Allegheny River
Flathead Catfish
From Pittsburgh north through Venango County, the deeper pools of the Allegheny River are haunted by big flathead catfish. Look for water that is at least 15 feet deep and fish near sunken boulders. Cut bait or live chubs work well.

SEPTEMBER
Twentymile Creek
Steelhead
Some of the most exciting steelhead fishing occurs in the Lake Erie tributary mouths just before these migratory fish enter the creeks.

Twentymile Creek flows into Lake Erie between North East Marina and the New York border. Wear chest waders and rain gear to keep dry.

Deep Creek Dam
Channel Catfish
Deep Creek Dam is a 25-acre lake owned by the Montgomery County Parks Department. The PFBC has been stocking fingerling channel catfish. The catch rate during a sample was double the average for the Southeast Region. Some fish were over 20 inches.

Stephen Foster Lake
Largemouth Bass
Stephen Foster Lake in Bradford County has a good population of largemouth bass over 12 inches. It is in Mt. Pisgah State Park, which does not have a campground. Only electric motors are allowed on this 75-acre lake.

OCTOBER
Promised Land Lake
Bluegills
Panfish Enhancement Regulations for sunfish and yellow perch were implemented in 2000 at Promised Land Lake. Here is a lake where you can catch a mess of slab bluegills over 8 inches. Pumpkinseeds are also doing well, with many fish over 7 inches.

The 422-acre Promised Land Lake and the 173-acre Lower Lake are in Promised Land State Park in Pike County.

Clarion River
Smallmouth Bass
Fall is the best time for smallmouth bass fishing on the Clarion River. This small river flows past the southern edge of Allegheny National Forest. Any fish over 3 pounds is excellent, but any smallmouth in a current is great sport.

Laurel Hill Lake
Yellow Perch
A Fish and Boat Commission survey turned up a good number of perch over 9 inches and bluegills over 7 inches at 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake. This is an electric motors-only lake in Laurel Hill State Park, which has a campground.

NOVEMBER
Allegheny River
Walleyes
Walleye fishing is always good in the Allegheny River, but this is the time to get the big ones. There are 15-pound-plus walleyes here.

Good walleye fishing may be found from the Kinzua Dam down to Pittsburgh. Look for the bigger walleyes above I-80.

Kinzua Dam Tailwaters
White Bass
White bass fishing in the Kinzua Dam tailwaters is the best in this part of the country during good years. The fish are abundant and big -- average size can be 14 inches. Get them with emerald shiners, jigs or small stick baits.

Glendale Lake
Northern Pike
Pike get cranked up when the water temperature starts dropping. Glendale Lake probably boasts the best northern pike fishing in the middle of Pennsylvania.

DECEMBER
Bucks County Lakes
Rainbow Trout
What's a sportsman to do once deer season is over? Go Christmas shopping? If you are a together sort of person, you had that done long ago, and now you can tell folks you are going shopping. but what you will really be doing is grinning and giggling while you catch trout.

Levittown Lake and Lake Luxembourg are a couple of small lakes in Bucks County. They are dandy lakes, but really there is nothing special about them except that on Dec. 20, both will be stocked with trout. Several other lakes around the Commonwealth will also be stocked this month, but compared with the commotion spring stocking causes, this is mild.

Susquehanna River
Walleyes
Head up to the North Branch Susquehanna River for walleyes to close out the year. If the weather is passable, you might even try float-fishing. Offer leadhead jigs tipped with live minnows along current edges.

Beechwood Lake
Yellow Perch
Just because it is one of the first Pennsylvania lakes to get good ice, anglers should consider Beechwood Lake in Tioga County. This tiny lake holds trout, crappies, perch, sunfish and chain pickerel. Just like your Christmas stocking, you never know what will come out next.

For more information about fishing in Pennsylvania, contact the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, 1601 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000; or call (717) 705-7800.