Lake Erie: Perch were hitting in 56 to 60 feet straight out of Walnut Creek and a little west yesterday. Within the past couple of days, walleye fishing was starting to pick up in 60 feet in the trenches toward the Ohio line. The winners in the Poor Richard's big fish contest were Josh Malanowski of Pittsburgh for an 11-pound, 3-ounce walleye and Barry Lichvar of Erie for a 1- pound, 7-ounce perch.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): Crappies were suspended in the middle of the lake in recent days. Largemouth bass, including some 15- to 19-inchers, were reported. Walleyes up to 22 inches continued to hit on Hot n Tots this week. Catfish also were hitting. Panfish have gone deeper in "the stumps" which also was yielding bass.

Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County): Crappies, including some slabs, catfish, hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, a few largemouths, and some walleyes were reported.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County): Walleyes and crappies were hitting in deeper water. Muskies in the 40-plus inch range also were reported.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): Except on rainy days, anglers were catching bass and walleyes this week. Crappies were hitting in 10 feet. Catfish, including a few up to 2 feet long, were reported. Some anglers were still catching hybrid striped bass after dark.

Allegheny River: Water was high yesterday, a result of heavy rainfall upriver and voluminous releases from the Kinzua Dam. Average catches of bass, walleyes and catfish were reported earlier this week. The Venture Outdoors Downtown TriAnglers reported 31 anglers released 14 fish off the North Shore Wednesday, including a 25-inch carp by Pat Megarry of the North Side, a 20-inch freshwater drum by Ken Migliorese of Washington's Landing, a 20-inch flathead by Bernie Kielar of Brookline and a 12-inch crappie by Marty Sanders of Overbrook.

Monongahela River: Average catches of bass and some nice catfish were reported.

Ohio River: Russ Greshauk of McKees Rocks caught a 28-inch, 7-pound walleye with 13-inch girth on a white jig in the back channel dam Sunday morning.

Conemaugh River Lake (Armstrong County): The bass bite has slowed, but nice bluegills were reported in recent days.

Yellow Creek Lake (Indiana County): Bass up to 18 and 22 inches were reported. The northern pike bite slowed considerably over the past week.

Keystone Dam (Wesmoreland County): Bass and some sublegal-size muskies were released over the past week, although one 46-incher also was reported. A few walleyes were caught on the north side of the lake.

Youghiogheny Reservoir (Fayette County): John Spittal of Ursina and friends caught six smallmouth bass up to 18?? inches, some nice bluegills, a bullhead catfish, and a 28-inch carp in 10 to 25 feet earlier this week.

Youghiogheny River: Good trout fishing was reported with catches coming near Confluence, Ohiopyle and the All Tackle Trophy Trout stretch from Ramcat Run to Ohiopyle.

Highpoint Lake (Somerset County): A slow bite was reported in recent days. Water levels were at normal summer pool and weed growth was abundant.

Pine Creek (Lycoming County): Good, cool, off-color flow was reported yesterday, with hatches of blue-winged olives in the early morning, rusty and olive spinners and sporadic slate drakes during the day and light cahills at dusk. All patterns were small. Wooly buggers, streamers, and terrestrials were fishing well.

Chautauqua Lake (New York): Walleyes up to 21 inches were hitting in 6 to 12 feet, and smallmouth bass, including a 5??-pounder, were released near weed beds Friday evening.