Recently stocked trout caught on special regulation waters
As the winter steelhead runs begin to wane, the state Fish and Boat Commission is conducting a comparative study of steelhead survival. The result could influence the strain of steelhead stocked in Pennsylvania.
All steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout originally imported to the Great Lakes from the American Northwest. Most are hatchery-raised and stocked in tributaries as 6-inch smolt. The young fish chemically imprint on their “home” streams, migrate to the lake where they feed and grow, and in two to three years when sexually mature they return to their nursery waters on attempted spawning runs.
Most Great Lakes wildlife agencies culture and stock purebred stains with specific characteristics. Pennsylvania is the only state that nets its hatchery broodstock from the lake, collecting a mishmash of steelhead strains stocked currently and in the past by other states. Fish and Boat collects eggs and milt, raises them in state-run hatcheries and stocks about 1 million composite steelhead smolt per year. On return, the fish average 6 pounds, 24 inches and run from October through March.
This year, with a dearth of smolt from cooperative hatcheries, Fish and Boat acquired 100,000 rainbow trout smolt of the Shasta strain from Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Shastas lack a strong migratory instinct but are widely stocked by wildlife agencies.
“That gave us the opportunity to do some science,” said Fish and Boat biologist Mark Haffley. “It’s an opportunity to compare the performance of our feral stock with the Ohio Shastas.”
In the last several weeks, volunteers from several fishing organizations (Pennsylvania Steelhead Association, Northwest Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited, SONS of Lake Erie 3-and Gem City Fly Tyers) were given thousands of Shasta strain trout. They marked the fish by snipping off the adipose fin (between the dorsal and tail) and put them in a cooperative hatchery raceway. Fish and Boat was expected to stock them in tributaries this month.
“One-tenth of the steelhead stocked this year will be the Shasta strain,” Haffley said. “When they come back in two to three years we’ll see how well they imprinted on our streams, when they return, how many return. We’ll see if the Shastas perform as well or better than the fish we’re stocking now.”
The trout stocking listings below include only waters that are legal for fishing the day of stocking. For a full stocking schedule, visit www.fishandboat.com.
Lake Erie tributaries (Erie County) A couple days of rain muddied the waters enough to restrict steelheads’ vision. Brightly colored egg sacs bounced slowly across the bottom may be visible in some places. Small numbers of catches were reported near the mouth of Elk Creek. Creeks were expected to rise this weekend. With the thermometer hovering between 50 and 60 degrees, occasional rain showers were expected Friday night and Saturday. Plunging temperatures Saturday night should turn the rain to snow, and wind and snow showers were called for through Sunday night.
Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County) A good crappie bite was reported with the fish at about 10 feet going for live minnows under bobbers.
Lake Arthur ( Butler County) Warm weather increased angler pressure and crappies were caught near Davis Hollow Marina.
Raccoon Lake (Beaver County) The first stocking of rainbow and golden rainbow trout is scheduled for Wednesday on this impoundment managed for
Stocked Trout Waters Open for Year-Round Fishing.
North Park Lake (Allegheny County) Rainbows and golden rainbows are scheduled to be delivered Monday in these Stocked Trout Waters Open for YearRound Fishing.
Loyalhanna Creek
( Westmoreland County) Sam Walters, 16, of Monroeville landed a 19- inch golden rainbow caught on a spinner in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only stretch, where trophysize former hatchery breeders were stocked through the Fish and Boat Commission’s Keystone Select program.
Buffalo Creek ( Armstrong County) Brown and rainbow trout were to be delivered to the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section Saturday.
Little Mahoning Creek (Indiana County) The Catch and Release Fly Fishing Only section was expected to be stocked with brown and brook trout Saturday.
Canonsburg Lake (Washington County) Managed under the Stocked Trout Open for Year-Round
Fishing program, the lake got a load of rainbow and golden rainbow trout Tuesday.
Pike Run (Washington County) The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area was stocked with brown and rainbow trout Feb. 20.
Dutch Fork (Washington County) Brown and rainbow trout were delivered Feb. 21 to the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section.
Meadow Run (Fayette County) Steven Morse of Blairsville released three rainbow trout in the 15-inch range caught on nymphs Monday in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section.
Laurel Hill Lake (Somerset County) Days after a recent trout stocking, a 16-inch golden rainbow was caught on paste bait and released in these Stocked Trout Waters Open for YearRound Fishing.