Waters mostly low, clear with some pushing 40 degrees
It’s time for trout anglers to start rooting through the closet for waders and fishing nets that haven’t touched water in months. The statewide opening of trout season is April 6, except on dozens of special regulation waters throughout the state where trout fishing runs on a different schedule.
Special regulations control the harvest while allowing pre-season fishing on several trout stocked waters in southwestern Pa. Some of the special regulations listed below apply only to designated stream sections. For details, consult www.fishandboat.com or the 2024 Fishing Summary book.
Stocked Trout Waters Open for Year- Round Fishing: Extended season regulations apply through Monday. Waters are open Feb. 19 until the opening day of trout season, but no trout may be taken or possessed until April 6. If a trout is caught it must be immediately released. A general fishing license is required, but a trout permit isn’t needed unless the angler takes, possesses or kills a trout on or near these waters: North Park Lake (Allegheny County), Bradys Run Lake, Raccoon Lake ( Beaver), Dunlap Creek Lake ( Fayette), Youghiogheny River ( Fayette, Somerset), Blue Spruce Lake (Indiana), Blue Hole Creek, Fall Creek, Laurel Hill Lake ( Somerset), Canonsburg Lake (Washington), Keystone, Northmoreland, Twin Lakes ( Westmoreland County).
All Tackle Trophy Trout: Open year round, 18inch minimum, one in possession now through April 6 when no trout may be killed or in possession:
Youghiogheny River (Fayette, Somerset).
Catch and Release All Tackle: Open year round. No tackle restrictions. No trout killed or in possession:
West Branch Susquehanna River (Indiana).
Catch and Release Fly
Fishing Only: Open year round. No trout killed or in possession. Fishing may be done with artificial flies and streamers constructed of natural or synthetic materials with components wound onto or about the hook. Tackle is limited to fly rods, fly reels and fly line with monofilament leader material attached: Dunbar Creek ( Fayette), Little Mahoning Creek (Indiana), Clear Shade Creek (Somerset).
Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only: Open year round, but no harvest through June 15. Artificial lures may be made only of metal, plastic, rubber or wood, or with flies and streamers constructed of natural or synthetic materials. Spinning and fly fishing gear is permitted:
Bull Creek, Deer Creek, Pine Creek (Allegheny). Buffalo Creek (Butler), Meadow Run (Fayette), Laurel Hill Creek (Somerset Creek), Dutch Fork, Pike Run (Washington), Indian Creek, Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland).
State trout stockings
The first pre-season state trout stockings of 2024 are scheduled to begin next week and several Allegheny County streams are on the list.
Sections of Bull Creek including the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area will get a delivery of brown, rainbow and golden rainbow trout Tuesday. On Wednesday, the same varieties of trout will be stocked at Big Sewickley Creek and Deer Creek including its Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section. The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only stretch of Pine Creek is scheduled to get browns, rainbows and golden rainbows Wednesday.
Lake Erie tributaries (Erie County) Despite a few raindrops, the temperature rose to 50 degrees last week. Fishing pressure was high and anglers reported the release of several nice steelhead.
A crowd watched Fish and Boat workers collecting steelhead running up the mouth of the Trout Run nursery waters. Thursday ice melt raised Walnut and Elk creeks about 1 foot, but regionally waters remained low and clear. This weekend, with seasonal temperatures in the 20s, anglers will need a coat. Light rain, snow flurries and winds up to 22 mph were expected. Try light lines, lighter tippets and the smallest baits in the box drifted slowly and naturally through the deepest pools. Expect feather-light pickups.
Lake Arthur ( Butler County) Fish and Boat stocks about 100,000 walleye fingerlings per year, but those that come of age feel the urge to spawn at ice-out. With this year’s unseasonable weather pushing the water temperatures close to 40 degrees, walleye were expected to soon begin moving to the Game Propagation Area, the mouth of Hidden Run and up Muddy Creek. Male bluegill slabs moved closer to shore scouting spawning waters.
Neshannock Creek
(Lawrence County) Low and clear at Volant. Anglers drifting nymphs reported slow gentle strikes near the covered bridge.
Slippery Rock Creek
(Butler, Lawrence counties) Fishing was difficult with flow dropping steadily since Sunday.
Youghiogheny River
(Fayette, Somerset counties) One of the few regional waterways that wasn’t low and clear produced a few trout Sunday. Just below the bottom-release dam, where the water temperature reached 40 degrees, Steven Germack of Uniontown released two “bright red and healthy” rainbow trout caught on handtied streamers.