Photo by Ted Peck.

The arrival of spring ushers in another fishing season, replete with a lengthy menu of options. Walleyes -- those finicky biters that can challenge the best of anglers -- will be high on the list of many fishermen. Across the Commonwealth, Keystone anglers will find a good variety of walleye fishing venues.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission manages the state's walleye fisheries in various ways. Where natural reproduction occurs, harvest management -- seasons and creel limits -- are in place to allow anglers to take fish home while still protecting the resource.

Maintenance stocking occurs in waters that provide suitable walleye habitat, but aren't able to sustain fishable populations through natural reproduction.

What follows is a look at several rivers and lakes across the state expected to provide good-to-excellent walleye angling during the year to come:

KINZUA LAKE
Al Woomer, the PFBC's area fisheries manager, expects this expansive Allegheny River reservoir to provide good walleye fishing this year, especially during the first six weeks of the season.

"We've had stable recruitment of walleyes in Kinzua the past few years," noted Woomer.

"We stock the lake with fry-stage walleyes each year. There is also evidence of natural reproduction."

Woomer's crew examined Kinzua Lake during the fall of last year, a survey aimed at determining the number of young-of-the-year walleyes in the lake.

Most of the walleyes caught from Kinzua will be from sub-legal size to about 20 inches. Woomer said walleyes in this lake grow at a slower rate than in other, more fertile waters. Fingerling walleyes collected during fall measure around four to six inches in length, whereas in more productive waters, they may reach eight inches.

"It takes Kinzua walleyes about an extra year to reach the legal 15-inch length," noted Woomer.

He also noted that during tournaments held last spring, contestants brought in good numbers of walleyes in the 20-inch range.