Fish captured on the first day were transported to Canonsburg Lake in Washington County. On the second day, all the fish were taken to Raccoon Lake in Beaver County. Crews moved about 900 pounds of fish on the first day and about 575 pounds the next day. Fish population information gained during the salvage will be used in fish management strategies when and if the lake is repaired and refilled.

Last May, the largemouth bass population was sampled in Lower Hereford Manor Lake, a 45-acre lake in eastern Beaver County west of Zelienople. This lake is in the Big Bass Program. In 60 minutes of electro-shocking, 94 largemouth bass ranging in size from 5.5 inches to 17.75 inches were captured. Most were from 11 to 15 inches long. Although the population has declined slightly since 2002, the general trend since 1990 has been an increasing bass population.

Also sampled during May was Glade Run Lake, a 52-acre Big Bass Regulations lake in southern Butler County. In 60 minutes of electro-shocking, 159 largemouth bass ranging in length from 6 to 22 inches were captured. Most were 10 to 12 inches long. This was the greatest amount of bass captured per amount of effort since 1990; however, the number of larger bass seems to have declined since the mid-1990s.

Pollution has been reduced sufficiently during the past few decades at Conemaugh River Lake to allow a recovering fishery. A survey in May 2004 divided the lake into two areas, the main lake and two bays, because of water quality differences between the two areas. Spruce Run Bay and Aultmans Run Bay have better water quality than the main lake, which is still severely impacted by acid mine drainage.

Generally, there were lower numbers of fish in the main lake as compared to those found in the bays, but even here there have been improvements. In the bays, 36 largemouth bass were captured, with 20 of them larger than 12 inches and five larger than 15 inches. The report of this most recent survey summarizes that the numbers and quality of fish in both the main lake and the bays have increased since 1993 and should continue to get better with water quality improvements in the watershed.

NORTHWEST REGION
Kahle Lake, a 251-acre impoundment on the border of Clarion and Venango counties, has been managed since Jan. 1, 1991, under Big Bass Regulations. The effects of this regulation have been monitored every fall since 1990 by performing a population estimate with the assistance of some 25 students enrolled in aquatic ecology and other fields within the environmental sciences at Clarion University.

Last October, the survey captured a total of 425 largemouth bass ranging from 2 to 22 inches. After one week to allow the fish to redistribute themselves, the lake was again electro-shocked. All bass were measured and any with clipped fins were noted. The ratio of marked to unmarked bass in this recapture effort provided an estimate of 2,315 bass in Kahle Lake. The majority were 9 to 15 inches in length.

Tamarack Lake in Crawford County was drained in 1999 to repair control towers at both ends of the lake. Following the completion of the repair work, the lake was refilled during the winter of 1999-2000. Restoration of the fish population began immediately. Largemouth bass stocking has included 1,400 fingerlings in 1999, 300 fingerlings and 115 adults in 2000, 7,097 fingerlings in 2001, and 5,600 fingerlings the next year. Electro-shocking during May 2004 revealed largemouth bass ranging from 4 to 16 inches.

Lake Wilhelm in Mercer County has consistently been a good bass lake because of good fertility, relatively shallow depths, abundant forage and excellent conditions for largemouth bass production. Electro-shocking studies during May 2004 produced 321 largemouth bass for a catch rate of 108.08 per hour. Those fish ranged in length from 6 to 21 inches, with 113 bass longer than 12 inches, 68 longer than 15 inches and 12 longer than 18 inches.