As anglers anticipate steelhead season, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has completed dredging on Walnut Creek in Erie and the installation of a stream deflector, which appears to be doing a good job of directing water into one of the steelhead holes and keeping it clear. The waterfall at the 'stop sign hole' also has been amended to enhance flow.

Catch of the Week

Bob Blum, 15, of Transfer, Pa., caught a 31-inch northern pike while trolling for walleye in the Shenango Reservoir.

Weekly report

Erie: The perch bite has picked up in 57 to 62 feet of water out from of Walnut Creek. Walleye are coming in 90 to 100 feet off the point of the peninsula and in good numbers. A few steelhead are being landed at the mouths of Walnut and Elk creeks, especially in the pre-dawn hours.

Allegheny River: At Point State Park Wednesday, the Venture Outdoors Downtown TriAnglers released a mixed bag of fish on live bait. Tom Lippert of Spring Garden caught a 21 1/2-inch smallmouth buffalo and a 14-inch channel catfish, instructor Karen Gainey of Ben Avon pulled in a 12-inch smallmouth bass, Paul Grygo of Bethel Park caught an 11-inch crappie, John Brady of Verona caught a 17 1/2-inch channel cat and Bob Walters of Mt. Lebanon landed a 12 1/2-inch freshwater drum.

Pine Creek (Allegheny River): Smallmouth bass up to 12 inches and nice bluegills are being landed below the North Park Dam. Carl Scholtz of Shaler landed a 16-inch largemouth near the dam.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): Cooler water temperatures have spurred the bass bite on surface lures with largemouths up to 17 inches reported. Chris LaRue of Imperial boated 10 hybrid stripers, including two 9-pounders, and 10 catfish.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): Crappie are picking up along with nice-size bluegill. John Johnson of Bethel Park caught two largemouth bass, a 5-pound, 9-ouncer that was 21 inches and a 3-pound, 4-ouncer that was 17 inches on a spinner bait.

Neshannock Creek (Mercer County): Water is low and clear. Smallmouth bass are being landed in the mornings and evenings on poppers, hellgrammite and crayfish patterns, and small wooly buggers.

Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County): A lot of smallmouth bass have been reported on topwaters mornings and evenings, and crappie are returning to the brush piles. A fair number of pike up to 30 inches are being caught in the lake and below the dam.

Connoquenessing Creek (Lawrence County): Nice conditions prevailed last weekend with anglers catching smallmouth bass up to 15 inches, though the bite was overall slow.

Youghiogheny River (Fayette County): A trout stocking Friday at Confluence has increased fishing pressure. Three trout of more than 20 inches -- two rainbows and a brown -- were landed.

Youghiogheny Reservoir (Fayette County): Really nice perch up to 13 inches are coming in the lake, where water levels are low. Alex Berkosky of Uniontown boated a 30-inch northern pike while trolling a crawler harness for walleye.