T_boy
01-16-2009, 02:56 PM
DISTRICT
Frigid temperatures caused many area lakes to develop some areas of fishable ice this week, although the snowfall Wednesday slowed ice production and hampered access on parts of the same fisheries. Dangerously low single-digit and subzero temps were forecast for yesterday and today. Anglers are advised to exercise extreme caution when venturing onto any frozen surface. Lake Wilma in Greene County has reopened for angling. The lake Â*-- a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission-Approved Trout Water -- had been closed while state and federal authorities ironed out regulatory issues. Agency stockings slated for today at Glade Run, Bessemer, Northmoreland and Pleasant lakes have been postponed until further notice because of weather. Stockings at Justus, Chapman, Donegal, Keystone, Mammoth and lower Twin lakes will proceed as planned Tuesday.
Lake Erie -- The steelhead tributaries were frozen yesterday. Ice anglers were fishing in Presque Isle Bay. The bay's Horseshoe Pond was yielding bluegills, sunfish, crappies and small perch; Misery Bay anglers were catching sunfish, bluegills and crappies. A couple of anglers ice-fished the head of the bay (around the second parking lot) yesterday and caught a few nice perch. One angler iced steelhead in Walnut Creek basin. Yesterday, a freighter scheduled to come through the channel into the bay was expected to break up ice.
Allegheny Reservoir, Allegheny River (Warren County)-- More than a foot of recent snow has hampered ice fishing on parts of the lake. Earlier this week, anglers were icing legal walleyes and small to average northern pike in the Kinzua Arm around Red Bridge, Chappel Bay and Dunkel's Corner. The Wolf Run marina also was yielding small pike and keeper-size walleyes. A 26-inch brown trout was iced in the lake this week. In the river, anglers reported walleyes and brown trout from the tailrace on down.
Chapman Reservoir (Warren County) -- Nice size recently stocked brook trout were iced this week; another stocking will be performed Tuesday in advance of Winterfest, slated for Jan. 25-26.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County) -- A few ice anglers braved bitter temperatures to fish Wednesday.
Allegheny River (Venango County) -- A fair number of walleyes, mostly legal, were reported last week in the southern Venango County/northern Armstrong County section of the river, as conditions allowed. Conditions have fluctuated through much of this winter. Jigs and medium-size fathead minnows and jigging spoons tipped with small fathead minnows worked best.
Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County) -- Ice fishing began midweek, although snowfall caused uneven freezing on the surface of the lake. One angler fished around Launch 4 and reported catching perch and bluegills. Three anglers were ice-fishing in "the stumps" yesterday.
Lake Arthur (Butler County) -- Ice fishing took off this week, with up to 40 anglers on the lake last weekend and about 10 each day since then. Most of the action has been on the bays at Muddy Creek and Shannon Run on the lake's eastern end, with largemouth bass and crappies the dominant catches. The east end of the lake typically yields nice numbers of northern pike, especially at ice-out in early spring when pike come in to spawn.
High Point Lake (Somerset County) -- Pike and bass were iced this week in this mountaintop fishery.
Cranberry Glade Lake (Fayette County) --Pike, panfish and bass were iced in recent days.
Spring Creek (Centre County) -- Excellent conditions were reported Tuesday. Recommended tactics: nymphing Green Weenies, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears and other classic patterns, or slowly swimming or dead-drifting streamers, such as olive Slump Busters.
Little Juniata River (Blair County) -- Normal flow was reported Tuesday. Anglers were advised to slowly swim (or dead drift) medium to large streamers, such as size 4-8 Slump Busters, by the banks or to nymph Pheasant Tails, Caddis larvae or Green Weenies.
Deep Creek Lake (Maryland) -- Ice anglers reported perch, walleyes, bluegills, pickerel and pike in the coves this week.
Chautauqua Lake (New York) -- Shane Hennessey of Warren reported icing dandy numbers of bluegills and perch and some crappies in recent days.
Frigid temperatures caused many area lakes to develop some areas of fishable ice this week, although the snowfall Wednesday slowed ice production and hampered access on parts of the same fisheries. Dangerously low single-digit and subzero temps were forecast for yesterday and today. Anglers are advised to exercise extreme caution when venturing onto any frozen surface. Lake Wilma in Greene County has reopened for angling. The lake Â*-- a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission-Approved Trout Water -- had been closed while state and federal authorities ironed out regulatory issues. Agency stockings slated for today at Glade Run, Bessemer, Northmoreland and Pleasant lakes have been postponed until further notice because of weather. Stockings at Justus, Chapman, Donegal, Keystone, Mammoth and lower Twin lakes will proceed as planned Tuesday.
Lake Erie -- The steelhead tributaries were frozen yesterday. Ice anglers were fishing in Presque Isle Bay. The bay's Horseshoe Pond was yielding bluegills, sunfish, crappies and small perch; Misery Bay anglers were catching sunfish, bluegills and crappies. A couple of anglers ice-fished the head of the bay (around the second parking lot) yesterday and caught a few nice perch. One angler iced steelhead in Walnut Creek basin. Yesterday, a freighter scheduled to come through the channel into the bay was expected to break up ice.
Allegheny Reservoir, Allegheny River (Warren County)-- More than a foot of recent snow has hampered ice fishing on parts of the lake. Earlier this week, anglers were icing legal walleyes and small to average northern pike in the Kinzua Arm around Red Bridge, Chappel Bay and Dunkel's Corner. The Wolf Run marina also was yielding small pike and keeper-size walleyes. A 26-inch brown trout was iced in the lake this week. In the river, anglers reported walleyes and brown trout from the tailrace on down.
Chapman Reservoir (Warren County) -- Nice size recently stocked brook trout were iced this week; another stocking will be performed Tuesday in advance of Winterfest, slated for Jan. 25-26.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County) -- A few ice anglers braved bitter temperatures to fish Wednesday.
Allegheny River (Venango County) -- A fair number of walleyes, mostly legal, were reported last week in the southern Venango County/northern Armstrong County section of the river, as conditions allowed. Conditions have fluctuated through much of this winter. Jigs and medium-size fathead minnows and jigging spoons tipped with small fathead minnows worked best.
Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County) -- Ice fishing began midweek, although snowfall caused uneven freezing on the surface of the lake. One angler fished around Launch 4 and reported catching perch and bluegills. Three anglers were ice-fishing in "the stumps" yesterday.
Lake Arthur (Butler County) -- Ice fishing took off this week, with up to 40 anglers on the lake last weekend and about 10 each day since then. Most of the action has been on the bays at Muddy Creek and Shannon Run on the lake's eastern end, with largemouth bass and crappies the dominant catches. The east end of the lake typically yields nice numbers of northern pike, especially at ice-out in early spring when pike come in to spawn.
High Point Lake (Somerset County) -- Pike and bass were iced this week in this mountaintop fishery.
Cranberry Glade Lake (Fayette County) --Pike, panfish and bass were iced in recent days.
Spring Creek (Centre County) -- Excellent conditions were reported Tuesday. Recommended tactics: nymphing Green Weenies, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears and other classic patterns, or slowly swimming or dead-drifting streamers, such as olive Slump Busters.
Little Juniata River (Blair County) -- Normal flow was reported Tuesday. Anglers were advised to slowly swim (or dead drift) medium to large streamers, such as size 4-8 Slump Busters, by the banks or to nymph Pheasant Tails, Caddis larvae or Green Weenies.
Deep Creek Lake (Maryland) -- Ice anglers reported perch, walleyes, bluegills, pickerel and pike in the coves this week.
Chautauqua Lake (New York) -- Shane Hennessey of Warren reported icing dandy numbers of bluegills and perch and some crappies in recent days.