Lake Erie and tributaries (Erie County) For the first time this year, the yellow perch bite improved on Presque Isle Bay, particularly at 5-10 feet off docks and piers. Slabs were hanging slightly deeper. A few resident walleye were found in the channels. The last of the migrating ’eyes were marked at 100-110 feet but were hard to catch because of turbulent waves. Fish and Boat stocked a few adolescent Northern pike in the bay, and in the lake smallmouth bass took tubes and blades at 15-20 feet. Many of the tributaries were elbow to elbow near stream mouths and easy access areas. Steelhead trout were up Walnut Creek as far south as the Legion Pool, and lots of silver bullets were reported in the first mile of Elk Creek. Steelhead in Twentymile hadn’t made it south of Rt. 5. Boaters caught chrome in low light conditions off Elk, Trout Run and Walnut; KO Wobblers and Little Cleos were hot. Rain is expected through the weekend.
Lake LeBouef (Erie County) Muskies were taken on bucktails and spoons.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County) Walleye went for blade baits near the causeway bridge. Good-size perch and a few muskellunge were taken, but panfish were MIA.
Conneaut Lake (Crawford County) Despite cool water in the mid-50s, smallmouths could not be found.
Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County) Largemouths took jigs and blade baits in deep water near the dam.
Allegheny River (Venango County) With waters hanging at 50-52 degrees, smallmouths took spinnerbaits on top and soft plastics at depths exceeding 15 feet.
Carnegie Lake (Allegheny County) Kids from Dillsworth Elementary School caught and released six largemouths and four bluegills during a school outing Thursday.
Pine Creek (Allegheny County) The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section received a state stocking of rainbow trout Tuesday. A North Hills angler released three taken on Wooly Buggers Thursday.
Deer Creek (Allegheny County) Rainbows were delivered to the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only stretch on Tuesday.
Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland County) A day after the state Fish and Boat Commission stocked rainbows in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area, Stephen Winston of Greensburg caught and released four and broke off two more of undetermined species near the Rt. 711 bridge.
Dunbar Creek (Fayette County) Tributary water was 48 degrees when several wild trout were caught and released on dry flies that were swung down and across the surface of quick runs on Monday. No fish were raised in deeper pools. On the main stem, the Catch and Release Fly Fishing Only area was scheduled for a state stocking of brook and brown trout Oct. 31.
File your Fishing Report and high-resolution digital photos (1MB minimum) at fishingreport@post-gazette.com. Include name, age (for children), town, species, size, body of water and optional details. Seats are still available for the Post-Gazette’s educational steelhead fishing bus trip to a Lake Erie tributary Nov. 16. $75 includes all-day parking on the North Shore, a fishing seminar presented by a steelhead guide and on-the-water coaching from Trout Unlimited members. Get details at post-gazette.com/pgu.
First Published: October 24, 2019, 9:35 p.m.