Catch rates and fishing pressure varied last weekend, although some bait and tackle shops reported a marked decline in opening day business, citing bad weather and blown-out streams as likely culprits. In-season stockings continue. For a schedule, visit www.fish.state.pa.us.

Weekly Report

Lake Erie tributaries (Erie County): Perfect conditions were reported yesterday. Upper Elk was stocked with trout Wednesday and lower Elk gets stocked later this month. Anglers did better on steelhead than trout this past weekend, as large numbers of anglers hit the upper reaches of the streams with single eggs, minnows and streamers. The "stink hole" in Presque Isle Bay is yielding nice catches of perch and crappies.

Allegheny River/Allegheny Reservoir (Warren, Forest, Venango counties): Releases from the Kinzua Dam are keeping the river on the high side. Dave Defazio of Erie released two 20-plus pound muskies, 41 and 44 inches, last week on a Red Childress guide trip. Other anglers released a 41-inch muskie, 14 smallmouth bass up to 18 inches, two nice walleyes and a 24-inch pike.

Oil Creek, Little Sandy, Pine Creek (Venango County): Pine, Little Sandy and other smaller streams are running slightly high and green, but are fishable. Some Blue Quills are coming off the smaller tributaries. Oil Creek is dropping and should be fishable by Sunday.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): Milder weather has anglers targeting crappies. A little hybrid striper and northern pike action is reported, mostly in the shallows in the northern end of the Muddy Creek arm.

Cowanshannock Creek (Armstrong County): Although opening day pressure was down, anglers caught brown trout, all around 13 inches, and large brook trout.

Shenango Reservoir/Shenango River (Mercer County): Water was 44 degrees and about 2¹/₂ feet above the summer pool yesterday, which is down from last weekend. Crappie catches are reported. Trout fishing was good below the dam, with several trophies landed last weekend.

Little Shenango River/Cool Spring Creek (Mercer County): The water around Hadley was yielding fair catches of trout amid light opening-day angling pressure.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): Pressure is low, with anglers making nice catches of crappies and bluegills around Launch No. 3 and the Sheakleyville Bridge.

Allegheny River: Water remains slightly high and off-color, and very little fishing is reported.

Deer Creek (Allegheny County): Rainbow trout up to 5 pounds were caught opening day.

North Park Lake/Pine Creek (Allegheny County): Russell Walker and his daughter Jennifer Walker, 8, of Valencia caught 31 trout on the lake opening day. Big rainbows up to 7 pounds and 27 inches were reported on the creek last weekend.

Ohio River: A few anglers caught scant numbers of walleyes and saugers in high muddy conditions earlier this week.

Montour Run (Allegheny County): Sean Komer, 11, of McKees Rocks, landed a 28-inch, 9-pound, 8-ounce rainbow trout on a minnow.

Flaugherty Run (Allegheny County): Andrew Cochenour, 10, of Moon, landed a 3-pound, 12-ounce, 19-inch brook trout on 4-pound test with a bobber and a ¹/₈-ounce chartreuse jig tipped with a fathead.

Hereford Manor Lake, Brady Run Lake, Brady Run Creek, Little Beaver Creek (Beaver County): As expected, Hereford Manor got the most pressure, although turnout was high on most of these waters and catch rates ran from moderate to limits.

Indian Lake (Westmoreland County): Bill Korp of Glassport, Pa., leads the Shad Lure Bait and Tackle trout contest with a 5-pound rainbow trout caught on a waxworm.

Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland County): T. J. Hoburn of Hostetter, Pa., landed a 3-pound, 18-inch rainbow on a waxworm. Ronnie Dranzo of Darlington, Pa., landed a 7-pound, 25-inch golden rainbow with 12-inch girth. Other opening day trophies include a 17-inch, 9.45-pound golden rainbow landed by Chris Thys of Ligonier.

Mill Creek (Westmoreland County): Paul Mastrippolito of Jeannette landed a 25-inch, 8-pound golden rainbow with 14-inch girth on a butter worm on opening day.

Lower Twin Lake (Westmoreland County): Chris Cline, 13, of Greensburg caught a 24-inch rainbow on a Joe's Fly Saturday.

Youghiogheny River and tributaries (Fayette County): The tailrace and the upper reaches near Confluence, Pa., were fishable, but the lower river and creeks such as Big Sandy were running high and fast from recent rainfall.

Mountain Creek (Fayette County): Anglers reported good catches with some limits landed opening day.

Dunlap Creek Lake (Fayette County): Dandy catches of trout are reported. Largemouth bass up to 19 inches are being released. The Dunlap Co-op Stocking Club will stock trout 14 to 30 inches tomorrow.

Templeton Fork, Enlow Fork of Wheeling Creek, Lake Wilma (Greene County): Heavy pressure and good catch rates were reported on these waters last weekend, especially with Dutch Fork and Duke lakes gone.

Cush Cushion Creek, Cush Creek, Brush Creek (Indiana County): Water temperatures around 40 degrees made for tough fishing last weekend.