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| You Are Here: | Game & Fish >> Pennsylvania >> Fishing >> Trout Fishing | |
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Our Finest Western Region Trout Lakes
Some of Pennsylvania’s best winter trout fishing takes place in easy-to-access Western Region lakes and ponds. Here’s where to find some hot ice-fishing action near you this month. (February 2008).
February is considered the dead of the winter, but it’s also the heart of the Pennsylvania ice-fishing season. Keystone State anglers consider this month a new beginning, with new stockings of trout scheduled at many of our lakes. This month’s stocking schedule is part of the Early Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program. Lakes in the program are open to trout fishing from March 1 through 31, with a daily creel limit of three trout and a minimum-size limit of 7 inches. Western Pennsylvania also has the only two rivers that are part of this program. 
These ponds lie in Presque Isle Bay State Park on the Presque Isle Peninsula, which separates Presque Isle Bay from Lake Erie. Approaching from the south, take Interstate Route 79 to Interstate Route 90, and then go west. Exit onto state Route 832 and head north. Route 832 is also Presque Isle Drive, which leads into the state park. The ponds are near the Water Works. A Feb. 5 stocking is scheduled for both of these small ponds. PRESQUE ISLE BAY Even the smallest steelhead are bigger than most of the trout that get stocked for ice-fishing, and some will weigh more than 10 pounds. Strangely, as popular as steelhead are in open water here at Presque Isle Bay, yellow perch get the lion’s share of attention. Steelhead are usually a bonus because few ice-fishermen target them. To focus on steelhead, set tip-ups at various depths, starting just a few feet under the ice. Use shiners for bait. Jigs tipped with shiners also work well. The best ice-fishing for steelhead typically occurs late in the ice-fishing season -- February and on into March, as long as safe ice persists. Local information for Presque Isle Bay, East Basin Pond and West Basin Pond may be obtained from the Erie Tourist and Convention Bureau, 109 Boston Store Place, Erie, PA 16501. Or phone 1-800-524-3749, or log onto www.eriepa.com CHAPMAN LAKE Chapman Lake has a surface area of 66 acres. Most of the lake is less than eight feet deep. Stocking usually takes place at the boat launch area toward the head of the lake. Ice-fishing is usually hot in this area at least through the week following stocking. Later, most anglers fish closer to the dam. This pattern is typical of most of our stocked trout lakes. JUSTUS LAKE |
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