ERIE COUNTY LAKES
Erie County, our northernmost county, gets plenty of good ice and folks in the area love its trout fishing.

The county has four lakes or ponds that are stocked in the Early-Season Program: East Basin Pond, West Basin Pond, Upper Gravel Pit and Lake Pleasant.

East Basin Pond and West Basin Pond are in Presque Isle State Park. These are small ponds and stocked fish are thinned quickly. Both are scheduled to be stocked Feb. 1.

To get there, exit Interstate Route 90 at Peninsula Drive and follow the signs to the park.

Upper Gravel Pit is near Fairview. Feb. 2 is the scheduled stocking date here. Exit I-90 onto Route 98 north.

Lake Pleasant is the premier stocked trout lake in the northwest corner. A natural glacial lake, it covers 64 acres and is quite deep.

Feb. 21 is the scheduled stocking date.

To find this lake, take I-90 to the Route 8 (Hammett) exit, follow Route 8 south and look on the right for Mark Road (about three miles); turn right onto Mark Road and follow it to the T-intersection, and then turn left onto Lake Pleasant Road for about five miles. The lake is on the right.

BESSEMER LAKE
Bessemer Lake is north of Bessemer near state Route 317. Stocking is slated for Feb. 21 at this 29-acre Lawrence County lake. It also holds panfish. At any of our stocked trout lakes, anglers should carry an assortment of jigs in a variety of colors. Changing from a yellow jig to yellow-and-red jig can make all the difference between a washout and a great day of ice-fishing.

DUMAN DAM
Duman Dam is a 21-acre Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lake that is next to Duman Lake County Park, three miles north of Belsano on state Route 271 in Cambria County. Stocking is scheduled here for Feb. 14.

Rig with a slightly heavier leader because the lake also contains pickerel. They will hit the same terminal rigs as trout, including minnows and jigs.

GLADE RUN LAKE
In southern Butler County about halfway between Butler and Pittsburgh, near the intersection of state routes 8 and 228 close to Glade Mills, Glade Run Lake is convenient to many ice-fishermen. Feb. 21 is the scheduled Early-Season Program stocking date.

This midsized stocked trout lake covers 52 acres and also holds largemouth bass, bluegills and yellow perch in reasonable numbers.

FAYETTE COUNTY LAKES
Fayette County has a pair of lakes that will be stocked Feb. 28, just in time for Early-Season Program regulations to begin. Drive west from Uniontown on U.S. Route 40 to New Salem Road, and then turn right onto Stoney Point Road to Dunlap Creek Lake. Virgin Run Dam is one-half mile north of Flatwoods on township Road 701, eight miles west of Connellsville on PA Route 201.

DUKE LAKE
Duke Lake is in Greene County close to the West Virginia border. Stocking here takes place Feb. 28. The lake is part of Ryerson Station State Park. The park is on both sides of Bristoria Road off state Route 21 three miles from Wind Ridge.

This 52-acre lake also holds some respectable crappies, so bring some small minnows to use if the trout fishing slows down.