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Kate Gallo of White Oak boated her first four walleye on a Small Program Charters trip with Captain Steve Small.
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Fishing Report: Fishing improves as water levels and temperatures drop

John Hayes /

Fishing Report: Fishing improves as water levels and temperatures drop

Lake Erie (Erie County) Rough waters kept many boats docked last weekend. Many walleye were marked but the catch was spotty. Deep western waters were more productive, but some anglers reported good catches in waters of 30 feet or less. As walleye moved westward, the yellow perch bite improved at depths of 60-70 feet. In the bay, crappies suspending over deep pockets were caught using live bait and bobbers. Steelhead were caught from shore on jigs and spoons at the larger creek mouths at dawn and dusk.

Kate Gallo of White Oak had never fished for walleye or ridden in a boat on Lake Erie. But Monday morning on a Small Programs charter with Captain Steve Small and a five-member party, she caught the first walleye of the day and the trip’s largest walleye at 28 inches. From dawn to 1 p.m., the group boated 23 legal walleye and a 30-inch steelhead. All were suspended at 50 feet in 70 feet of water off the lighthouse west of Presque Isle.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County) With water temperatures dropping, trolling anglers found walleye at 10-15 feet in about 20 feet of water at the south end of the lake. In northern waters they took fish at 20-25 feet. Night anglers caught walleye using Sonars and other deep-diving plugs. A few muskie catches were reported north of the causeway. Perch were taken from shore.

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Geneva Marsh (Crawford County) A dozen bowfin were targeted, caught and released near the I-79 bridge Tuesday. Last week, a father and son caught and released over 25 bowfin in several hours of fishing.

Tamica Mickle landed a 32-inch king salmon in waters off Presque Isle on Monday. Attempts to stock the largest Pacific salmon species in Lake Erie failed decades ago.
John Hayes
Curious catch: King salmon boated off Presque Isle in Lake Erie

Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County) Largemouth and hybrid striped bass were reluctant to strike, but crappies continued to be caught over drop-offs in the submerged river bed. Muskies took live suckers and bluegills. Catfish were pulled from the tailwaters.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County) The crappie bite picked up as waters cooled.

Allegheny River (Venango County) In stained water, smallmouth bass were slow to take baits.

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French Creek (Venango County) Walleye and smallmouths took top-water lures and spinnerbaits.. Subsurface crankbaits were hot.

Oil Creek (Venango County) Fish and Boat was scheduled to stock rainbow trout at the lower Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area Saturday.

Lake Arthur (Butler County) Crappies moved to deeper water and were suspended at 25-30 feet over brush piles.

Buffalo Creek (Butler, Armstrong counties) Rainbow trout were expected to be stocked by Fish and Boat in Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only waters Monday.

Raccoon Lake (Beaver County) The state was expected to deliver rainbow trout Sunday.

Ohio River (Beaver County) A “feisty” 25.7-pound flathead catfish took a piece of cut skipjack fished by Tara Toth of Fallston, Beaver County.

Deer Lakes (Allegheny County) The upper, middle and lower lakes were scheduled for state stockings of rainbows Sunday.

Allegheny River (Allegheny County) Under cloudy skies, Adena Goldberg, 10, of Squirrel Hill caught her first fish Wednesday, a smallmouth bass, while fishing with the Venture Outdoors fishing program, TriAnglers. The whopper of the day was a 23-inch channel catfish that went for liver and was brought to the wharf by Tommy Lippert of Spring Garden. TriAnglers meets 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. under the Clemente Bridge on the North Shore. Fishing licenses are not required and rods, live bait and assistance are free. Get details at 412-255-0564, ventureoutdoors.org.

Pine Creek (Allegheny County) The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only stretch was expected to get rainbow trout Sunday.

Indian, Keystone lakes (Westmoreland County) Rainbows were expected to be stocked Sunday.

Mammoth, Northmoreland lakes (Westmoreland County) On Sunday, the state was expected to deliver rainbow trout.

Donegal, Twin Lakes (Westmoreland County) Rainbows were scheduled to be stocked by the state Monday.

Monongahela River (Westmoreland County) Smallmouths and walleye were caught in the dam tailrace at Monessen.

Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland County) Fish and Boat was expected to stock rainbow trout in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area Sunday.

Cross Creek Lake (Washington County) Bass were taking baits over points and structure in the hours around dawn and dusk. Crappies moved to deeper water and were suspended over structure.

Peters Lake (Washington County) Bluegills, bass and catfish were caught.

Monongahela River (Washington county) Anglers took walleye and smallmouths below the dam at Elizabeth.

File your fishing report and high-resolution digital photos (1MB minimum) at fishingreport@post-gazette.com. Include name, age (for under 18 years), town, species, size, body of water and details of the catch.

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First Published: September 17, 2021, 2:40 p.m.

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Kate Gallo of White Oak boated her first four walleye on a Small Program Charters trip with Captain Steve Small.  (John Hayes / )
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