheny County): Registration is booked solid for a Fish and Boat Family Fishing program scheduled for Friday at Deer Lakes County Park in Allegheny County.
Allegheny River (Allegheny County): Despite fishable weather, just two fish were caught at this week’s TriAnglers Venture Outdoors gathering on the North Shore. Zinah and Baschar Hassan of Beechview each caught a smallmouth bass on a crawler. TriAnglers lunchtime fishing meets 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays on the wharf under the Clemente Bridge. No fee or license required, and rods, tackle, live bait and instruction are provided by Venture Outdoors.
Indian Lake (Westmoreland County): Spaces are available for a free, no-license Fish and Boat Family Fishing program 9 a.m.-noon June 18 at Indian Lake Park near Irwin. For details and registration, go to fbweb.pa.gov.
Monongahela River (Washington County): Big flatheads were caught off the mouth of Tenmile Creek at Millsboro.
Virgin Run, Dunlap lakes (Fayette County): Fish and Boat reported that anglers were still catching trout in deeper waters.
Quemahoning Reservoir (Somerset County): The bass spawn is on at this and other northern Somerset County lakes. The hot baits were soft plastics, and the state’s Big Bass regulations apply. Walleye were entering shallow bays at night, and anglers picked them off by tossing jerkbaits into ledges and weed beds. A free Fish and Boat Family Fishing program is scheduled for 6:30-9 p.m. June 18 at Quemahoning Family Recreation Area, medium pavilion 1. Get details and registration information at fbweb.pa.gov.
Highpoint Lake (Somerset County): The 338-acre lake was giving up crappies as well as yellow perch, largemouth bass, chain pickerel and Northern pike.
Youghiogheny River, Youghiogheny River Lake (Fayette, Somerset counties): Bass, catfish, crappies and sunfish were caught in the lake. The state stocked the river May 26 with brown and rainbow trout from the dam outflow to the Casselman River.
File your fishing report and high-resolution digital photos (1MB minimum) at fishingreport@ Include name, age (for under 18 years), town, species, size, body of water and details of the catch.
— By John Hayes