Less common PA fish species...

[Big-Bass]

Does anyone know of a report (aside from those on PA Fish & Boat) that gives accurate information regarding fish species in PA. More specifically, where certain less common fish are present in the state...not just that they are here. I know that this is a fly fishing forum and most folks on here fish for trout (Brown, Rainbow, Brook) and/or bass, but I would like to know lakes or rivers that contain harder to find species simply as an angling challenge. While most reports do not indicate that Lake Trout are present in any number outside of Lake Erie, I have caught a number from a private lake (not fly fishing) along the Lackawanna/Susquehanna county border that has a very healthy population of them (and I have access to through family friends). I also have heard that this same lake contains Cisco (Lake Herring) as a forage species but have no confirmation to prove it. Are there any other lakes that hold a laker population? Also, does anyone know if there are any PA lakes (aside from Harvey's and Upper Woods) that contain Kokanee (landlocked Sockeye) or Landlocked Atlantics? Can these fish be caught on flies? Also, are there any lakes that have a population of Bowfin, White Perch, White Bass that may be worth fishing for? As I have mentioned before on this site, before I was a fly fisherman, my dad and I did a lot of bass fishing using baitcasting and spinning tackle. Since his recent passing last May, I have really taken an interest in honoring him by continuing to both fly fish and traditionally fish, and learn as much about all fish species/opportunities within the state. (When I was little he used to sit down and teach me all about the state's fish, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species and as way to keep me active and interested in the outdoors) That way, I can hopefully teach as much to my own children as he did for my siblings and I.

 

[PocketWater]

Don't know any site or report, but Raystown Lake has Striper, Lake Trout, and used to have Atlantic Salmon. Not sure if it still has the Salmon now.

 

[pcray1231]

For bowfin:

http://www.bowfinanglers.com/pa.html

Edinboro lake is relatively famous for them, as is Conneaut Lake. Famous meaning the guys who target them routinely catch multiples in a day, and double digits more often than not, with 20-30 not exactly unusual. Shallow, weedy areas are what they like.

As for white bass, we used to clean up on them in the Allegheny. In HS we'd go down to the river, and right where the Kiski meets the Allegheny, there were some bushes in the water, and you could fill a cooler pretty quickly at times. That was a long time ago, though. I wasn't a fly fisherman at the time, but they woulda been easy on fly gear too. It was like finding a huge school of crappy under some cover....

 

[Chaz]

I suggest that you google fishes of PA and you'll find everything PFBC has and probably get info from other sources. Otherwise try college website that have a fisheries study program. Mansfield, PSU, and Lehigh that have fisheries studies.

 

[McSneek]

pcray1231 wrote:
and right where the Kiski meets the Allegheny, there were some bushes in the water, and you could fill a cooler pretty quickly at times.

:-o Hope those fish were holding slightly above the Kiski. Wouldn't eat anything that swam in that river.

 

[FarmerDave]

I don't know about the eastern part of PA, but Bowfin are a native species of the Ohio drainage. I saw one caught in the Clarion river in some slack water upstream of the Piney Resevoir many years ago.

I didn't know about Conneaut Lake and Geneva Swamp, but it makes sense. There is another large swampy area actually several west of Geneva Lake that are not easy access. I may have to five a try in late summer. Would be fun in a canoe or yak. Been thinking of buying a yak. OK, not a real yak Pete, a kayak. Might be some decent pike fishing in some of those swamps as well.

White bass are also native to Western PA. They are definitely in Pymatuning lake and the Allegheny.

You didn't mention paddle fish.

Paddlefish were extirpated from PA waters, however PAF&B has been reintroducing them for some time now. I only knew that because they raise them in the Pymatuning hatchery. They do stock them in the Ohio and Allegheny. Map seems to indicate they plan to stock in the Clarion river as well if they hadn't already. Link.
You might be able to catch them in pcray's childhood white bass spot.;-)

Now, that would be an interesting catch. I'm not sure what lure or bait you would use for them, since they are large filter feeders. But I hear they will eat mayflies though. Hmmm.

 

[pcray1231]

I've only seen 1 paddlefish in my life. It was at Kinzua dam. Looking from the wall on the N side. Right up at the surface in the slack water corner with it's nose in the corner against the cement. It was big. It would not take anything, lol.

Plankton eaters. Think REALLY small flies for really big fish....

 

[krayfish2]

Blue Marsh has Striper or hybrids

 

[Chaz]

My understanding is that occasionly kokanee are still caught in Upper Woods pond, but PFBC did try to wipe the slate clean there to remove all of the non native fish. Don't know why they did this since it is stocked with rubber trout.
Kokanee should take flies. Land-locked Atlantics certainly do, but the only place I know of they were stocked in PA. is Raystown Reservoir. They were native to the Great Lakes, however I don't think any are still there. Seems a crying shame to me because next to their ocean migrating cousins they are the best fighting fish in N.A. If they were still in L.Erie, they would be what you'd be fishing for in the Erie tribs, not rubber steelhead.

 

[streamerguy]

The French Creek watershed is the bowfin capital of PA. I've gotten them on flies in French itself, one of its tribs, and the Geneva Swamp/Conneaut Marsh. And as mentioned they are in the natural lakes in the watershed such as Conneaut, Edinboro, Sugar, and maybe a couple others. Conneaut having the most from what I understand. Lots of the locals hate them, but I think they're a pretty cool native fish. Prehistoric. More and more people are targeting them every year. Presque Isle Bay has them too.

Yeah for white bass definitely look into the Allegheny and Ohio R. drainages, and probably the Mon. too. Lots of fun if you stumble upon a school of them. Shenango Lake has good numbers, and yep they're in Pymatuning as well.

Lake Erie has tons of white bass, and non-native white perch, and I guess the Delaware system has good numbers of native white perch. There's a reservoir in SE PA that now has them too I think. Marburg?

Kokanees and landlocked Atlantics would be awesome.

 

[chubmaster]

My Grandfather caught a bowfin at Lake Somerset (Somerset County) in the late 1980's. I did a quick search, and that lake still holds them. It's not exactly a "destination", but your mention of bowfin brought back memories as a young boy that day. Thank you for that.

 

[jifigz]

Seriously all of this information is available on the PA Fish Commission's website. Many of those "less popular" species still have the older style species feature page that tell you waterways in which you may find the fish. Lake trout can be found in Raystown Lake, Bowfin may be found in Black Moshannon, and white bass and white perch are listed Sith waters as well. Just go browse their website. There is a ton of info on there.

 

[krayfish2]

Almost forgot, drive east 15 minutes in early season. Hook into a few fresh running shad. One of those critters will empty your reel for ya.

 

[FarmerDave]

pcray1231 wrote:
I've only seen 1 paddlefish in my life.

I've seen thousands of them, but they were in the Pymatuning fish hatchery.;-)

Was thinking of adding one or two to my pond just for the hell of it, but wouldn't know where to buy them. LOOK! A SHARK!

It would probably be legal since the pond does not outflow into a stream and even if it did, I am in the correct drainage (flows south into Shenango lake, eventually).

Now I am thinking I should put a couple bowfin in there to control the population of panfish.

Are bowfin fit to eat?

I looked into hybrid stripers but the ponds aren't very big, and they are too expensive to put in there and then lose.;-)

 

[FarmerDave]

Chaz wrote:
My understanding is that occasionly kokanee are still caught in Upper Woods pond, but PFBC did try to wipe the slate clean there to remove all of the non native fish. Don't know why they did this since it is stocked with rubber trout.
Kokanee should take flies. Land-locked Atlantics certainly do, but the only place I know of they were stocked in PA. is Raystown Reservoir. They were native to the Great Lakes, however I don't think any are still there. Seems a crying shame to me because next to their ocean migrating cousins they are the best fighting fish in N.A. If they were still in L.Erie, they would be what you'd be fishing for in the Erie tribs, not rubber steelhead.

Chaz, doesn't Lake Onterio still have Atlantic Salmon? I think Erie still has a few too, but rare. I could be wrong. As far as the Erie tribs, not much natural reproduction of cold water fishes, hence the rubber fish. It would be cool to switch over to rubber Atlantic Salmon, but not likely to happen. Besides, from a genetic standpoint, what would it do to native Atlantic Salmon?

 

[FarmerDave]

jifigz wrote:
Seriously all of this information is available on the PA Fish Commission's website. Many of those "less popular" species still have the older style species feature page that tell you waterways in which you may find the fish. Lake trout can be found in Raystown Lake, Bowfin may be found in Black Moshannon, and white bass and white perch are listed Sith waters as well. Just go browse their website. There is a ton of info on there.

There is a lot of info there, but not all of it. I think the OP mentioned he checked there and even reverenced the page number and is simply looking for more info.

 

[Big-Bass]

Kray,

I fish the Delaware at Narrowsburg for shad and they are awesome! Last year was only an okay run but years past have been better. Comet flies seem to be the ticket the past two years.

 

[Fishidiot]

Big-Bass wrote:
Does anyone know of a report (aside from those on PA Fish & Boat) that gives accurate information regarding fish species in PA. More specifically, where certain less common fish are present in the state...not just that they are here.

Why not do some exploring and see what you can find?

This would be a fun project: make a list of the more rare or non-traditional species you're interested in, say lake trout or white bass, and travel to some of the areas where you have some intel on their presence. . . and see what you can catch. Explore tributaries in the springtime. Hit up the locals at the bait and tackle shops. Fish some out-of-the-way warm water creeks and river sections.
To be sure, I think you're going to find that many of these species are tough to catch on fly gear since they reside in deep lakes.
Nevertheless, it would be a fun project.

 

[RLeep2]

That's an interesting notion that the original range of the Atlantic Salmon including Lake Erie. I sort of doubt it due to Niagara Falls being in the way. But its possible that some of them may have honeymooned there back when the Falls was a big honeymoon destination....

My guess is that the only cold water fish that "may" (and its a big may...) have traveled from the lake to spawn in the PA Lake Erie tribs would probably be the brook trout. My Dad always told me that when he was a kid, they used to catch brookies out of most of the Elk and Walnut tribs that are now on the natural reproduction list plus a few others. My guess though would be that these fish were not travelers like the "coasters" in Huron and Superior, but streambound populations same as you'd find in any little drizzle in the ANF or Potter County.

No salmon though...

 

[mikesl]

Here in the east, the lower Tohickon has signage regarding the presence of bowfins, and maybe special regs / education for fisherman to treat them well (not confuse them with snakeheads?)